1). Author’s Background

Spilled Milk was written by K.L. Randis. She wrote this book to portray her life as a sexually abused child. Although, the main character in the book is named Brooke, the things that happened to her were exactly the things that happened to K.L. Randis when she was a girl.



2). Literary Time Period

The book is based off of little excerpts from her diary, therefore, the book was written in Long Island, New York and Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.



3). Setting

The setting throughout

1). Author’s Background

Spilled Milk was written by K.L. Randis. She wrote this book to portray her life as a sexually abused child. Although, the main character in the book is named Brooke, the things that happened to her were exactly the things that happened to K.L. Randis when she was a girl.



2). Literary Time Period

The book is based off of little excerpts from her diary, therefore, the book was written in Long Island, New York and Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.



3). Setting

The setting throughout the book is mostly Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and Long Island, New York. These are the places where R.L. Randis was raped and molested by her father.



4). Characters

Brooklyn (R.L. Randis)- A strong girl that stood up for herself after years of torment from her father.

David Nolan- The father of Brooklyn (R.L. Randis) that raped and molested her for years.

Molly Nolan- The mother of Brooklyn (R.L. Randis) that was a pill popper and lousy mom.

Gina- The women that was there for Brooke whenever she needed her.



5). Theme

A huge theme in this book is abuse, because Brooke’s father abused her until she felt like she was worthless. The abuse inflicted onto Brooke was terrible and the book expresses it perfectly.



6). Plot Summary

Brooke Nolan is a battered child who makes an anonymous phone call about the escalating brutality in her home. When social services jeopardize her safety condemning her to keep her father’s secret, it’s a glass of spilled milk at the dinner table that forces her to speak about the cruelty she’s been hiding. In her pursuit for safety and justice Brooke battles a broken system that pushes to keep her father in the home. When jury members and a love interest congregate to inspire her to fight, she risks losing the support of family and comes to the realization that some people simply do not want to be saved. Fortunately, she fought through and became the savior of her family. Her coming forward sentenced her dad to up to 16 years in prison.



7). Literary Devices

Foreshadowing is one of the literary devices that is used when R.L. Randis said in the first chapter that her brother nearly drowning is the first of the many secrets she kept for her dad.

The next literary device used in Spilled Milk, is symbolism. In the book when Brooke realized that when her boyfriend’s brother spilt a glass of milk on the table and their father did not hit or shout at him, Brooke realized that her family was not normal.



8). Memorable Quotes

“But you have a damn good voice, and we are going to make it sing.”

Heather, a girl that kept Brooke updated on the case and any other court information, said this when Brooke was beginning to feel like there was no hope winning the case against her father. Fortunately, Heather said just a few words that reassured Brooke that she needed to do this for herself and for other victims.



“I beamed at Gina and stuck my hand out the window as we passed, passionately giving the jail the middle finger.”

This is the narrator speaking after David was convicted for his crimes. It is explaining the excitement that Brooklyn felt when she was set free from her abusive father.

