Awake

Three days after discovering her husband’s affair, Hatmaker felt worse than ever. She realized that she had lied to herself about the condition of her marriage, as this was easier than facing the truth. The following day, she met with Brandon, who admitted that the affair had been going on for two years and that he had spent vast sums on his girlfriend.

Hatmaker’s favorite teacher in eighth grade was Mr. Berman. She and the other girls loved the way he spoke to them as if they were adults. Nevertheless, she often experienced uncomfortable sensations, such as stomach aches, in his company. The author assumed that her body was inexplicably malfunctioning.

Years later, as a college freshman, Hatmaker learned from her best friend, Amanda, that Mr. Berman had sexually groomed her when she was a teen and that she was consequently in counselling. The author realized that her “body always knew” (32) the truth.

By 1997, Hatmaker was a teacher and helped Brandon in his role as a youth pastor. She and her husband were in charge of a group of teens at the Baptist summer camp. Upon arriving at the camp’s chapel, Hatmaker and the teenage girls were instructed to change as their shorts were deemed inappropriately revealing.