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    Dark Chapter
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    Dark Chapter
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    Dark Chapter
    Ebook443 pages7 hours

    Dark Chapter

    By Winnie M Li

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    About this ebook

    NOMINATED FOR THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL

    Vivian is a cosmopolitan Taiwanese-American tourist who often escapes her busy life in London through adventure and travel. Johnny is a 15-year-old Irish teenager, living a neglected life on the margins of society. He has grown up in a family where crime is customary, violence is a necessity, and everything--and anyone--can be yours for the taking.
    As Vivian looks to find her calling professionally, she delights in exploring foreign countries, rolling hillsides, and new cultures. And as a young, single woman, she has grown used to experiencing life on her own. But all of that changes when, on one bright spring afternoon in West Belfast, Vivian's path collides with Johnny and culminates in a horrifying act of violence.
    In the aftermath of the incident, both Johnny and Vivian are forced to confront the chain of events that led to the attack. Vivian must struggle to recapture the woman that she was and the woman she aspired to be, while dealing with a culture and judicial system that treats assault victims as less than human. Johnny, meanwhile, flees to the sanctity of his transitory Irish clan. But when he is finally brought to reckon for his crimes, Vivian learns that justice is not always as swift or as fair as she would hope. Inspired by true events, DARK CHAPTER is both a literary masterpiece and a riveting novel of suspense about of the dark chapters and chance encounters that can irrevocably determine the shape of our lives.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPolis Books
    Release dateSep 12, 2017
    ISBN9781943818761
    Author

    Winnie M Li

    Winnie M Li is an American author and activist living in the UK with her partner and young son. A Harvard graduate, Winnie worked as a film producer in London before her career was disrupted by a violent rape. Inspired by that experience, her first novel Dark Chapter was nominated for an Edgar Award and translated into ten languages. She is the founder of Clear Lines, the UK’s first-ever festival addressing sexual assault through the arts and discussion. 

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    Reviews for Dark Chapter

    4/5

    18 ratings4 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is the story of a young Chinese American woman visiting Belfast, Northern Ireland. While on a walk she is raped by a teenage member of the Irish Travelers (Gypsy) community. From that point on we follow the after effects including the victims going to the police, the arrest, the trial and the lives of the victim and the perpetrator of the crime. The author is very good with dialogue and is well versed in the slang of Northern Ireland. The book is very procedural and will appeal to those who enjoy that type of novel.
    • 5/5
      This story is all the more astounding when you consider that it is based on the real life events that occurred to the author. I have never been more affected or more enthralled by the content of a novel or by its alternate voice method of presentation. Vivian Tan, independent and vivacious traveller, is in Belfast invited to contribute in the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement. As a keen walker she plans to use the opportunity to explore the nearby Colin Glen Forest Park close to the city. She meets a young, seemingly innocent boy John Sweeney who continues to follow the hiker seeking a reaction from her as he attempts to strike up a friendly conversation. The situation develops in a frightening and unexpected manner when a pleasant exchange turns to a violent assault and uncontrollable lust ending in the rape of Mz Tan. It is the telling of this story through the voices of the victim and the perpetrator that makes for compelling reading. A victim so traumatized by a violent act that her life from here on is changed irrevocably and a perpetrator totally unconcerned by the affect of his actions on the victim..."But they have no idea how far she is now from the person they knew a week ago. They just see her, hear her voice. But the real Vivian checked out days ago, and she doesn't know when she'll return.".... As we alternate quickly between the thoughts of Vivian and Sweeney we encounter the rape, the aftermath, the trial and the fallout. It is often so easy to read about a sexual assault and to dismiss very quickly, but the voice of Winnie Li, and her articulate literary presentation taking us from a solitary walk to her life today, (as the lines between Winnie and Vivian must surely be merged) is a meaningful, sombre and sad experience to me as a male reader. An essential important read by a lady who I can only hold the greatest respect and admiration for. The scenes in the Northern Irish courtroom and the questioning that Vivian received at the hands of a well educated defence lawyer had me totally engrossed by its realism and authenticity ( I work within the legal system) This is a novel that should be read by everyone and can only add to the understanding of a victim in a violent sexual attack, a victim with the courage to tell her story knowing that...."One of these day, she tells herself, she'll be able to walk into a field on her own. An open field under the broad sky in the middle of the day. She'll be able to lie down on her back, feel the grass beneath her, the sun on her face, close her eyes and she will feel completely content. And she will feel no danger....." Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.
    • 4/5
      In Winnie M Li's debut novel, Vivian, a young Asian American woman sets out for what she hopes will be a pleasant and relaxing hike on the outskirts of Belfast, Northern Ireland. But not long into the walk she encounters a teenage boy. What happens will change both of their lives forever. This is a book about rape and its aftermath. The author had a similar experience and the novel is both an honest depiction of what happens, in both the legal sense and in the ramifications for her. Li also imagines the life and thoughts of the boy who rapes Vivian who, as an Irish traveller, lived a marginalized life even before he committed a violent rape. Dark Chapter was well-written and the bravery required to write it is unquestionable, even as the subject matter made it difficult to read at points.
    • 5/5
      Although a work of fiction, Dark Chapter by Winnie M. Li closely mirrors her own experience when she was raped while on a walk in a park near Belfast, Ireland. This story follows an American woman of Asian descent as she too is raped in Belfast. We work through all levels and all stages of the aftermath of this crime, the police interviews, medical examinations, the procedures to guard against AIDs and tests for infections, the months and years that it takes for the crime to not control all aspects of her life. The story totally overwhelms and captures the readers attention, but the author doesn’t stop there. She also attempts to get inside the mind of the rapist, a young psychologically damaged Irish traveller who learned his violent ways from his abusive father.I was totally mesmerized by this book finding it both informative and riveting. Reading of Vivian Tan, a twenty-nine year old, highly educated, professional woman being accosted by a fifteen year old, illiterate teenager and having this encounter shape their lives so definitively was a compelling and harrowing experience. I sincerely hope that the writing of Dark Chapter was a healing process for the author. I found this to be a courageous exploration of both the victim and the perpetrator's mindset before, during and after the rape. Dark Chapter was an excellent read, both suspenseful and full of tension. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a deeper understanding of the effects that this crime has on it’s victims.