At sixteen, Sophie Sartain was charmed, flattered, and slowly ensnared by a teacher she admired. What began as mentorship twisted into sexual abuse, shattering the world Sophie thought she knew. The years that followed left her haunted, confused, and silent-until decades later, when she decided to confront the truth.
She's Next is the searing memoir of one woman's journey to uncover a pattern of abuse at one of the nation's most prestigious all-girls schools. Sophie's reckoning spans the lily-white enclaves of North Dallas, a Tennessee college town, and the sun-soaked shores of Northern California, tracing the paths of power, secrecy, and denial that allowed a rare female predator to operate unchecked.
With courage, intelligence, and unflinching honesty, Sophie confronts her abuser, navigates a system designed to protect institutions over victims, and finds solidarity with other survivors. This is a story about reclaiming one's voice, confronting hidden horrors, and discovering that even the darkest past cannot define the rest of your life.
"A riveting and groundbreaking account of a schoolgirl taken emotionally hostage by her female teacher and then sexually exploited, with devastating aftershocks. Sophie Sartain's courageous choice to confront her abuser and the schools that enabled her is all too rare and sure to inspire readers." - Stephen Mills, author of Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood