These Violent Delights: A Novel
By Victoria Namkung
243 pages, Hardcover, 6.19 x 9.35 inches
ISBN 978-0-9993153-1-6
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
$29.95
At Windemere School for Girls, one of America’s elite private schools, Dr. Gregory Copeland is the beloved chair of the English Department. A married father with a penchant for romantic poetry—and impressionable teenage girls—he operates in plain sight for years, until one of his former students goes public with allegations of inappropriate conduct. With the help of an investigative journalist, and two additional Windemere alumnae who had relationships with Copeland as students, the unlikely quartet unites to take him down.
Set in modern-day Los Angeles, These Violent Delights is a literary exploration of the unyielding pressures and vulnerabilities that so many women and girls experience, and analyzes the ways in which our institutions and families fail to protect or defend us. A suspenseful and nuanced story told from multiple points of view, the novel examines themes of sexuality, trauma, revenge, and the American myth of liberty and justice for all.
Victoria Namkung’s journalism and essays have appeared in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, NBC News, and VICE, among other publications. She is the author of the romantic thriller, The Things We Tell Ourselves, and a contributor to the anthology, Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity, and Ethnicity. Victoria has taught courses at UCLA, UCSB, and 826LA, and resides in Los Angeles. Learn more at victorianamkung.com.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Wine, Women, and Words “Literary Ladies” Panel
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Giracci Vineyard and Farms
16162 Jackson Ranch Rd
Silverado, CA 92676
Saturday, May 19, 2018
LitFest Pasadena “No More Mean Girls: A New Era For Female Friendship in Fiction” Panel
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Walter Girdner Studio
27 S. El Molino Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
Listen to an extended interview with Victoria on LA Talk Radio (07:00 mark)
The Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association’s Q&A with Victoria
Victoria’s Op-Ed on stopping predatory teachers in Medium
Kirkus Reviews’ Book Report on These Violent Delights
PRAISE FOR THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS:
“… a worthwhile read. A sober, personable tale about the complexities of sexual abuse and its aftermath.” —Kirkus Reviews
“These Violent Delights is smart, suspenseful, unsettling, and only too relevant. I promise you won’t be able to put it down. Just don’t forget to breathe.” —Kim Askew, co-author of the Twisted Lit novels from Simon & Schuster
“A devastating yet empowering narrative of women banding together to bring the teacher who abused them to justice. It powerfully illustrates how the abuse affects them each differently, how institutions enable predators in order to protect their own liability, and the life-changing courage it takes to speak out. As more women refuse to stay silent in the face of sexual assault each day, These Violent Delights could not be more timely.” —Andrew Grant Jackson, author of 1965
“These Violent Delights is a deeply thought-provoking story about the ways abuse ripples through our lives. It’s for every woman who has ever been in a situation that could have ended with the question ‘but what were you wearing?’ In other words, this book is for every woman.” —Tiffany Hawk, author of Love Me Anyway
Press Contact: Holly Watson, holly@hollywatsonpr.com
