Booksology 
Whidbey by T. Kira Madden
T. Kira Madden’s debut memoir Long live the tribe of fatherless girls When it was published in 2019, diaspora author Kanaka Oiwi was thrust into the white hot spotlight. One section explores Madden, a queer, biracial child growing up in a privileged community, a survivor of childhood sexual assault, in this coming-of-age story. Whidbey It draws from Madden’s experiences, including a powerful suggestion on the ferry to Whidbey Island that gives the story its initial momentum. It is the harbinger of a murder mystery that will change the lives of many affected by Calvin, a child sex offender. But Madden widens the lens beyond Birdie, a queer, biracial survivor who seeks solace in the secluded Puget Sound, and invites us further into the life of survivor, reality star, and memoirist Lindsay and Calvin’s mother, Mary Beth.
Carefully and deliberately unraveling the lives of these characters and the wiring of their inner worlds creates a thriller unlike anything you’ve read before. As described, this is a literary novel, not a fast-paced one, but a meditative read. The culprit is less important than the question of what changes the actions of the predator and ultimately the murder victim brought about in these people, their loved ones, and their surroundings. I balked at the possibility of reading Calvin sympathetically through his mother, but I wouldn’t use the word “sympathetic” to describe how these characters were treated. It’s more like it when it’s raw and unflinching.
This experience gave me a more nuanced understanding of sexual assault and its highly diverse and lasting effects, as well as the hurdles survivors face in navigating systems of incarceration, rehabilitation, and the justice system. Whidbey It requires you to think about the unthinkable and accept it. I still am.
