Readers should be aware: Rape is literally a book about violent gang rape. It is not for the faint of heart.
Joyce Carol Oates introduces us to Teena Maguire, a single mom in her thirties. On the Fourth of July Teena is abducted, violently and brutally raped by multiple assailants, and left for dead. As if that weren't enough, Teena's very own daughter Bethie witnessed the horrific incident.
Teena's friends and neighbors slowly begin their insidious gossip. Teena overhears conversations implying that she earned the rape by dressing a certain way or by sending the wrong signals. Almost no one even considers the likely possibility that it was an act of true violence and horror, leaving Teena re-victimized. Just as the rape involved a community of rapists, her aftermath leaves her mistreated again, but this time by her own community.
Dromorr, a policeman and veteran, knows enough about trauma to trust Teena. He steps in to be Teena's hero, but his blurred lines prevent him from doing this effectively. Instead of providing moral support, he becomes another type of invasive male—the last thing Teena needs.
Then, Teena must face her attackers in court. They are defended by a soulless lawyer who Teena views as an abomination. She remembers the event with indignation, and she recites the names of her attackers often in her head, just to remember the event and its horror. She realizes that without holding a grudge, no one on the entire earth will actually care about what happened to her.
Teena contemplates violence. With no sense of justice for what happened to her, Teena is left to suffer alone, as an outcast.
