Spilled Milk: Based on a True Story

Content Warning: This section discusses physical and sexual abuse against a child (specifically incest).

Brooke Nolan is the pseudonym that author K. L. Randis used to write her memoir (disguised as fiction), Spilled Milk, which details her family’s abuse by her father David/Earl, as well as the healing and legal processes that Brooke endured to vindicate herself and other survivors of Earl’s abuse, maintaining the memoir’s theme of What It Takes to Speak Out Against Injustice. Brooke grew up in the 90s and 2000s, a period when domestic violence and sexual assault were garnering more attention from mainstream society. She writes honestly, refraining from mentioning many graphic details and instead focusing on the psychological impact of abuse and how she showed Resilience in the Face of Trauma. She is intelligent and naturally gifted in areas like chemistry and writing. Brooke began journaling when she was eight, and details her first experience with a journal and having her secrets revealed (as per the theme of Secrets and Denial). Journaling became a safe haven for Brooke that extended into adulthood and translated into her desire to write a memoir of her experiences.