The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Crawford, Lacy. Notes on a Silencing. Little, Brown and Company, 2020.

Lacy Crawford's memoir Notes on a Silencing is Crawford's first person account of the sexual assault she survived at St. Paul's School, or SPS, in Concord, New Hampshire as a teenager. While the memoir does not entirely follow a linear structure, the following summary recounts Crawford's experiences from childhood through her SPS graduation, and beyond.

As a girl, Crawford grew up the daughter of wealthy parents in Chicago, Illinois. The summer after eighth grade, Crawford experienced her first bout with depression. After approaching her mother about her emotional and psychological experience, her mother found her a doctor, who prescribed her Prozac.

As an advanced student, Crawford entered the elite boarding school, St. Paul's, as a sophomore. Though she knew it was a privilege to attend such an esteemed establishment, Crawford had trouble orienting during her first year. She begged her parents to leave. They reminded her of the future a St. Paul's education promised, and insisted she stay.

Crawford's second year began differently. She felt more comfortable on campus. She was in both her academics and athletics, and had found a new group of close friends through her sports teams. One night, in October of the same year, she received a call from a senior boy named Rick. Rick insisted he needed her help, begging her to come over. Believing he was in emotional distress, Crawford snuck out of her room and arrived at his dorm. Once there, she was confused to discover Rick and his roommate, Taz, undressed on the bed. The boys then forced her down, and violently penetrated her throat. Believing she would be discovered by the boys' advisor, and blamed, Crawford did not fight back.

In the days following, she chose to remain silent about what happened. She was terrified of what people would think of her. She was also convinced that she might lose her place at the school. Word soon spread of the encounter, and Crawford's peers began harassing her. Believing her innocence had already been stolen, she began engaging in other sexual activities as a means of reasserting her authority over her body.

By the spring of Crawford's second year, she could no longer bear the silence she had chosen. She was physically ill and emotionally distraught. Finally, she called her mother and revealed the truth of what Rick and Taz had done to her. Her mother called the school, and Crawford left for the summer.

Over the course of summer break, Crawford's parents communicated constantly with the SPS rectors. Rather than finding grace or justice, the Crawfords were met with hostile threats. SPS promised to expose Crawford as a sexually promiscuous drug abuser and dealer, if her family did not drop the issue. Because her devout Christian parents were ashamed that their daughter had had sexual encounters outside the assault, they agreed, never mentioning the issue again.

During her final year at St. Paul's, Crawford suffered constant shame. The school had invaded her medical files, and spread distorted versions of her story to faculty and students. Through the kindness of a few friends and teachers, Crawford eventually survived the year, and graduated.

For years following her graduation, Crawford tried creating a life undefined by her experiences at SPS. However, when she heard that the State of New Hampshire had opened an investigation into the school, she contacted Concord detectives and shared her story. Determined to protect their reputation, the school silenced Crawford, and the investigation was closed. Crawford decided to write Notes on a Silencing as a means of reclaiming her voice, and control over her own narrative.