As featured in Local Women Magazine, Armagh I, Books Ireland, Women Writers, Women’s Books, Writing.ie, and The Belfast Telegraph.

Not the Perfect Victim


A Memoir of Surviving Sexual Violence, a Late Autism Diagnosis, and the Fight for Justice

“I didn’t know the moment my voice was stolen.
But I remember the first time I tried to scream
and nothing came out.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A beautifully written account of survival and justice — powerful, brave, and impossible to forget.”
— Louise
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Unflinchingly honest and essential; a testament to the courage of survivors silenced by a failing system.”
— Natasha
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A raw and compassionate memoir showing how trauma’s aftermath shapes every part of life — and how healing begins.”
— Lupita
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Absolutely awestruck by Anna’s honesty and strength. A must-read for trauma survivors and allies alike.”
— Lisa
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Harrowing yet empowering — a real, trauma-informed story of a survivor reclaiming her voice.”
— Paula
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A gripping, heartfelt memoir that blends pain, wit, and resilience — once you start, you can’t put it down.”
— Strahan
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Raw, tough, and deeply human. You feel Anna’s loss and her strength in every line.”
— Donna
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Every survivor or ally should read this — a true, compassionate portrayal of the slow, possible path to healing.”
— Helen
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Utterly compelling from start to finish. Should be required reading for survivors, therapists, and lawmakers.”
— Shannon

Above reviews come from goodreads

At nineteen, Anna Kahill was raped. She didn’t call it that for a very long time.For over a decade, she carried the trauma in silence — across countries, through university, motherhood, and grief. When her mother died and a late diagnosis of autism and PTSD reframed everything she thought she knew about herself, the truth finally surfaced.Told with unflinching honesty and compassion, Not the Perfect Victim dismantles the myth of the “ideal survivor” and reveals what happens when a neurodivergent woman dares to speak out in Northern Ireland’s deeply flawed justice system — and beyond.This is not a story of justice as it should be.
It is the story of reclaiming voice, naming truth, and finding power on her own terms.

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK
Not The Perfect Victim is a raw, poetic, and unflinching memoir about surviving sexual violence, navigating a late autism diagnosis, and seeking justice in a system designed to fail victims.Through fragments of memory, therapeutic insight, and powerful storytelling, Anna Kahill exposes the emotional, legal, and societal cost of surviving — while challenging the myth of the “perfect victim.”

This is not just a memoir.
It is a reclamation — and a confrontation with silence, shame, and the systems that uphold them.

If you want to help change the conversation or include Not the Perfect Victim in your book club, Anna is open to media requests, interviews and providing a readers guide.
[email protected]NoticeDeep trauma requires intensive healing, and I’ve needed to take time off my occupation to focus on recovery.
Speaking out has been an important part of that process — but sharing my story can also take its toll if not handled carefully.For this reason, I’m currently limiting interviews and public appearances, and I approach each request with care and intention.Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

PRAISE & MEDIA COVERAGE

Anna Kahill’s story has been featured across The Belfast Telegraph, Local Women Magazine, The Newry Democrat, Armagh I, and Writing.ie.Together these pieces trace her journey from survivor to author and advocate, exploring trauma, neurodiversity, and justice reform.Through her memoir Not the Perfect Victim, she continues to challenge silence and reshape how society understands survivors.

Readers around the world have shared their reflections on Not the Perfect Victim across Goodreads and Amazon, praising its honesty, emotional depth, and courage.Read Goodreads reviews →
Read Amazon reviews →

Published Features
Armagh I – Interview feature, July 2025
Women Writers, Women’s Books – Book extract, Aug 2025 Writing.ie – Author essay, Sept 2025
Belfast Telegraph – Contributed essay, Sept 2025
Geraldine Walsh – Publishing Not the Perfect Victim, Sept 2025
Books Ireland – Book Extract, Nov 2025
Local Women Magazine – Interview feature, Nov 2025
Newry Democrat – Interview feature, Nov 2025

In September 2025, Anna Kahill was invited as a VIP delegate and attended the Action Trauma Conference on Neurodiversity in Belfast, where her writings and experience in neurodivergence and criminal justice system drew interest from professionals across fields.

If you want to help change the conversation, Anna is open to media requests and interviews.
[email protected]NoticeIntensive trauma requires intensive healing, and I’ve needed to take time off work to focus on recovery.
Speaking out has been an important part of that process — but sharing my story can also take its toll if not handled carefully.For this reason, I’m currently limiting interviews and public appearances, and I approach each request with care and intention.Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

WHO THIS STORY SPEAKS TO - AND WHAT IT CONFRONTS

🎯 WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?
- Survivors of sexual violence
- Late-diagnosed autistic & neurodivergent adults
- Therapists, social workers & trauma-informed professionals
- Psychologists, social & political scientists
- Journalists, lawyers, justice reform advocates & politicians
- Anyone questioning their own unprocessed trauma
- Readers who never saw their story represented — until now💬 KEY THEMES
- Surviving and living with complex PTSD
- Intersection between trauma, neurodivergence and justice
- Critique of the criminal justice system
- The invisibility of autistic women in trauma narratives
- How the legal system fails neurodivergent survivors
- Motherhood, grief, recovery, and radical honesty
- Reclaiming the narrative from shame and silence
- Mental and Physical health
- Impact of traumatic events
- Intergenerational trauma
- Growing up in Northern Ireland in the 80s & 90s
- Social, Political & religious divides

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anna Kahill is the author of Not the Perfect Victim: A Memoir of Surviving Sexual Violence, a Late Autism Diagnosis, and the Fight for Justice.

Her debut memoir traces her journey through Northern Ireland’s justice system, to the later discovery of being autistic and living with complex PTSD. It explores the intersections of trauma, neurodivergence, and justice, offering a deeply human account that challenges the cultural myth of the “perfect victim.”Anna lives in Northern Ireland with her family. A trained pharmacist with a deep interest in psychology, she advocates for greater visibility of neurodivergent voices while continuing to challenge cultural myths about trauma and survival.

Not the Perfect Victim has already received strong early praise from readers on Goodreads, where it has been described as both unflinching and deeply humane.
You can find Anna on Instagram @nottheperfectvictim.

Author Profiles

Contact Anna
[email protected]

🌍 AVAILABILITY

Not the Perfect Victim is travelling far and wide — a story crossing borders just as its themes do.

Registered with IngramSpark, it’s available to order in-store at most major book retailers worldwide.
You can find it online through Amazon (paperback and eBook editions available worldwide — including UK, USA, Canada and Australia), as well as through Waterstones, Alan Hanna’s Bookshop, and other major retailers.
Closer to the author's home, it’s proudly stocked by Elk Books in Warrenpoint and The Bookshelf in Newry, Northern Ireland.
Wherever you are, this story can find its way to you.