A review by raenovels
Consent: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention by Donna Freitas
3.0
Read this review and others on my blog: https://thriftybibliophile.com
Consent: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention by Donna Freitas is Donna’s account of the stalking and unwanted attention she faced as a graduate in college.
Donna is a well-published author, a scholar, and knowledgeable in her field, of sex, religion, and consent on college campuses. She’s a sought after speaker and thrives in academia.
Donna is a doctor, a daughter, and a friend. But she’s also a victim.
As a college graduate, one of her professors at her Catholic university–a priest–started taking an inappropriate interest in her. While his attentions weren’t blatantly sexual, they were incessant and unwanted. This priest would call Donna, follow Donna, and fill her mailboxes with letters.
Since he was in a position of power, Donna struggled with how to handle her stalker. He was everywhere. She couldn’t get away from him.
Consent is an in-depth examination of Donna’s nightmarish years as a doctoral candidate being stalked by her professor.
Consent by Donna Freitas was a fascinating read. While it didn’t blow me away, I enjoyed it.
It’s so easy to think of harassment as black and white. Is sending a few letters and making a few phone calls really harassment? Donna does a wonderful job exploring consent and what that really means. Donna didn’t consent to her professor’s attentions. She was an unwilling participant who was subjected to her professor’s repeated and unwanted affection. And her professor was positively relentless in his quest to commandeer Donna’s time.
Unwanted attention is not consent, and this is not okay. Stalking is very real and can be just as damaging as other forms of harassment.
While Donna’s life and hardships were interesting, a lot of the book was redundant. Consent could have been a lot shorter and more enjoyable without the needless repetition.
If you enjoy memoirs, you might enjoy Consent by Donna Freitas!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Consent: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention by Donna Freitas is Donna’s account of the stalking and unwanted attention she faced as a graduate in college.
Donna is a well-published author, a scholar, and knowledgeable in her field, of sex, religion, and consent on college campuses. She’s a sought after speaker and thrives in academia.
Donna is a doctor, a daughter, and a friend. But she’s also a victim.
As a college graduate, one of her professors at her Catholic university–a priest–started taking an inappropriate interest in her. While his attentions weren’t blatantly sexual, they were incessant and unwanted. This priest would call Donna, follow Donna, and fill her mailboxes with letters.
Since he was in a position of power, Donna struggled with how to handle her stalker. He was everywhere. She couldn’t get away from him.
Consent is an in-depth examination of Donna’s nightmarish years as a doctoral candidate being stalked by her professor.
Consent by Donna Freitas was a fascinating read. While it didn’t blow me away, I enjoyed it.
It’s so easy to think of harassment as black and white. Is sending a few letters and making a few phone calls really harassment? Donna does a wonderful job exploring consent and what that really means. Donna didn’t consent to her professor’s attentions. She was an unwilling participant who was subjected to her professor’s repeated and unwanted affection. And her professor was positively relentless in his quest to commandeer Donna’s time.
Unwanted attention is not consent, and this is not okay. Stalking is very real and can be just as damaging as other forms of harassment.
While Donna’s life and hardships were interesting, a lot of the book was redundant. Consent could have been a lot shorter and more enjoyable without the needless repetition.
If you enjoy memoirs, you might enjoy Consent by Donna Freitas!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.