The Secret Problem Everybody Knows About is an adapted version of my master’s thesis, which is a multigenre exploration of the complexities of domestic violence in the Cook Islands. The work is grounded in interviews with men and women who wielded the power of decision to end abusive relationships in small, tight-knit communities. The thesis was supported by a research grant from East-West Center.
The Center for Biographical Research awarded it the 2018 Biography Prize. An announcement read: “The judges were impressed by the work’s sophisticated use of oral histories, autobiographical narratives, and creative nonfiction as a way to investigate the causes and impact of domestic violence, and said that this accomplished piece of life writing makes multiple contributions, including to Pacific Island studies, studies of gender and domestic violence, and, of course, to life writing studies. Please join us in congratulating Rachel for this important work and for producing such an impressive, innovative, and high-stakes work of life writing.” I learned so much writing this, and for that I owe thanks to the people who trusted me with their stories and their hearts.
Hawaiʻi Review published The Secret Problem Everybody Knows About, and copies are available at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: Hamilton & Sinclair Libraries, Campus Bookstore, the English Department, NHSS - QLC 104, the Law Library, the Law Student Center, and the front desk at the Ka Leo Office. You can also email me for a PDF.
