I read Eggshell Skull in three sittings. The first on a train from Sydney to Newcastle. Then on the train back. And the third when I arrived home, sitting at my dining table, without having unpacked my things or taken off my shoes. Bri Lee’s memoir has received a lot of attention, for its timeliness in the wake of #metoo, and for its unique perspective – Lee writes about her time as a Judge’s Associate witnessing the institutional discrimination in sexual assault trials, as well as of her experience on the other side of the courtroom, as the plaintiff in her own case.

Lee walks a precarious line with incredible control, is never exploitative or voyeuristic, and remains frank and articulate. Her book is a devastating look at Australia’s legal system, detailing case after case of women, children, and people of colour being failed by a biased, broken system. Whatever mild optimism I had about the ability of the law to uphold justice and integrity was shot. Eggshell Skull is a deliberate, discerning take-down of how gender structures and social attitudes play out in courtrooms and police stations, with harrowing consequences. The reality of Australia’s legal system, as painted by Lee, is sobering and infuriating.

In addition to its legal narratives, Eggshell Skull is also a powerful coming-of-age story, following a frightened young girl as she transforms into a fiery, formidable adult. Her own experience of abuse, Lee notes, is not unique. In fact, she struggles with its apparent insignificance compared to many of the cases she has witnessed. Lee is heartbreakingly honest about wrangling with self-loathing and fear. But in the end she is spurred on by her belief that in finding justice for her own case, she will pave the way for other women to be taken seriously.

Above all, Lee is simply a very good writer. She tells her story with remarkable empathy, vulnerability and clever, even humorous, prose. Eggshell Skull will knock the wind out of you, and leave you feeling triumphant and crushed. Sitting at my kitchen table after reading the final page, I put it down and cried.

Reviewed by Emma Harvey