▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia . ▁She ▁also ▁co - author ed ▁a ▁book ▁about ▁parent ing ▁sh y ▁children ▁with ▁Dr . ▁Ward ▁Sw allow . ▁ ▁Young ▁adult ▁nov els ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁F arr ar , ▁Stra us ▁and ▁Gir oux ▁published ▁her ▁best - known ▁novel ▁to ▁date , ▁Spe ak . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Best s eller , ▁and ▁was ▁adapted ▁into ▁film ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁st arring ▁Krist en ▁Stewart ▁as ▁Mel inda ▁S ord ino . ▁The ▁novel ▁became ▁a ▁final ist ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Book ▁Award ▁and ▁won ▁Anderson ▁hon ors ▁for ▁its ▁port ray al ▁of ▁a ▁th ir teen - year - old ▁girl ▁who ▁becomes ▁m ute ▁after ▁a ▁sexual ▁assault . ▁The ▁paper back ▁version ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁by ▁P uff in ▁Books , ▁an ▁im print ▁of ▁P engu in ▁Publishing . ▁Spe ak ▁has ▁been ▁translated ▁into ▁ 1 6 ▁languages . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Anderson ▁admitted ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁ra ped ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁th ir teen ▁years ▁old , ▁and ▁the ▁novel ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁her ▁experience . ▁Anderson ▁later ▁wrote ▁a ▁mem oir , ▁Sh out , ▁about ▁her ▁life ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁te en ager , ▁including ▁details ▁of ▁her ▁ra pe ▁and ▁the ▁tra uma ▁she ▁faced ▁after ward . ▁  ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁after ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁F