Combining extensive research into sexual violence with the author’s personal experiences as a feminist activist, Girl Trouble provides a generational perspective on healing from trauma. “Stop trying to write something beautiful / and write something true.” Girl Trouble is an excavation of female adolescence, a brazen journey through rape culture from the ‘80s to #MeToo. Diana Whitney’s earthy poems spill secrets, make trouble, reckon with stories of desire and harm, and explore the agency and oppression of women and girls. Deeply rooted in the natural world, Girl Trouble grieves the planet’s degradation while celebrating queerness and seeking healing for the next generation. By the end of the collection, a myriad of voices builds to a full-throated roar. This is a book for survivors and advocates, for mothers and daughters, for anyone moving through trauma with resilience.
