Thread for those reading ‘Nobody’s Girl’ by Virginia Giuffre

[LambriniBobInIsleworthISeesYa]

I couldn’t see one that had already been started, so thought that I would start a thread for those of us reading Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir ‘Nobody’s Girl’. I’m sure that there will be a lot to discuss.

I had the book on preorder so it was delivered to my Kindle at midnight. I started reading it this morning and already I can tell that it’s going to be a tough, but important, read.

I am a survivor of abuse and as such admire even more the lengths that Giuffre went to to expose her abusers. I know that I couldn’t have done what she has. I’m just sorry that the trauma in the end was too much for her to bear.

Please remember all readers- especially those coming to it with a history of abuse- be kind to yourself, take a break from reading if it gets too much and talk to someone if you need to.

If you’ve not got somebody who you feel comfortable talking to in real life, the following services are available:

The Samaritans: Free Phone 116 123 or visit their website here: https://www.samaritans.org/

The Survivors Trust: Free Phone tel:08088 010 818 08088 010 818 or visit their website here: https://thesurvivorstrust.org/

Mental Health Crisis: Free Phone NHS 111 and select the mental health option or get help online here: https://111.nhs.uk/triage/check-your-mental-health-symptoms

A comprehensive list of other specialist helplines is available here: https://thesurvivorstrust.org/national-helplines/

I look forward to reading this book with you all.

I meant to add, comprehensive review of the book from The Guardian here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/oct/20/nobodys-girl-by-virginia-roberts-giuffre-review-a-devastating-expose-of-power-corruption-and-abuse

Thank you.

MN will always move your thread if you would prefer to have it in the Royal section. Just press the report button on it

@jumpingthehighjump I'm confused, what do you mean by that comment? It's literally a post about a book in the book reading section on mumsnet.

The OP wondered on another thread if she had put the thread in the right place, given it's very current royal news at the moment. I was just being helpful so there is nothing to be confused about

Thank you @jumpingthehighjump- I dust know that. I’ll get it moved 🙂

Dust?! Didn’t. Sorry- mad autocorrect.

That's alright then. I didn't see OPs other posts. I thought you were trying to suggest the thread needs hiding away but that was my incorrect assumption. I'm glad to see threads criticising Andrews involvement with Epstein and poor Virginia are getting lots of traction on the royal boards. I truly hope the rest of his days are wretched. ☺️ Hope you're at peace now Virginia.

If you can't get it moved over you could just delete this thread and start another one over in the RF section.

I agree with your sentiments. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Virginia for exposing this evil criminal sex racket.

I’ve managed to get it moved! Hopefully it reaches the right audience this way.

What a lovely OP. I won't be reading it myself, it's just too dark, but have so much respect for a courageous woman. It's high time Andrew et al were exposed. If only there was a chance of any sort of justice.

THANKYOU for setting up this thread and in such a sensitive way. I have posted the same message below on another thread but want it captured here.

I hope that moving to the RF section will be good for Virginias memory and will not be hijacked by the republicans vs the royalists.

I hope that posters on this thread will be extra sensitive to the other victims of rape, trafficking and CSA who will also be reading.

I also hope it sticks to the content of the book and Virginias story and is not derailed with the usual slanging on that board.

I was struck by the fact that she took her own life 6 months after finishing the book. I suspect writing it was incredibly re-traumatising and she didn’t have significant professional emotional support in place to alleviate that. I think writing it would be a very different experience to her campaigning which was outward facing and productive to the extent she didn’t have to look too closely at her own wounds as she was in fight mode. I suspect writing the book from her perspective now as a mother of children that age must have been horrific. I am desperately sad that she was seemingly not supported in her re-trauma with devastating effects. I also wonder if there were people around her on her gravy train with their own self interest above her MH and ultimately life.

You make such an excellent point regarding the re-traumatisation whilst writing the memoir. It's a difficult thing to do.

Self harm, substance abuse, putting oneself in dangerous situations and suicide are sadly all responses to the complex PTSD victims of sexual abuse suffer. I wonder if her editor insisted on her receiving support or set up any for her. She was dealing with so much.

I hope someone makes a film about her life. It should be documented.

I couldn’t agree more @AzureCats… I’m something of a Republican anyway, but to my mind all of this is even more of an argument for the royal family’s abolition.

Before Prince William was born we were only one twist of fate- a polo accident, a car crash, an IRA bomb- away from Andrew becoming heir to the throne and therefore the king now. That doesn’t bear thinking about. And we are always just one twist of fate, one bad apple, one abdication away from such things… the heir to the throne can be anybody with any personality type, any level of of narcissist, any level of intelligence.

As a society we no long think that they’re chosen by God to be in the position that they are… they’re just a bunch of people who’ve been lucky enough to be born into a family with a shed load of unearned power and privilege. Therefore it’s about time that we cut them loose and used the money saved from no longer supporting them (and the fortune that would be made by taking back the crown estates) for the people and services in this country who need help.

Yes @BanjaxxeddI was struck when listening earlier to her collaborator talking about how close her finishing the book was to her suicide.

Very small fry in comparison, but I have written a memoir about my own abuse. I’ve been told it’s good and used it as my dissertation in a prestigious creative writing MA, where it was highly praised by my personal tutor- themselves a Baillie Gifford prize winner- so I have some confidence that it is decent enough (I’m not saying all of this to boast- I just want to to make it clear that I’m serious about the book and the content is truly a much-considered and painstakingly written, and that I’ve dedicated a lot of time and effort into the manuscript). However, despite the praise and despite my growing confidence in the content, I’ve been writing and editing this book for almost ten years now, because it’s hugely retraumatising.

I’ve had a lot of therapy, but had to get some more when I was at the point of handing in the MA portfolio. I can completely see how writing the book, plus the worldwide fame and (in my opinion sexist and bizarre) criticism from some corners of the media, would have finally broken her. Especially as it seems that her marriage was in serious trouble too, and she had been with her husband ever since she escaped Epstein 22 years previously.

Poor Virginia. She obviously didn’t have the support that she needed around her in the end and whilst writing the memoir. Which- in my opinion- makes it all the more important that we read her words and carry on her mission.

Meh, we'd take it back and the money would quickly disappear/never materialise. The buildings would never be sold off, they'd all be museums - but no one would probably be quite as interested in visiting them as they were when we had an actual world famous monarchy. It would be like Brexit all over again, supposed to save us millions but we're not quite sure what happened or where the money went.

The book looks very interesting though.

Thank you for sharing your experience

I can imagine that telling your story in manuscript is very traumatising as it was for Virginia

I want to read her book, it won't be for a few weeks for various reasons.

And thank you for starting this thread. Your stories should be told

but no one would probably be quite as interested in visiting them as they were when we had an actual world famous monarchy.

I think totally the opposite actually. There would be far more access to royal palaces and estates than there is now. And think of their billion pounds art or stamp collection or Fabergé eggs? We could go and view it all, instead of it being squirrelled away.
And people want to see the actual history of it all, they don't expect to bump into a royal

It’s started already as I feared.

Please can we keep this dignified to respect the words of Virginia and focus on her story.

There are lots of other threads day in day out on the royalist vs republican debate. Can we keep this one from derailing.

I am not quite sure why you have highlighted my post here.
It was dignified and and I was responding to another poster

If anyone prefers to listen to the book (it’s not VIrginia narratting) you can do a free trail on Audible on this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/audible/arya/mlp?&linkCode=sl2&tag=how-to-listen-to-nobodys-girl-37065423-21&linkId=3faa317fa8da0eb8c49dc8e4420f2dcd&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

It’s a shame no new names are named and shamed.

Other names are out there. Go on social media. They're a pretty intimidating bunch.

The Guardian review is interesting especially the part about the only person expressing concern being Melinda Gates.

Just finished Andrew Lownies excellent book Entitled which I recommend. The Yorks are despicable.

Not sure I can face this book have two late teen girls the exact age these predators target and really struggle with content detailing harm to girls this age as I picture it happening to my dds and I can’t bear it.

SPOILER WARNING AND SENSITIVE

I hear the book has sold out in some stores already.

I heard some of the extracts yesterday. Extremely harrowing. There's a bit where she recounts being violently assaulted on the Lolita Express and what came to my mind was, well if it was on the plane, then other occupants on that plane, must of heard? I assume there are still at least one cabin crew available on these private jets? And who pilots these sorts of private planes? Surely whomever they are they had some inkling of what was going on?

It just struck me extra hard the total disregard for Virginia as a person. And also the flagrancy of it all. The normalcy of what they were doing.

Apparently the plane was fitted with individual bedrooms, so the other people on it would have known about the sex but just conceivably not the violence.

The pilots would absolutely have known what was going on, and probably been offered some level of "participation" themselves, for example once they got to the island. I have come across a similar scenario in a different place and that is what happened there.