A nail-biting, unputdownable memoir that brings a confronting new perspective on the safety of women and the many ways they are silenced.
'As gripping as a thriller, as moving as a tragedy, as passionate as a polemic and as practical as a manual. An extraordinary, candid, wise and terrifying book for our times.' Jane Caro AM, Award-winning writer
Rattled tells a frighteningly honest story of what it feels like to be pursued by a stalker.
What if your life were suddenly transformed by anxiety and fear? The fear of being alone, the anxiety compelling you to stay in public places and avoid predictable routines. The horrible uncertainty of not knowing whether you should fear for your life, and maybe even the lives of your children. The dreadful knowledge that, ultimately, you are powerless to escape.
Ellis Gunn's world is turned upside down when she realises that she is being followed by a man she doesn't know-and that she can't make him stop. The experience conjures up other incidents of sexual harassment and abuse that she has endured, incidents she often accepted as 'normal'. Spurred on to look deeper, she discovers that stalking is part of an underlying misogyny that more than half the population is dealing with on a daily basis.
Alarming, and at times even darkly amusing, Rattled is a thought-provoking, heart-in-your-throat memoir that begins in outrage and ends with a celebration of the howling winds of change sweeping the globe.
'To read RATTLED is to pass briefly into a realm of fairy tales and allegory, where wolves disguise themselves as kind strangers. The memoir serves as a reminder that no matter how far women have come in society, in many places safety remains an illusion; we are still vulnerable to violence, stalking, and harm from strangers. Gunn's language is gorgeous and lyrical, and she uses a poet's skill to wield her words as weapons. The book is a battle cry, a call to arms, and a mythological rendering of an everyday occurrence. I tore through it in a single day.' Ava Barry, author of Windhall
About the Author
Ellis Gunn is originally from Scotland where she published three poetry collections, one of which was shortlisted for the Saltire First Book of the Year Award. Her work was also anthologised in Dreamstate: New Scottish Poets (Polygon), Ahead Of Its Time (Jonathan Cape), Modern Scottish Women Poets (Canongate) and 100 Favourite Scottish Poems (Luath Press).
Industry Reviews
'To read RATTLED is to pass briefly into a realm of fairy tales and allegory, where wolves disguise themselves as kind strangers. The memoir serves as a reminder that no matter how far women have come in society, in many places safety remains an illusion; we are still vulnerable to violence, stalking, and harm from strangers. Gunn's language is gorgeous and lyrical, and she uses a poet's skill to wield her words as weapons. The book is a battle cry, a call to arms, and a mythological rendering of an everyday occurrence. I tore through it in a single day.' Ava Barry
