Rabbit Heart is a sharp look at crime-related trauma

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Kristine S. Ervin's mom wasn't killed in a high-profile attack that lends itself to a series like Mindhunter, nor is her killer likely to end up as a Ryan Murphy Monster (colon) subject. But her new memoir, Rabbit Heart, serves to remind us that violent crimes are far more than the stuff of procedurals or dubiously intended comedy podcasts. These deaths leave a wound on the world. Looking past that, to the (oft media-created) "glamour" of the monster is an intentional avoidance of the point.

We talk a lot here at Best Evidence about centering crime's survivors and/or those lost as the result of crimes, so books like Ervin's (which was released by Counterpoint Press in March) feel especially crucial. The great news is that it's also a beautifully written, immersive read. That feels uncomfortable to say, given how personal and gut-wrenching her experiences have been: how does one ethically evaluate a tale of real, first person trauma as a piece of "entertainment"?