Books — SORAYA CHEMALY

Released May 21, 2024

The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on Grit, Strength, and Growth after Trauma

“Resilience” is the mantra of our Age of Crisis, but what exactly do we mean when we talk about “being resilient”?

In this thought-provoking exploration, cultural critic Soraya Chemaly challenges our most dearly held, common myths of resilience and urges us to shift our perspective from prioritizing individualized traits and skills to uplifting collective care and open-ended connections with our communities.

Overthrowing a resilience rooted in the philosophies of mind over matter,“mental toughness,” “strength,” and “positive thinking,” this book argues that our modern version of “resilience” is a bankrupt ideal that protects a corrupt status quo. Instead she makes the case that true resilience comes from developing nurturing relationships that sustain us. Throughout, Chemaly provides concrete examples of how to enact this new model in our daily lives. She sheds new light on the infamous ACE (adverse childhood experiences) scale research to reframe how parents and educators should think about the long-term impact of childhood trauma and on digs into the ongoing impacts of cancer on the survivors of 9/11--even as in the aftermath, they were celebrated as paragons of resilience and “bouncing back.”

Blending rigorous research and enthralling personal storytelling, The Resilience Myth offers anew vision for collective healing by emphasizing care for our neighbors and our environments above just ourselves. By prioritizing compassion, creativity, and connection, this book ignites essential conversations about fostering resilience for all, not just for those who can afford it.

Rage Becomes Her:The Power of Women’s Anger

Rage Becomes Her is an “utterly eye opening” (Bustle) book that gives voice to the causes, expressions, and possibilities of female rage.

As women, we’ve been urged for so long to bottle up our anger, letting it corrode our bodies and minds in ways we don’t even realize. Yet there are so, so many legitimate reasons for us to feel angry, ranging from blatant, horrifying acts of misogyny to the subtle drip, drip drip of daily sexism that reinforces the absurdly damaging gender norms of our society.

In Rage Becomes Her, Soraya Chemaly argues that our anger is not only justified, it is also an active part of the solution. We are so often encouraged to resist our rage or punished for justifiably expressing it, yet how many remarkable achievements would never have gotten off the ground without the kernel of anger that fueled them? Approached with conscious intention, anger is a vital instrument, a radar for injustice and a catalyst for change. On the flip side, the societal and cultural belittlement of our anger is a cunning way of limiting and controlling our power—one we can no longer abide.

“A work of great spirit and verve” (Time), Rage Becomes Her is a validating, energizing read that will change the way you interact with the world around you.

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Rage in 12+ Languages!

Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger was named a 2018 Best Book of The Year by NPR, The Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Electric Lit, and Autostraddle. Translated into more than a dozen languages, it has been hailed as “bracing” and “timely,” an “urgent, invaluable,” and “politically charged account of what it means to be an American woman today.”

Praise for Rage Becomes Her

“A biting polemic that points to the pressures that women in sexist society face in common, even as those pressures are borne differently and unequally in different communities . . . . Written with energy and conviction, these celebrations of the galvanic possibilities of anger make for galvanizing reading."
— The New York Times

“A must-read!”
—NPR

"A work of great spirit and verve."
— TIME

“Chemaly’s collection of essays, shaped by research and personal experience... shows us how anger is truly one of our most potent resources for changing the world.”
—SHONDALAND

"Rather than dwell on how female rage is received, Chemaly presents a thoroughgoing assessment of its causes: an account, organized thematically, of the private and public abuse, bias, and discrimination faced by women. The result is both relentless and revelatory."
—The New Yorker

“Urgent, enlightening.”
—The Washington Post