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Question Authority, The
Nora Buchbinder—formerly rich and now broke—would be the last woman in Brooklyn to claim #MeToo, but when a work assignment reunites her with her childhood best friend, Beth, she finds herself in a hall of mirrors. Was their eighth grade teacher Beth's lover or her rapist? Where were the grown-ups? What should justice look like, after so much time has passed? And what can Nora do, now? Nora’s memories, and Beth’s, and those of their classmates, their former teacher, and members of his family, bring to light some of the ways we absorb and manage unbearable behavior. From denial to reinvention, self-pity to self-righteousness, endless questioning to intransigent certainty, readers will recognize the ripples sent into the lives of others by one broken man.
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First published April 18, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 1, 2019
A profound look at child sexual abuse
Rachel Cline explores the events surrounding a private school teacher's sexual abuse of a number of girls with first-person narrative accounts written from the perspectives of the girls, a bystander who refused the teacher's advances, the teacher and the teacher's daughter. By tackling each person's perspective, she bravely explores motives, looks under every rock and allows each abused girl a sense of dignity that is sometimes forsaken in the wake of the #metoo movement. Rachel is clearly a feminist, and she expresses her feminism by allowing the girls to maintain a sense of autonomy and power over the actions of their teacher. The #metoo movement has a tendency toward a one-sided victimization of those who experience sexual abuse. Rachel's book does not fall prey to that tendency. Her work is a profound look at, and a necessary interpretation of what happens when a teacher has sex with young women. She follows these women throughout their lifetimes, allows them to maintain agency while at the same time explores the negative consequences of said abuse. Rachel Cline is a deft writer with a tremendous sense of empathy.
Rachel Cline explores the events surrounding a private school teacher's sexual abuse of a number of girls with first-person narrative accounts written from the perspectives of the girls, a bystander who refused the teacher's advances, the teacher and the teacher's daughter. By tackling each person's perspective, she bravely explores motives, looks under every rock and allows each abused girl a sense of dignity that is sometimes forsaken in the wake of the #metoo movement. Rachel is clearly a feminist, and she expresses her feminism by allowing the girls to maintain a sense of autonomy and power over the actions of their teacher. The #metoo movement has a tendency toward a one-sided victimization of those who experience sexual abuse. Rachel's book does not fall prey to that tendency. Her work is a profound look at, and a necessary interpretation of what happens when a teacher has sex with young women. She follows these women throughout their lifetimes, allows them to maintain agency while at the same time explores the negative consequences of said abuse. Rachel Cline is a deft writer with a tremendous sense of empathy.
May 19, 2019
Rachel Cline's novel, The Question Authority, may be slim- only 222 pages- but it packs a lot into those 200+ pages.
We begin in 2009 where we find Nora looking for her lost cat, where they are the only occupants in her deceased grandfather's huge Brooklyn Heights home. She is heading for work at the New York City Department of Education, where she is part paralegal, part insurance adjuster, preparing paperwork for settlement offers for lawsuits against the department.
When her boss asks her to work up a settlement offer for a teacher accused of having inappropriate relationships with his female students, it doesn't sit right with Nora. When she was in 8th grade, her best friend Beth (and several other girls) were the victims of a 26 year-old charismatic pedophile teacher, Bob Rassmussen.
Nora discovers that the opposing counsel representing the teacher is none other than her former best friend Beth, whom she hasn't spoken to since high school. How could Beth represent this man after what happened to her?
Nora asks to take the case to court after finding that this teacher has been accused ten years earlier of the same thing and gotten a slap on the wrist. This puts her in conflict with Beth who assumes that the Education Department will settle and pay the teacher off, as they have repeatedly done.
Beth and Nora meet, and Nora wants to talk about what happened in the 1970s to Beth and the other girls. Beth has moved on, and doesn't want to rehash it. But Nora is dogged about it, and digs deep into Beth's life to find out what she wants to know.
Although Nora is the main narrator, we get chapters from other characters point of view- including emails from Bob Rassmussen where he details his attempts to reconnect with his own children. We find the trail of destruction he left is wide-ranging.
In the 1970s, Bob took his wife, young children, and several girls (including Beth) from Nora's school to Arizona, where he sexually abused the girls. Nora was supposed to go, but at the last minute she changed her mind.
There are a few heartbreaking revelations that come late in the story that I did not see coming, but really give the story a deeper resonance.
It took me awhile to get into The Question Authority, and reading it on an ereader sometimes made it difficult to keep track of who was narrating the chapter. (I recommend you read this in a hard copy.) But once I was able to keep things straight, I found myself enveloped in Nora's story, which I think many women who came of age in the 1970's can relate to.
The Question Authority is a book that you will want to sit with awhile after you finish. If you read a book by another woman named Cline- Emma Cline's The Girls- you should put The Question Authority on your list. They both deal so honestly with teenage girls' fee
We begin in 2009 where we find Nora looking for her lost cat, where they are the only occupants in her deceased grandfather's huge Brooklyn Heights home. She is heading for work at the New York City Department of Education, where she is part paralegal, part insurance adjuster, preparing paperwork for settlement offers for lawsuits against the department.
When her boss asks her to work up a settlement offer for a teacher accused of having inappropriate relationships with his female students, it doesn't sit right with Nora. When she was in 8th grade, her best friend Beth (and several other girls) were the victims of a 26 year-old charismatic pedophile teacher, Bob Rassmussen.
Nora discovers that the opposing counsel representing the teacher is none other than her former best friend Beth, whom she hasn't spoken to since high school. How could Beth represent this man after what happened to her?
Nora asks to take the case to court after finding that this teacher has been accused ten years earlier of the same thing and gotten a slap on the wrist. This puts her in conflict with Beth who assumes that the Education Department will settle and pay the teacher off, as they have repeatedly done.
Beth and Nora meet, and Nora wants to talk about what happened in the 1970s to Beth and the other girls. Beth has moved on, and doesn't want to rehash it. But Nora is dogged about it, and digs deep into Beth's life to find out what she wants to know.
Although Nora is the main narrator, we get chapters from other characters point of view- including emails from Bob Rassmussen where he details his attempts to reconnect with his own children. We find the trail of destruction he left is wide-ranging.
In the 1970s, Bob took his wife, young children, and several girls (including Beth) from Nora's school to Arizona, where he sexually abused the girls. Nora was supposed to go, but at the last minute she changed her mind.
There are a few heartbreaking revelations that come late in the story that I did not see coming, but really give the story a deeper resonance.
It took me awhile to get into The Question Authority, and reading it on an ereader sometimes made it difficult to keep track of who was narrating the chapter. (I recommend you read this in a hard copy.) But once I was able to keep things straight, I found myself enveloped in Nora's story, which I think many women who came of age in the 1970's can relate to.
The Question Authority is a book that you will want to sit with awhile after you finish. If you read a book by another woman named Cline- Emma Cline's The Girls- you should put The Question Authority on your list. They both deal so honestly with teenage girls' fee
August 6, 2019
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Review was previously posted here on Booked J. As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for participating in the blog tour/my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
The Question Authority is truly a gem of a novel and perfectly timed with the #METOO movement as it grows. With this era, with these truths coming to light, we've all felt compelled to reevaluate things that have happened in our lives directly or indirectly. Most of us have a story that ties into the movement.
Which is what drew me to it. The Question Authority wasn't what I expected in terms of pacing and story, but that's not a bad thing. In-fact, the entire thing was poignant to a degree that made my skin crawl with reminders of some inappropriate things we've all seen or heard in life. I thought the slow pace of the novel worked to its benefit and really made everything all the more cutting.
There was something about Rachel Cline's prose that felt like the cool brush of something sharp. Just a bit of pressure that is a dull ache but still felt. I can't explain it too intensely. I really enjoyed it for this reason.
I thought the story told raised a lot of interesting questions about our perspective then vs. now. As a teenager, I let a lot of questionable statements and advances pass. Even though I graduated nearly 10 years ago, the movement has raised a lot of voices up to the platforms they deserve and looking back on stuff, you have to think, what happened? Why did this fly?
The Question Authority reads like a cross between a procedural drama and a non-fiction crime novel. It, at times, feels like a confessional too. Which ultimately strengthens its voice, not unlike the movement itself. All of these qualities make it very thought-provoking and utterly compelling.
Overall, I really appreciated what Cline's created with The Question Authority. Seeing the conflict and questions in the past and present for Nora's narration was definitely my favourite part of the novel.
The Question Authority is well written and thoughtful; just as timely as you've been told--and a damn good read.
Review was previously posted here on Booked J. As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for participating in the blog tour/my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
The Question Authority is truly a gem of a novel and perfectly timed with the #METOO movement as it grows. With this era, with these truths coming to light, we've all felt compelled to reevaluate things that have happened in our lives directly or indirectly. Most of us have a story that ties into the movement.
Which is what drew me to it. The Question Authority wasn't what I expected in terms of pacing and story, but that's not a bad thing. In-fact, the entire thing was poignant to a degree that made my skin crawl with reminders of some inappropriate things we've all seen or heard in life. I thought the slow pace of the novel worked to its benefit and really made everything all the more cutting.
There was something about Rachel Cline's prose that felt like the cool brush of something sharp. Just a bit of pressure that is a dull ache but still felt. I can't explain it too intensely. I really enjoyed it for this reason.
I thought the story told raised a lot of interesting questions about our perspective then vs. now. As a teenager, I let a lot of questionable statements and advances pass. Even though I graduated nearly 10 years ago, the movement has raised a lot of voices up to the platforms they deserve and looking back on stuff, you have to think, what happened? Why did this fly?
The Question Authority reads like a cross between a procedural drama and a non-fiction crime novel. It, at times, feels like a confessional too. Which ultimately strengthens its voice, not unlike the movement itself. All of these qualities make it very thought-provoking and utterly compelling.
Overall, I really appreciated what Cline's created with The Question Authority. Seeing the conflict and questions in the past and present for Nora's narration was definitely my favourite part of the novel.
The Question Authority is well written and thoughtful; just as timely as you've been told--and a damn good read.
May 6, 2019
I picked this book for review because it sounded like it was going to be a timely story in line with the #metoo era. And it was. It was just really very slow and meandering and sometimes I kind of lost track of who was who and what the heck was going on.
The book focuses around Nora who through her job comes across her friend from childhood, Beth. Curiously, the case Nora is trying to settle involves a male teacher being sexually inappropriate with students and that jogs memories Nora has of a specific teacher she and Beth had as kids. Her friend Beth ended up having a sexual relationship with this teacher and at the time Nora thinks it's just gross and stupid but as an adult now, she wonders if it was really rape and if it was consensual, can really be that if one person is under age, like well under the age of 18.
My copy was 224 pages so I thought I was going to zip right through this in one sitting but no, that very much didn't happen. It's a slow read and I felt like some of it was pointless and didn't add to the story. In the beginning of the book she mentions being well off but now she's not and she can't move, etc and I just wondered.... who the heck cares? Seriously? I think it was to justify the reason she has her crappy job to the reader but I didn't even wonder why she did the work she did. It's a job, you've got bills, I get it. Once we get beyond the fluff, the story IS interesting and it does raise some debate on where the line is but also how sometimes the lines are blurred. It got me thinking about some questionable teachers I have had when I was younger but even in college, as well as the criminal justice system that is full of holes for cases like these due to the nature of mostly having little to no evidence. It's often a he said, she said situation and it's just hard to prove.
Basically, this book got me thinking about things and I really appreciated that. Overall I'm giving this one a 3 star. I liked it but I wouldn't say I really liked it.
The book focuses around Nora who through her job comes across her friend from childhood, Beth. Curiously, the case Nora is trying to settle involves a male teacher being sexually inappropriate with students and that jogs memories Nora has of a specific teacher she and Beth had as kids. Her friend Beth ended up having a sexual relationship with this teacher and at the time Nora thinks it's just gross and stupid but as an adult now, she wonders if it was really rape and if it was consensual, can really be that if one person is under age, like well under the age of 18.
My copy was 224 pages so I thought I was going to zip right through this in one sitting but no, that very much didn't happen. It's a slow read and I felt like some of it was pointless and didn't add to the story. In the beginning of the book she mentions being well off but now she's not and she can't move, etc and I just wondered.... who the heck cares? Seriously? I think it was to justify the reason she has her crappy job to the reader but I didn't even wonder why she did the work she did. It's a job, you've got bills, I get it. Once we get beyond the fluff, the story IS interesting and it does raise some debate on where the line is but also how sometimes the lines are blurred. It got me thinking about some questionable teachers I have had when I was younger but even in college, as well as the criminal justice system that is full of holes for cases like these due to the nature of mostly having little to no evidence. It's often a he said, she said situation and it's just hard to prove.
Basically, this book got me thinking about things and I really appreciated that. Overall I'm giving this one a 3 star. I liked it but I wouldn't say I really liked it.
February 29, 2020
A brilliant, sharp little novel that perfectly captures the atmosphere of Brooklyn private schools for us Gen-X'ers. Alongside the much-discussed #MeToo storyline, this book also examines the painful truth that teen girl friends can turn to enemies out of insecurity about maturing at different rates.
June 14, 2019
I read this book in a single sitting -- so astute and sharply observed. It's timely without being preachy. The narrative dares to admit the degree to which girls and young women want attention yet sustains the position that in no way does that ever justify sexual harassment, abuse or predatory behavior. A very difficult thing to pull off and it's done with precision and humanity.
October 6, 2020
A Brooklyn Heights woman reconsiders her memories of a charismatic eighth grade teacher in this unusually nuanced take on #MeToo and its tropes of monsters and their victims. The story is told through multiple perspectives—no mean feat when one of them is that of a serial pedophile, and another his enabling wife—while evoking a strong sense of place. All these years, Nora has stayed put, not quite living up to her potential, and as she dredges up the wreckage of the ‘70s, she questions not only her version of the past but her place in an uncertain present, in which justice is still not often served.
May 23, 2019
3.5 stars.
The Question Authority brings to light a very important topic; that topic is statutory rape, told from the perspective of a former student of the pedophile teacher, his late wife, a victim, and the accused himself.
The teacher at the time was 26. His students/lovers were all young teenagers. Although he didn't force himself on them, he still manipulated them and molded them into who he wanted them to be. "Statutory rape" wasn't a term that was used much during those times, in the 1970s. It wasn't until the girls grew up that they started to understand the tremendous affect that their school years had on their lives. Teenagers are angsty... they are insecure... and they are vulnerable. Men can easily use this to their advantage to get what they want. They can transform themselves into "role models" for young women; predators in disguise. The girls didn't even stand a chance, nor did they realize how strongly they were being deceived.
The vast majority of this book is told from the perspective of a woman who managed to resist the charismatic teacher, while most of her classmates couldn't. She realizes how close she came to being another victim, and she is ready to tell her story. Her best friend at the time, Beth, wasn't as lucky as her. She fell for his act and suffered long term consequences. In The Question Authority, we learn more about both of these women and gain profound psychological insight.
The reason I didn't rate this book higher is because I felt like some of the book was disjointed and hard to follow. Other than that, an important book to read.
Thank you TLCbooktours and RedHenPress for my free copy!
The Question Authority brings to light a very important topic; that topic is statutory rape, told from the perspective of a former student of the pedophile teacher, his late wife, a victim, and the accused himself.
The teacher at the time was 26. His students/lovers were all young teenagers. Although he didn't force himself on them, he still manipulated them and molded them into who he wanted them to be. "Statutory rape" wasn't a term that was used much during those times, in the 1970s. It wasn't until the girls grew up that they started to understand the tremendous affect that their school years had on their lives. Teenagers are angsty... they are insecure... and they are vulnerable. Men can easily use this to their advantage to get what they want. They can transform themselves into "role models" for young women; predators in disguise. The girls didn't even stand a chance, nor did they realize how strongly they were being deceived.
The vast majority of this book is told from the perspective of a woman who managed to resist the charismatic teacher, while most of her classmates couldn't. She realizes how close she came to being another victim, and she is ready to tell her story. Her best friend at the time, Beth, wasn't as lucky as her. She fell for his act and suffered long term consequences. In The Question Authority, we learn more about both of these women and gain profound psychological insight.
The reason I didn't rate this book higher is because I felt like some of the book was disjointed and hard to follow. Other than that, an important book to read.
Thank you TLCbooktours and RedHenPress for my free copy!
May 7, 2019
This book is plotted like a procedural mystery. The detective in this case is a bureaucrat from the Department of Education. While she works on the case of a teacher who is a possible pedophile, she deals with the residue of an actual pedophile predator from her past. The narrator's personal story might be the backstory in a simpler story. As in many detective stories, the memories she digs up resonate directly in the present. But this is not a genre novel, it's the story of a woman discovering how the past has made her who she is. Plot details are told in the voices of unseen characters. There's a lot going on in this short book.
Like the best procedurals, this book uses the plot structure as a substrate on which to hang the narrator's resonant memories and the feelings these evoke. The ending is very satisfying.
Like the best procedurals, this book uses the plot structure as a substrate on which to hang the narrator's resonant memories and the feelings these evoke. The ending is very satisfying.
September 28, 2019
This is a wonderful telling of a woman coming to terms with the abuses of a middle school teacher in the 70’s, when such things were rampant and dismissed. The story moves quickly but never left me feeling deprived. I loved the surprising ending but was sad to finish! The best books are the ones that leave you wanting more. I came away with an adept portrait of a middle-aged New Yorker who grew up in a very different era than the recent past (2009), where she struggles to find her footing.
February 7, 2020
This was an interesting book about teenaged girls being abused by their beloved teacher and the effects it had going forward. The main narrator was not abused but tries to make sense of it. We also hear from the abuser and his wife. It's well written and a quick read. Definitely an interesting perspective, though not great literature. I'd recommend it if the subject matter is of interest.
March 31, 2022
I thought this book ended abruptly. What happened to the Harold Singer case and his brave victims who showed up to testify? Is the author saving that plot for another book? I was more invested in the current story than something that happened long ago to Nora, Beth and the other girls at The Academy. I was very disappointed that the current story was left hanging.
June 5, 2021
Be sure to read the blurb more carefully than I did before investing in this novel. It has basically one topic, and if you don't want to read a novel--however interesting--about that, this won't be for you. I much preferred Cline's "What to Keep."
September 24, 2021
At first I thought this was going to be a memoir (My fault) and then of course found out it was a novel BUT it was based on a true story, this is so sad and upsetting and unfair, poor women. I didn't love the writing neither though
December 31, 2024
I don’t normally give 5 stars, but his one is unique, powerful, and thought provoking.
I’ve been making YouTube videos about the books. I read and I will do that shortly.
They are at Tickled to Death channel on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/@tickledtodeath0?...
I’ve been making YouTube videos about the books. I read and I will do that shortly.
They are at Tickled to Death channel on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/@tickledtodeath0?...
April 30, 2019
Beautiful and profound
This an amazing work. The writing is beautiful and profound. It addresses the issues of child sexual abuse through extraordinary story telling.
This an amazing work. The writing is beautiful and profound. It addresses the issues of child sexual abuse through extraordinary story telling.
May 3, 2019
This is compulsively readable. A novel based on historical facts about a timely topic.
Although the topic is painful, the compassion for the victims and the perpetrators is quite moving.
Although the topic is painful, the compassion for the victims and the perpetrators is quite moving.
July 1, 2019
It was interesting and timely in this #metoo age- made me think and question- which is always good.
July 30, 2019
Horrifyingly real seeming.
Read
October 1, 2019Interesting and unsettling. How much is fiction, how much based on real events?
June 28, 2023
I really liked it, but it seemed to lose steam in the last 20 pages or so.
April 8, 2025
reread—deeply underrated book
March 1, 2020
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Nora never thought her work could bring up her past until she walks into work one day and a case not only feels like it is her past being revisited, but also a person from her past is connected to the case. With some interesting twists and turns this little book packed some punch.
Nora never thought her work could bring up her past until she walks into work one day and a case not only feels like it is her past being revisited, but also a person from her past is connected to the case. With some interesting twists and turns this little book packed some punch.
August 19, 2023
Couldn't put it down: my highest praise.
July 30, 2021
Though the topic was heavy the reading was light. And there were a couple of not completely expected revelations.
I love the title and the story and it in book.
I love the title and the story and it in book.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews