January 28, 2009

The Albemarle County author known for his legal page turners is at it again. John Grisham just released "The Associate," a book that has some people in Charlottesville talking.

Local readers may be catching on to Grisham's latest book because it's based on a Charlottesville court case that received national attention.

Although the new book can be found in the fiction category, part of the novel is very real for one former Charlottesville woman.

“As far as raising awareness, if something's in a very commercial package, it's always good because people will pick it up as entertainment and be expanded or enlighten in the process. Then the issue of campus rape would then resonate,” said Liz Seccuro, a rape survivor.

Seccuro says three men attacked her at a University of Virginia fraternity party in 1984.

When former UVa student William Beebe wrote a letter in 2005 apologizing to Seccuro for harming her, she went to authorities.

Now Seccuro hopes readers will take something positive away from "The Associate."

“I think that it teaches people that these things happen everyday,” said Seccuro.

“We do believe that people can heal, but it does often take a really long time, and it’s different for each person, how it works, when it works. Everyone heals on their own timeline,” said Laurie Jean Seamen of SARA.

Seccuro says she has no negative feelings about Grisham’s latest book. She only hopes that it will make readers more aware about sexual violence.