Title: The Secret History of the Rape Kit
Author: Pagan Kennedy
Genre: Nonfiction
Format: eARC
Series: NA
Star Rating: 4.5 stars

A special thank you goes to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with a copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.

tw: sexual assault, racism, sexism, crimes against children, victim blaming, violence, guns, stalking, police brutality, STIs, animal abuse

I confess I didn’t know much about the rape kit going into this book. It’s unfortunate even to have such a kit, but I’m glad it exists. However, the road to get this kit sucked and even after the kit was invented, there was so many issues thanks to useless police and understaffed hospitals. The book just infuriated me from the get-go. Not because the book was bad, but because just all the issues the founder had to deal with.

I think one of the most interesting things that Marty Goddard, the founder of the rape kit, did was get help with funding for the rape kit from Hugh Hefner and the Playboy mansion. Something about that is almost ironic, considering what we know about Playboy. If you don’t know, I’ll fill you in briefly. Hugh Hefner was not a nice guy. There was a lot of abuse that happened in the Mansion, and a lot of assaults.

It's also incredibly disgusting how awful the police were, but I’m not surprised. They truly were god awful in the 70s and 80s. I have no idea how crimes were even solved back then, with the way the police force was so corrupt. The way they treated rape victims was deplorable although it’s not much better today honestly. I was aghast almost the entire time reading this book but I can honestly say I wasn’t surprised by the police and the way they were so resistant to implementing the rape kit.

Overall, I learned a lot from this book. I do wish that the author had stuck with just talking about Marty and keeping her story in the forefront. The author inserted parts of her story about sexual assault that she dealt with. Which I felt for her but I just wanted to learn more about the rape kit and get more information about that. I was not surprised by the contents of this book. Police in the 70’s and 80’s were awful. Rape victims were treated horribly. Even Marty dealt with horrible things, you will learn a lot from this book, but you will also be very mad the entire time you read it.

The author focuses on that evolving tool created by Marty Goddard who disappeared and got very little credit for her helpful game-changing kit giving victims more incentive to report violence imposed upon their bodies - the Rape Kit.

Using this tool, those just suffering from such attacks have all the parts and pieces to gather evidence needed to document the crimes in their own safe spaces rather than having to go through the humiliation, judgment and skeptical processes of medical and law enforcement establishments in the days before Marty's big idea. Why it took until 1972 is a mind-blowing question - women have been subjected to this kind of treatment since Eve.

Pagan Kennedy discusses the history of what did and didn't happen with kits when they were turned into police departments and how outrage over time changed processes, finding more guilty perpetrators and releasing the ones that were not perpetrators - a sorry twisted justice untangled mostly. She tells her own story, also difficult, and provides Marty's concluding saga of sadness.

This book tells a difficult, uncomfortable tale, as true as true gets but it needs to be read and pondered upon for the sake of all our children and grand-kids ahead, all our mothers and grandmothers in years past. For our siblings, cousins, friends and besties, and even those that are not our favorite - no one deserves what a rape communicates and destroys, and every rapist should be pulled out of their hidey holes and their crimes made part of the public record, so a true evaluation of their character is available for the communities in which they live (or hide). Rape Kits help make this so.

Kudos to the author for educating us on the bravery, sorrows and lost battles of Marty Goddard during her time in our company. We need more Martys to stand with us. She needed us, and we weren't there for all the reasons there are. . .but times, they have changed and so must we. All the stars for that change. . .

*A sincere thank you to Pagan Kennedy, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Vintage, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #The SecretHistoryoftheRapeKit #NetGalley

I enjoy True Crime and appreciate the history behind how we solve terrible crimes. This book, while informative, was a bit choppy and the details were not as necessary. On the other hand, the alarming statistics while the Rape Kit was being developed is as astonishing as one anticipates in a world where violent acts often get overlooked.

I loved learning about the storied (and depressing) history of the creation of the rape kit. This was a hard read with a reminder of just how much work we still need to do to assure that assault victims are taken seriously but also how far we've come.

Investigative journalist Pagan Kennedy has recorded an important piece of hidden history in her well-researched book. Especially interesting to me with my Midwest background, she unfolds the story of young Chicago activist Marty Goddard to work to improve the treatment of and service to rape victims through the 1970’s. Goddard actually developed the first rape kit model for preserving evidence. The opposition from the city political machine and prevailing mid-century narrow-minded viewpoints were among the challenges Goddard faced and largely conquered to create what would develop into the successful system retained today to serve hospitals, law enforcement, legal proceedings, and - foremost, victims of sexual assault.

I found The Secret History of the Rape Kit super interesting and informative. I think that the information presented kept me on edge wanting to know more,

I do think the book focused a lot on the author and other things while the history fell to the wayside. I think it was well researched while also having gaps in the knowledge,

While I believe the subject matter of this book is highly significant and warrants further discussion, I found that it does not provide a comprehensive overview of the history of the rape kit. For a narrative that aims to highlight the true creator of this important development, the book appears rather complex, and ultimately, it does not offer substantial insights about her. Instead, it focuses more on individuals who obstructed her efforts or took credit for her work. I had a bit of trouble getting through this one.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy tells the inspiring and overlooked story of Martha "Marty" Goddard, a woman who helped change how sexual assault cases are handled in America. In the 1970s, Marty volunteered at a crisis hotline and became determined to understand why so many sexual predators were going unpunished. This led her to create the rape kit, a tool that would allow hospitals and police to collect evidence from assault survivors with more care and respect. Despite her crucial role in developing it, a man took credit for her work, and Marty’s contributions were largely forgotten.

Journalist Pagan Kennedy takes readers on a journey to uncover Marty’s story while reflecting on her own experiences with sexual assault. Her research delves into the history of forensics and the challenges survivors face in seeking justice.

The book is both eye-opening and personal, shedding light on a forgotten pioneer and the evolution of justice for assault survivors. While it’s a compelling read, sometimes the focus feels like it is too centered on the author rather than her subject and the broader impact of the rape kit. Still, it’s an important and thought-provoking book, earning 4 out of 5 stars for its story and the way it tackles a tough topic.

This compelling nonfiction book explores the 1970s introduction of the modern rape testing kit in hospitals and police departments across the country. At its center is Marty Goddard, a brilliant yet overlooked woman who developed the rape kit—only to have her contributions erased by a man due to the deep-seated misogyny of the time.

The book is filled with surprising details, from how social issues like racism and sexism influenced the kit’s development to the unexpected role Hugh Hefner played in its creation. It also delves into how misogyny not only denied Marty recognition but also contributed to law enforcement’s reluctance to investigate and prosecute rape cases. Despite her groundbreaking work, Marty’s personal life was marked by immense struggles. The "true crime" portion of this book--where Kennedy tries to find out what happened to Marty after she disappeared from public life--is as fascinating as the rape-kit creation portion.

These elements make the book incredibly powerful. I’m grateful that Kennedy unearthed this history, giving Marty—the complex, pioneering woman she was—the recognition she so rightfully deserves.

This was an interesting history topic. As a fan of Law & Order SVU, the idea of someone needing a rape kit is not an unknown idea. But I had no idea that the history of how the kit came to be and the hurdles that had to be overcome to get it's creation into the hands of hospital workers was way more interesting and tragic than I realized. Unfortunately, women's health is still not at the level it should be nor are claims of assault taken as seriously as they should be. This was a fantastic book and a great read for women's history month!

This was an interesting story about the history of the rape kit's creator who has been buried in history. I overall enjoyed this and found it easy to follow, I just wish it went more into the history of the actual rape kit, not solely its creator if that makes sense.

What an amazing novel. I never knew this history and was fascinated by the research, dedication and context that the author provided. I appreciated how nuanced the conversations around over policing, brutality/ corruption of forces at the time, and the acknowledgment of people of color being disproportionately affected by these issues, even as the main texts focused mostly on white women and figures.

I also loved that there were some alternative solutions of the time and how those solutions were perceived or portrayed and how the pandemic changed some of that. It’s an absolute shame an average rape kit can take around 8 hours of waiting to obtain. I never considered how COVID affected victims’ ability to report their rapes or get rape kits done.

My only critique is it felt white savior-y that the author made it her mission to avenge Marty’s legacy and projected ideals onto her, which I believe she acknowledges in the book.

This is a hard book to read if you’re any sort of victim of sexual assault, so be careful if you are before reading this. Some descriptions are very graphic in their nature.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy is a true crime history book documenting the invention of one of the most widely used rape kits and forensic sexual assault procedures, as well as the life of its true inventor, Marty Goddard. Both Kennedy and Goddard are SA survivors, and are fervent advocates for justice for all survivors, even if doing so leaves these women vulnerable themselves.

This book is an expansion of Kennedy's previous NYT article (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...), so it includes the article text (if not the accompanying photographs) as well as other, new content. It does discuss potentially triggering topics, such as domestic abuse and SA on minors, but is done in a way that feels very personal to the author. Kennedy is open about her motivations and connections to the topic, and documents her research journey not only regarding Goddard, but also about the rape kit itself and its many evolutions from the past to the post-pandemic present.

Focusing on the rape kit as the main connecting thread rather than on Goddard herself lends a clearer structure to the book, though it does also discuss a variety of contemporaneous topics related to the development and implementation (or lack thereof) of the rape kit, including disability rights activists and police brutality and racism. Kennedy includes the on-going flaws in the US police system that keep rape kits and SA cases an ongoing issue, especially for BIPOC women (she uses the term 'women' to include both cis and transwomen, according to her author's note at the beginning of the book), and provides both evidence of solutions that work and the pioneers who create them. This book was an engaging, informative, and highly relevant read, but it is up to the reader to decide if this is a book they are comfortable picking up. Self-care is first and foremost.

Readers looking for similar topics may be interested in: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, I Know Who You Are by Barbara Rae-Venter, Second City Sinners by Jon Seidel, Sin in the Second City by Abbott Kahler, and Lay Them to Rest by Laurah Norton.

The first half of this? Great.

The second half loses a lot of steam and relies on the author’s bold and wide sweeping supposition once the paper trail runs out.

I think it’s worth reading still, but keep in mind that the second half of the book is almost a memoir.

This was a really interesting read. I never thought about ‘the history’ of the rape kit which is what originally made me interested in this book. This has a lot more history on the person who created it and why which was also interesting. I’m not phased by a lot so I thought it was insightful but do warn anyone who may be triggered by sexual assault.

Kennedy discovers and brings to light the life of pioneering Marty Goddard and the amazing work she did as the inventor of the rape kit and tireless victim advocate in Chicago during the 1970s and 1980s. I found the first half a bit meandering and repetitive, but I really enjoyed the second half. The first half focuses on the author trying to track down Goddard and piece together what happened to her.

I learned a lot about that time period and how transformative forensic evidence became in cases of SA. Although far from a perfect solution, the rape kit and training provided transformed the way SA is treated by medical professionals and law officers. I found the inclusion of historical and cultural background as well as the author’s personal story to be really effective to provide a fuller picture really effective.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an e-arc!
This has been a book I desperately wanted to read right when I heard about it so I was absolutely ecstatic to have the opportunity to read it early. This is an eye opening story about a topic that is very close to me. There were many things that surprised me about the rape kits history and how innovative the idea was which goes to show how the people working right alongside victims unfortunately aren’t taking notice of their needs or what could make the system better.
Nonfiction is sometimes intimidating for me to read but this book was different. The writing was incredibly readable with a fascinating topic. The only thing that prevented me from reading this all at once is that it was very heavy. This is a book to read slowly and to take notes on and journal and reflect about. I’ve been thinking a lot about this book with the current political climate (but really any political climate) and I love hearing about the power Marty and the women beside gave to themselves, each other and all of us.
I love Chicago, whenever I go there I can feel myself becoming who I’m supposed to be and I’m so grateful to Marty for starting this in my city
I will say that the structure of the book was a little interesting at times however that doesn’t really bother me and is sometimes just the nature of nonfiction
I highly recommend this book and am so grateful again for the e-arc

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
**A Fascinating and Frustrating History**

Pagan Kennedy’s *The Secret History of the Rape Kit* is a deeply researched and eye-opening account of how one of the most important forensic tools in sexual assault cases was developed—and how systemic failures prevented it from being widely implemented for decades. Kennedy does an excellent job highlighting the tenacity of its creator, Marty Goddard, while also exposing the frustrating reality of bureaucratic resistance and neglect. The book is both inspiring and enraging, shedding light on a crucial but often overlooked part of history. While at times the narrative could feel dense, the subject matter is essential reading for those interested in justice, advocacy, and forensic science.

I devoured this book! I'm in awe of Marty Goddard and her hard work for creating the rape kit and not even taking credit for it as it would not have been as successful. I hear all the news stories on how many rape kits are currently backlogged(infuriating!!!) and how rapists are rarely prosecuted(infuriating again!!), but I had never thought of the making of the rape kit and how it came to be. This is such a important book that EVERYONE must read. This issue needs to be talked about more.

An informative read from a part of inventive history that is often not learned about.

I found this FASCINATING and maddening (due to the history). I am so glad I read this. Everyone should read this. It's real history that haunts you, that leaves you thinking about it for months to come.

It's definitely one of my favorite reads this year!