Summary of If You Tell by Gregg Olsen

This book provides a detailed summary of the true crime book If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bonds of Sisterhood by Gregg Olson. Gregg Olson divides his book into parts, which divide the life of Shelly Knotek by the events that happened during different times in her life. At its core, If You Tell is the chilling true story of how three Knotek sisters, as well as their cousin-turned-brother Shane, dealt and lived with the abusive Shelly, and Dave, the passive husband who carried out his wife's commands. Throughout their young lives, the sisters and Shane faced severe physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of their mother. After the abuse took place, Shelly would become a loving mother, and claim that she was helping her children. A tactic of Shelly's was to act like a loving, caring mother so that her children would put up with the abuse in order to "earn" some happy moments with Shelly. If You Tell is the retelling of grotesque events, and also delves into Shelly's childhood, showing that Shelly was always an abusive, vile person, without any remorse or responsibility for her actions. Finally, If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood shows how Shelly Knotek faced justice for the crimes she committed. In a happy ending, Olsen shows how the abuse they faced throughout their lives brought the sisters closer and strengthened their bond. Gregg Olson recounts the events in detail, never shying away from the bad or grotesque actions of Shelly Knotek. That is what makes it all the more satisfying when Shelly finally has to face justice at the end. The reader is left with a sense of justice, and with empathy for the sisters. Disclaimer: This is a summary and not the original book.