The memoir is separated into three main movements. The first movement, aptly titled “Youth,” dives into Zolbrod’s childhood and explains how her cousin came to live with her. She details how Toshi would slip in at night and touch her, however she had always assumed it was because he …show more content…
The two main events of the part involve telling family members about her abuse. The first of the two is forced out of her by her cousin, Rebecca while visiting her home. Rebecca consistently pushes for Zolbrod to reveal what Toshi did to her by interrogating her until she finally cracks under pressure. She describes feeling “sick, hysterical” and “exposed” afterwards and states, “I felt like a victim...I felt like I was being driven home from a party at which I’d been sexually assaulted” (144). This statement is so significant because she relates the truth being forced out of her to her actual sexual abuse. Her blame is placed solely on Rebecca instead of Toshi in that moment and comes as a powerful shock to both the reader and Zolbrod