Out of the Woods by Gretchen Shirm review – a compelling reflection on bearing witness

Gretchen Shirm’s *Out of the Woods* explores the complexities of justice and memory through the story of Jess, an Australian woman working as a legal secretary at The Hague during the 2000 UN war crimes tribunal. As she transcribes testimonies from Bosnia’s Bosnian war survivors, Jess grapples with the disconnect between the atrocities and her sanitized records, while also struggling with her growing sympathy for defendant K, a military commander. Intertwined with Jess’s personal traumas—a chaotic childhood, strained relationships, and self-doubt—the novel probes how individual experiences shape our understanding of morality and evil in the face of mass trauma.