An inspiring true story of love, hope, and victory—and of one woman who was determined to make a difference in the wake of a crime.

On August 6, 1993, twenty-year-old Natasha Alexenko was assaulted at gunpoint. After nearly a decade, her backlogged rape kit was finally tested and her rapist, who roamed free for ten years, was brought to justice. On the day he was sentenced, Alexenko vowed that she would no longer be a statistic and would do whatever she could to help police on behalf of other rape victims. In 2011, she founded Natasha’s Justice Project (NJP), a nonprofit committed to ending the rape-kit backlog.

This unflinching memoir chronicles her journey from trauma to triumph. Despite personal setbacks and bureaucratic obstacles, Alexenko refuses to give up on her determination to raise awareness of a problem even worse than she imagined, as tens of thousands of untested rape kits languish in crime storage facilities across the country. Written for fellow survivors, their families, law enforcement, and anyone impacted by rape, her deeply personal story is a testament to the power of one person to make a profound change.

Born on Long Island, New York, and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, Natasha Simone Alexenko is the founder and CEO of Natasha’s Justice Project (NJP), a national nonprofit organization created to expose and eliminate the nationwide rape-kit backlog and to bring justice to survivors of sexual assault. Alexenko has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other national and international publications. She has made guest appearances on broadcast and cable networks and was the focus of the HBO documentary Sex Crimes Unit. Alexenko shared her story at the historic 2015 joint press conference at which Vice President Joe Biden and New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. pledged a combined $80 million to help defray the cost and reduce the backlog of untested rape kits. Alexenko serves as a consultant to Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grants (SAKI). For more information, visit www.NatashasJusticeProject.org.

Natasha Simone Alexenko's profile page

“This inspirational memoir will be of interest to all who believe that the time’s up for accepting sexual assault and any less than equal investigation and prosecution of cases.” —Library Journal

“If you want to know what courage looks like, then meet Natasha Alexenko. This book—A Survivor’s Journey—is a stunning account of her personal voyage from victim to spokeswoman and advocate for all those who have not yet found their voices or their strength. It is the story of Natasha’s triumph over darkness in her quest for justice.” —Linda Fairstein, New York Times bestselling author and former Special Victims’ Prosecutor

“Natasha Alexenko is a national hero. She has selflessly shared her horrific sexual assault experience and its aftermath that included the failure to test her sexual assault kit. By sharing her story, she has brought into focus, on a national level, the injustices that sexual assault survivors have experienced across this country. By creating Natasha’s Justice Project, Natasha has helped change the course of America by paving the path toward justice for survivors and safety for society. I’m proud to stand with Natasha Alexenko and ensure that all sexual assault kits are tested, that there will never be a backlog of untested kits and that survivors are empowered.” —Nancy O’Malley, Alameda County district attorney, Oakland, California

“This is compelling, well-written, and exactly the type of candor that makes Natasha Alexenko an incredible advocate.” —Rebecca O’Connor, vice president of public policy at RAINN, Washington, DC