This was an important read - it is written by the lawyer representing someone who was a pioneer in challenging sexism in her industry, at a time when we are thinking about this issue more broadly.

This non-fiction book is written by a lawyer who represented a woman named Dr. Jean Jew who was sexually harassed and experienced sexism and racism in her position at an Iowa University. The men who worked with her in the medical school felt threatened by a woman joining their ranks, and created a variety of rumours, gossip and allegations related to her relationship with another male colleague who was also her mentor and friend from before she arrived at the university.

This book is extremely thorough and covers each step of the case from the timeline of events prior to Dr. Jew seeking legal representation right down to the decision process the Judge and Jury faced. It is quite obvious from early on that this book is written by a lawyer. The writing is very factual and while opinions are mentioned at times, it is generally very neutral in tone. This makes it a bit difficult to connect with the author and the subject of the harassment, Dr. Jew. As far as "legalese", Chalmers did a really good job explaining the laws and the reasons why they chose one court vs another etc. so it was really easy to follow. It was also well planned out and for the most part told in chronological order, so the writing style choices the author made make perfect sense. That being said, these choices also really bogged down the book and made it very dry and slow. If you're looking for a non-fiction book that breaks down the case very carefully and in a way that is passionate yet not emotional, this is definitely a book for you. If you're looking for a memoir or biography related to sexual harassment in the work place, this book isn't quite that. Still definitely worth reading, but not quite what I was expecting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

Jean Jew’s lawsuit undoubtedly positively contributed to the fight to eradicate workplace sexual harassment. For this reason, I am glad I read this book and learned about her. I would definitely pay money to see this as a film adaptation. The visual effect of her resilience given all that happened over eight years would be powerful.

I appreciate the timing of this book’s publication. Chalmers often muses on what she would have done differently and where she fell short during the litigation period. Her honesty really resonated with me. I can tell she's committed to giving an accurate portrayal of the events. Chalmers definitely writes like a lawyer. Let’s just say I don't necessarily think she should write the film adaptation. Some of the legal jargon went over my head. But, she covered a lot of ground in this book and my interest never wavered.

Notice how I keep calling this book “this book.” I don’t really like the title! “They Don’t Want Her There” is boring! It does not do justice to Jean Jew’s courage and resilience in the face of misogyny. I really wish Dr. Jew had written the afterward so we got to hear more from her directly. The title fell short, and so did the afterword.

Wow. I found this book incredibly interesting and scary at the same time. As a Black woman in academia, I know this type of harassment continues to happen on college campuses. It was really interesting to see how long the legal process for Dr. Jew was along with how many risks she took to bring this matter forward to the courts. While I always like to believe that I would stand up for myself and others, doing so often comes at great personal cost. While I am happy and thankful that Dr. Jew has a “happy” ending, I can’t help but to think about all of the people who didn’t get validation. The women who didn’t get their name cleared. My heart hurts for them.

Technically, this book is fairly dry. The author puts in some descriptors and merges some conversation about her personal life into the narrative. Personally, I found those parts a bit awkward. As a reader, we didn’t get to know her husbands or kids, so I didn’t care that they were bored in California. For readers who do not like non-fiction, this book wouldn’t be my first choice. I’ve read more convincing narrative non-fiction that has come out in the last several years.

Structurally, I thought the book was really sound. I appreciated the detailed coverage of the federal trial. I also really appreciated the breakdown on waiting for decisions from the jury and the judge. The author had a nice balance between inserting her opinions/feelings/thoughts and sticking to the observable facts in the case. I felt like some of the sections that attempted to address race were a little muddled. It could be because of unexplored bias - the author alluded to it, but didn’t name it - or the fact that the case was narrowly focused on sex & gender based discrimination.

The only part of the book that I really didn’t like was the afterword. I’m not sure it accomplished what it ended. I was especially put off by the fact that the afterword is concluded with the Chamallas stating that she was still shocked Jew faced so much vitriol. That was a weird way to end at best, and really inappropriate at worst.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read an advanced copy! It means a lot as a fellow woman in higher education.

This is an important read for people who work in higher education - They Don't Want Her There tackles the workplace sexual harassment in education. I learned a lot from this book and although it was a very dense read I thought the author did a good job of making it readable and easy to understand.


Thank you to the author, University of Iowa Press, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy to review.

I really loved this book! I learned so much about different law cases, and as someone v doesn't want to go into the field of law, Chalmers did an amazing job at breaking down the laws. This is such an interesting case, and it is yet another example of the countless times Asian American women's stories have been erased from history. I loved that Chalmers took into consideration the cultural and socioeconomic background of Dr. Jew while writing this book. I was hesitant to read a book by a white woman, a white lawyer in a relative position of power. about her Asian American client and abuse survivor. However, Chalmers does an incredible job of walking the line between telling Dr. Jews respectfully and honestly. Chalmers never assumes, she always asks. Chalmers tells the reader the facts. I really appreciated for Chalmers points out the similarities between herself and Dr. Jew, recognizing that female solidarity is oftentimes a privilege rather than a given. Highly highly recommend this to women in academia and current or future lawyers!