The Tell: A Memoir

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes descriptions of rape and child sexual abuse.

Amy Griffin is the author and narrator of The Tell. Growing up in the small West Texas town of Amarillo, Amy recalls her childhood as being full of joy and freedom. She loved the open spaces of the desert, and the town’s tight-knit community made it safe for her to roam with her friends. However, during her middle school years, Amy changed. The carefree lifestyle that she enjoyed in early childhood vanished, and she became obsessed with working hard, being “perfect,” and fulfilling society’s every expectation. She was deeply influenced by her community’s conservative Southern culture, which maintained strictly gendered expectations and encouraged women to be virtuous and keep up appearances. Adding to this communal pressure, Amy’s parents, while loving, held her to strict moral, athletic, and academic standards. Amy’s father, for example, expected her to be a virgin when she was married and often asked how she “compare[d] to the other kids” (17) in her athletic and academic endeavors. Amy’s family owned a chain of small convenience stores, making them well-known in town. Being conspicuous added additional pressure, and Amy was determined never to do anything that would reflect poorly on her family.