Review: What is a Girl Worth?

What is a Girl Worth? by Rachael Denhollander

I took most of last year off from writing on this blog and the catalyst that started that process was this book. It’s so good and a just a real gut punch to the cultural sins men are inclined to participate in our modern Western Society.

This book tells the brutal story of the sexual abuse that was done against Rachael Denhollander and many other gymnasts. It’s a heart rending story to read, and there were times I had to set the book down and walk away because it was too much for me to handle. Whenever I stop and think about that, I begin to see just a small glimmer of how bad it had to have been to experience.

Rachael’s story is one of bravery, fortitude, and determination to make right what was so very, very wrong. She pursued justice not for her own sake, but for all the little girls who were still being abused and didn’t even realize it. She pursued what was right in the face of opposition and even slander.

The way she tells her story is powerful not just for women of all ages as they grapple with their own trauma, but it’s powerful because it tells us men that some of the things we’ve been taught are unquestionably wrong. This book is great because it challenges us men to be better and do better.

And also in this story is the character of a young man, who stood by his wife as she went on this horrific journey to see young girls protected from a serial predator. This young man, Jacob Denhollander, navigated this new and horrific world with her best interest in mind. He cared for her like few of us would know how to do.

The Denhollander Duo now continues to fight for women who have been sexually abused. Rachael does most of the work as she is a lawyer and steps in to help women when they need it most. But if you have a Twitter account you can see them both stand for righteousness and godliness every day.

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Overall I give this book 5 stars. This book is raw, real, and one of the most important works of our day.

Up Next: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton