Quick Synopsis

Marty Goddard dreamed up a new crime-solving tool—a kit that could help rape survivors fight for justice. This thrilling investigation tells the story of the troubled, heroic woman who kicked off a feminist revolution in forensics, and then vanished into obscurity.

Publisher’s Synopsis

In 1972, Martha “Marty” Goddard volunteered at a crisis hotline, counseling girls who had been molested by their fathers, their teachers, their uncles. Soon, Marty was on a mission to answer a question: Why were so many sexual predators getting away with these crimes? By the end of the decade, she had launched a campaign pushing hospitals and police departments to collect evidence of sexual assault and treat survivors with dignity. She designed a new kind of forensics tool—the rape kit—and new practices around evidence collection that spread across the country. Yet even as Marty fought for women’s rights, she allowed a man to take credit for her work.

When journalist Pagan Kennedy went looking for this forgotten pioneer, she discovered that even Marty Goddard’s closest friends had lost track of her. As Pagan followed a trail of clues to solve the mystery of Marty, she also delved into the problematic history of forensics in America. The Secret History of the Rape Kit chronicles one journalist’s mission to understand a crucial innovation in forensics and the woman who championed it. As Pagan Kennedy hunts for answers, she reflects on her own experiences with sexual assault and her own desire for justice.

Book Review

Journalist Pagan Kennedy’s The Secret History of the Rape Kit is the product of her investigation into the invention of the rape kit. In pursuing the criminal legal innovation’s origins, Kennedy discovers a surprising portrait of a dogged, troubled, and enigmatic woman who had been forgotten by history.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit is absorptive detective work tracking how the rape kit was created, implemented, and accepted by the criminal legal system. The first half of the book chronicles the kit’s conception amid a portrait of second wave feminism. Kennedy depicts how ineffective the legal system was (and still is) at prosecuting sexual assault and how police undermined victims who pursued justice in the last century. The second half of the book focuses on Marty Goddard, the fascinating woman behind the rape kit. After recounting Goddard’s work throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Kennedy unravels the mystery of Goddard’s sudden disappearance in 1988. Working with often scant information, Kennedy uncovers this mystery and discover who Marty Goddard was. I must mention that despite the book’s subtitle, I would not call this a true crime story.

I found The Secret History of the Rape Kit to be a gripping narrative. I listened to the audiobook read by Claire Danes and found it easy to follow while maintaining my rapt attention. Kennedy includes enough detail to create a compelling story without diving into too much nitty-gritty detail. I only wish that Kennedy had obtained a firsthand account from Marty prior to her death. Because this was missing, I felt like the mystery of her disappearance was not completed to my satisfaction. But that is not something I can hold against the author or discredit the book for lacking.

My largest issue with The Secret History of the Rape Kit is the insertion of the author’s personal experience into a book about someone else’s life. It was awkward, distracted from the primary subject matter, and incohesive. I fail to understand the reasoning behind this narrative choice. I found Kennedy’s story of her own abuse unnecessary and believe it failed to contribute to moving the story forward or proving her thesis. I would have rated the book higher had it been excluded.

Overall, The Secret History of the Rape Kit is a fascinating portrait of a woman forgotten by history who had a major impact on the criminal legal system. Despite the author awkwardly wedging her own story into the narrative, I still recommend this book and quite enjoyed it.