One Way Back: A Memoir
Description
Now a New York Times bestseller
"A blisteringly personal memoir...a thoughtful exploration of what it feels like to become a main character in a major American reckoning." —The Washington Post
"An insightful tour de force." —People
On September 27, 2018, Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee which was considering the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. She described an alleged sexual assault by the Supreme Court nominee that took place at a high school party in the 1980s. Her words and courage on that day provided some of the most credible and unforgettable testimony our country has ever witnessed.
In One Way Back, Ford recounts the months she spent trying to get information into the right hands without exposing herself and her family to dangerous backlash. Drawing parallels to her life as a surfer, she explains the process of paddling out into unknown waters despite the risks and fears, knowing there is only one way back to shore. The book reveals riveting new details about the leadup to her testimony and its overwhelming aftermath and describes how she continues to navigate her way out of the storm.
This is the real story behind the headlines and the soundbites, a complex, page-turning memoir of a scientist, a surfer, a mother, a patriot and an unlikely whistleblower. Ford’s experience shows that when one person steps forward to speak truth to power, she adds to a collective whole, causing "a ripple that might one day become a wave.”
Praise for One Way Back: A Memoir
"Lucid...An important entry into the public record." ―The New York Times
"The person who emerges in the pages of this memoir is quirky, guileless, and incredibly likable: the professor who teaches her students surf sign language, the fantasy football enthusiast, the headbanger and grunge lover, the aficionado of kelp. In the last few pages of One Way Back Ford mourns this former self. . ...The unexpected power of her memoir is that she makes you grieve for that woman too." —Laura Miller, Slate
"Honest and often wry...Ford is 'surfing the wave back' with her head held high." ―The Economist
"What makes [Ford's] account unusual and valuable is the way it refuses the comfort of firm ground. The psychologist, by the end of the book, might offer closure. The scientist might offer conclusions. The author might offer catharsis. But Ford can offer none of those. Instead, she offers a model of resilience. Her predicament is singular, but has become a familiar one. Readers, too, might have struggled against cynicism. Readers, too, might have believed that their optimism was a virtue―only to be left wondering whether they had been foolish or betrayed . ..The only thing to do in the tumult, Ford suggests, is keep aiming for the shore." ―The Atlantic
"Provides extensive insight into how Blasey Ford felt... shares intimate details of the events that led to her landmark testimony before the Senate." ―San Francisco Chronicle
“A hero of the #MeToo movement tells her full life story in her own words in this revealing, confident memoir…An artful and honest account of sacrifice and survival.” ―Kirkus (Starred)
"Tells the story behind the headlines straight from the scientist's mouth herself." —Salon, Nine Celebrity Memoirs We're Eager to Read
"Not only does Ford reveal her love of Metallica in a few different stories, but she also describes her passion for surfing in One Way Back. And at one point in her life, those two worlds collided." —Loudwire
Praise for Christine Blasey Ford
"By the time the hearing ended, Ford had done more than prove herself a credible witness. For millions of women and men, she had replaced Kavanaugh as the protagonist in the nomination narrative." —TIME
"[Ford] showed what American politics might look like if Americans truly saw the people our society usually silences and grinds underfoot.” —The Atlantic
“I was engrossed [at her testimony]….what I heard in Ford’s voice and choice of words was a commitment to tell the truth.” —Anita Hill
"I applaud the courage of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to come forward to share her story." —Nancy Pelosi
"It was striking to see someone questioned before the Senate that actually answered questions."—Jimmy Kimmel
"[Ford's] amazing and a true patriot." —America Ferrera
