Thank you for the ARC copy.

Did not love this. Just not the book for me. Intreating read. Great topic to cover and glad stories like this are being told.

What a well written and thoroughly researched book about the rape kit. Interstitial commentary about sexual assault from the author and inventor’s perspective.

Pagan Kennedy brings to light the story of Marty Goddard and true history of the rape kit—one fraught with misogyny and a legacy of protecting abusers.

It wasn’t so long ago (1970s) that women couldn’t own patents or even have their own credit car At the same time, we had the introduction of the Pill and with women’s new power over their bodies. Thus emboldened, women became more open about the sexual abuses they suffered.

Within this politic melange, Goddard works the system of cops, the medical establishment and policymakers to get the Kit developed and used. Before DNA and when women were still widely accused of bring rape onto themselves, Marty saw a way to turn abuse to empowerment.

Pagan Kennedy's "The Secret History of the Rape Kit" is a groundbreaking and meticulously researched work that sheds light on the history and impact of one of the most significant tools in the fight against sexual violence. Kennedy's deep dive into the origins and evolution of the rape kit is both enlightening and profoundly moving, offering readers a compelling narrative that combines investigative journalism with human interest.

Kennedy masterfully chronicles the story behind the creation and development of the rape kit, highlighting the tireless efforts of its pioneers who faced numerous obstacles to bring this crucial tool into existence. Her storytelling is rich with detail and empathy, bringing to life the personal stories of survivors and advocates who have been instrumental in transforming the landscape of forensic science and victim support.

The book is not only an informative historical account but also a powerful testament to the resilience and determination of those who have fought for justice and change. Kennedy's writing is both engaging and accessible, making complex scientific and legal concepts understandable for a broad audience. Her narrative is imbued with a sense of urgency and importance, reminding readers of the ongoing need for advancements in forensic technology and support systems for survivors.

"The Secret History of the Rape Kit" is an essential read for anyone interested in social justice, forensic science, and the history of sexual violence advocacy. Pagan Kennedy has delivered a thought-provoking and inspiring work that will resonate with readers and contribute significantly to the discourse on sexual violence and justice.

Love love love love. As a rare reader of non-fiction I wasn't expecting much, but this blew me away. The story of Marty Goddard, her work in Chicago, and her subsequent disappearance hooked me and never let go. I wish she was able to get her flowers while she was still with us, but Kennedy's work will hopefully reestablish her legacy to what she deserves.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story tells the true story of how the rape kit came to be, and how far it has come. In this book, we learn about Marty Goddard the woman who invented the rape kit. Marty brought her idea of a rape kit to many hospitals throughout Illinois. The author uses this book almost as an exposee on the police departments and people here to help citizens who report a crime. Often they are not taken seriously or their evidence is ignored.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! I thought that the story was fascinating and honestly empowering. Learning about the many women who advocate for survivors of sexual assault and HOW they advocate was intriguing. Every time I picked up this book I felt like I was learning something, which I always love when I read.

2 stars for the history, negative 3 for the author's commentary and illogical analysis.
Let me preface this review by saying that I have a master's in Biological Anthropology (aka. the forensic identification of human crematory and skeleton remains among various isotopic and genotype tests). I took extensive notes about the content of this book and found the author to be grossly flawed in her logic and to be a deeply biased researcher to the point of misleading people about the premise of this book.

This is a book about the accomplishments of Marty Goddard, an unsung hero, if you will, who advocated for the rights of victims of all categories of sexual crimes. Ms. Goddard appears to have been an intrepid advocate for victims: male/female, young/old, incest, and all forms of sexual insult assault regardless of marriage status in spite of social prejudices and an overall lack of acknowledgement.

This lack of acknowledgement angers the author. Ironically, Ms. Goddard is characterized by said author as the type of woman who would deeply dislike the attention such acknowledgement would have granted her and appears to have actively avoided attention and social settings.

By virtue, the topic is fascinating and the history interesting. The author is the worst part about the book. The commentary does not enhance the history; it can be convoluted and muddles certain points. I have also found that the author is so clearly biased and controlled by her own confirmation bias that I am instinctively skeptical about quoted statements within the text. The author reads as a feminist extremist with a strong distrust of men and a romanticized view of Marty Goddard. The entire genesis of this book is her own anti-male bias and disbelief that a man could possibly have conceived the idea of a rape kit. Too bad her own research proves that the oldest recorded rape kit in the United States was created by a...man. Oops, the entire marketed premise is factually incorrect and admittedly said so by the author herself within her own book (Santa Ana kit).

The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime story, this title is misleading as the story discusses Marty Goddard the woman who was the creator of the rape kit. At no point in the story was there a true crime story. The author was on a journey to uncover the history behind the rape kit and to give the inventor, Marty Goddard a biography. The author fell short of her intended purpose of the book so then she starts talking about her own experiences with sexual assault.

The storyline could have been clarified through the use of titles for each chapter to inform the reader of where the story was going. Otherwise the information the author did share about the invention of the rape kit, and where the "modern" rape kit is going was fascinating to learn.

In no way is this topic simple to read about and I’m sure wasn’t easy to write about. I do think the writing could be a bit more polished and cohesive though. Some parts seem like a newspaper article and other parts are a bit unnecessarily judgmental. However, it is a story worth sharing. The life of Marty Goddard was filled with courage, dedication, suffering, darkness, and light.

An offshoot of this story is a sad and terrible, but needed, reminder that even though it’s 2024, there is still so much more work to be done to help rape survivors.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the early e-book.

Thank you for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. For those interested in forensics, women’s health, and victim advocacy this is a very interesting read. The author did a great job with the research for this book and provides a lengthy list of sources cited at the end of the book. Readers are taken back in time to the early 1970’s, when a rape kit was just first being imagined, to the present where it is now used routinely in every US hospital. It is an in depth look at the history of the rape kit, the many hurdles inventors, advocates, and victims/survivors faced, as well as the politics that affected implementation and change. Pay attention to trigger warnings if you choose to pick this one up. Overall, this was a very interesting read and I learned a lot…albeit a bit heavy on the political side of things.

I’m going to start with the fact that I had really really high hopes for this book. Memoir mixed with true crime is the perfect combination of two of my favorite genres. That being said, I did not finish this book. The storyline was very hard to follow due to there being no real order to how Marty’s story was told. It was told in micro snippets with a lot of personal, almost trauma porn surrounding it. I really wanted to like it, but I didn’t.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story is an expanded version of Pagan Kennedy’s incredible NYT article from 2020. It centers mostly around Marty Goddard, the woman who invented the rape kit, despite having credit stolen, and progress impeded, by men.

Through Kennedy’s research, we learn Goddard’s troubled life, her tenacity, and the indelible impact she left on the world. Kennedy, a survivor of sexual assault, brings her own story into the book, and as a reader, I appreciated how invested she was in bringing Goddard’s work to light.

There is also a lot about the politics of rape, and how the system seems set up to silence victims, and pretend that sexual assault is not a problem (or at least one a patriarchal society refuses to acknowledge).

I especially loved reading about Malimah Johnson’s work with SASHA, and creating a space for African American women to determine their own healing following sexual assault, and continue to feel safe in the world. Antya Waegemann’s work on updated the rape kit for a digital world is also incredibly interesting.

This is an engaging, empowering book. We need more Marty Goddards in the world; there is so much more work to do to ensure all women feel safe, respected, and heard.

This book is so so good and informative! I really loved hearing the story of how the author came by all the information, as well as learning the actual story of such an important invention. I learned a lot from reading this book and would definitely recommend it!

This book is extremely insightful yet tragic at the same time. I was on the fence with wanting to read this book, but it opened my eyes on this topic.

This book does a good job of telling the story of the invention of the rape kit while providing context of the world in which it was created and distributed in. The author paints clear pictures of the police, college campuses, racial climate and gender politics at the time of its creation. It all feels so long ago, but the scary thing is it’s not, and it’s as relevant as ever right now. The author discusses the implications of the rape kit today, where we’re at and the research, patterns and victim experiences emerging today.

The organization of the book was a little confusing to me but I appreciated the inclusion of much of the information. I don’t think this is really a true crime, as much as the author’s discovery of a topic. But glad I read it.

This book was a painful and eye-opening look at something our justice system and society is really lacking awareness of. Pagan Kennedy does an amazing job of putting so much crucial information into a small number of pages. It is effective and leaves the reader with a feeling of “how can we do better?” I am walking away from this book with an extreme desire to be more involved, as someone else’s willingness to help others created this decades long push to become a better educated society when it comes to rape, and hold people accountable for their actions. This is one I won’t forget.

i'd give this book a solid 3.5 It's a short, but thorough read, delving into the background of Marty Goddard - creator of the rape kit.

Kennedy gives historical background/precedent/logic on the whys of it being patended and named after a Chicago policeMAN and follows Marty until the very end.

I did find myself questioning some of the background information/framing that was written in to set up the 'why' of something relevant to Goddard or the rape kit creation as I was reading it. It always made sense when the point was made, but it was usually something off topic enough to take me out of the book for a moment.

Thanks to Net Galley, author, & publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, & Anchor and the author, Pagan Kennedy, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I learned SO much for this book. Not only did this teach me about Marty & the history of the rape kit, but there was information sprinkled in about women’s injustices, female & black inventors, witch trials, the creation of menstruation products, Chicago PD history, and more. It even helped me to understand and navigate some of the trauma I have, putting words to it that I hadn’t before.

While at times it did seem to lean on more “feelings & thoughts” about Marty, there was plenty of cited information from previous interviews and friends and family that knew her.

I feel for Marty, the life she lived, the hardships she endured and I thank her for the contributions she made to our world and the lives she impacted. I hope that this book helps her get the recognition she deserves.

I’ve already recommended this book to so many people and a few have already preordered it. I’m excited to see its impact once published.

This was a difficult read, it's going to be a difficult book to review and a difficult book to rate.

Kennedy has done some great research in uncovering the history of the rape kit and investigating the life of its inventor, Marty Goddard. It’s an important, forgotten, obscured story that deserves to be told. But I had a difficult time with the author, Kennedy and her voice in the book. It’s a hybrid memoir-biography, with the biography covering a woman Kennedy has never met, and the memoir covering her own sexual trauma. For me, there was more about Kennedy than I needed or wanted to hear. There are several graphic assault scenes described in the book, from Kennedy’s own experiences to cases that are covered and even Goddard’s own assault that she confided with friends about. From reading the biography, I don’t think Goddard would have been comfortable with her rape being publicized, let alone described in graphic detail. I can understand how parts of these accounts are essential – Goddard’s rape had a huge effect on her life, for example, but learning exactly how she was assaulted seems at best unnecessary and at worst exploitative.
I expected to love this book, and instead I’m left thinking more about the ethics of what Kennedy has written.

Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Books for the advanced reader copy.

The only thing that kept me from devouring this book in one day was needing to go to sleep in order to go to work the next morning. While the topic is difficult (with some devastating stories of women's sexual trauma), the writing was compelling and hearing about Marty Goddard, the until now unsung hero of creating the rape kit, gave me insight into a part of history that I knew nothing about.