Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice

Horses are symbols of freedom and resilience throughout the memoir. Giuffre fell in love with horses at a young age. Her father, Sky, gave her a horse named Alice when she was just six years old: “She was sensitive as well as smart. On her back, I felt taller. Stronger. I knew that she understood me, and I her, without words” (27). This early interspecies connection sparked Giuffre’s lifelong love for horses, which deepened as a result of her trauma: Amid her father’s abuse, Giuffre’s relationship with Alice granted her a rare sense of safety and security. Giuffre later worked at horse ranches and therapeutic riding centers—experiences that deepened her equestrian appreciation. She felt drawn to horses because they were sensitive and emotional but could also sense danger, protect others, and free themselves. Images of and references to horses convey Giuffre’s lifelong desire for autonomy, as well as her longing to overcome her trauma and suffering.

Giuffre’s tattoo is a symbol of autonomy and self-liberation related to the theme of Confronting and Healing From Trauma. Throughout her years with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Giuffre says, she was forbidden from getting a tattoo—a prohibition that echoed her broader imprisonment and, in particular, her lack of control over her own body.