She's Under Here

A Love Story, A Horror Story, A Reckoning

By: Karen Palmer

Narrated by: Karen Palmer

“Heart-pounding, illuminating, and ominously timeless” (Gina Frangello), this honest and poignant memoir reflects on a woman’s escape from a violent marriage and what it cost to protect her and her family’s safety.

“Once upon a time, I disappeared.” So begins Karen Palmer’s harrowing and redemptive memoir, She’s Under Here.

In 1989, shortly after her second marriage, Palmer and her new husband quit their jobs without notice. They pulled her two young daughters out of school and buckled them into the rear seat of a used car purchased with cash. The trunk was packed with clothing and toys, pillows and blankets, four place settings, one pot, one pan, and a sack that contained every penny they had. Living with the fear of Palmer’s dangerous ex-husband had become untenable: This was DIY witness protection.

In this searingly honest and heartwrenching account, Palmer examines why she ended up trapped, how she escaped, and the ongoing perils of life constructed around a false identity. She ruthlessly explores the lines between desire and fear, victim and perpetrator, captivity and freedom, and exposes myriad aspects of what it means to make difficult choices as a woman, when none of the options are good. She’s Under Here is a haunting meditation on themes of disappearance, betrayal, and private violence, and it is utterly unforgettable.

Critic reviews

"To escape a violent man, Karen Palmer had to disappear— a leap into unimaginable uncertainty that she landed, incredibly, over and over again. And that’s the through line of this book, which shocked me by never turning where I expected and never resting on old narratives of trauma and victimhood. Palmer is a precise and wise storyteller. She takes us with her across the danger. This feels less like a redemption tale and more like a tandem skydive, just as terrifying and just as exhilarating. I can’t believe she pulled it off, but oh, the joy she wrought from this wild life.”—Lacy Crawford, author of Notes on a Silencing

"I read this book in one sitting, hypnotized by Karen Palmer's urgent, fascinating life story and dazzling style. She's Under Here is a genuine tour-de-force, blistering with intelligence and dark wit, as Palmer ruthlessly interrogates the ethics of her past and steers us through the depths. This is an important work of literary art."—Erika Krouse, author of Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation

"Palmer, who flees a violent ex with her children, reinventing herself out of constant fear and necessity, masterfully illustrates that no woman's life is ever only One Thing… Heart-pounding, illuminating, and ominously timeless."

—Gina Frangello, author of Blow Your House Down

Terrific

This is an eye opening true story of abuse, addiction, abduction, and escape.

Listened to the author on Criminal and my interest went from 2 to 10 in a matter of minutes. Karen Palmer has a story to tell that is, at once, common and uncommon, typical and unique. There probably isn’t a woman alive who can read the story with indifference. There are parts that we will all find familiar. I could not stop listening.

At first I doubted that I could listen to this author read her own book. I was wrong. Her midwestern twang (where did she get that?) is perfect for the book and she is the ideal narrator.

Loved every bit. Wonderfully told.

Excellent. Suspenseful.

Gripping. Excellent. I couldn’t put it down. I inhaled the book in one day. Well written.

Powerful and Necessary

Gripping tale of what so many women have faced over the year at the hands and minds of domestic partners, yet one with hope and resources for others in the author’s shoes.

what a story!

a very intriguing, well lived and well told story. highly recommend. this is my review without revealing too much.