The premise of this book is lovely, but the fact of it is much less so. More than half of the text is devoted to detailing the heinous acts of aggression against a wife who chooses to stay with her abuser. A reader’s expectation is for some description of domestic violence, but the author chooses to go into grotesque detail. This does no great service to the reader nor, does it help one to understand the underlying psychological reasons for remaining in such an awful situation.

It is fairly difficult to relate to a person who decides to stay with a man who beats her with a golf club while she’s pregnant with his child, or who is not using her common sense when a member of the clergy (in this case a Latter Day Saints bishop) advises her and her six children to remain in such a relationship. The narrator is unreliable, and in such a book as this, it’s imperative that a reader be able to trust the narrator.

When the wife does finally move away from her abuser, her family has been decimated, her children are volatile and mentally ill, and she is unable to take the most basic care of herself. What a tragic little tale, and probably not the brightest example of teaching those who are in similar situations how to emulate self-care and practice positive examples for their children.

However much I appreciate the attempt at educating those who’ve been involved in abusive relationships and are on the difficult path to healing from domestic violence, I would recommend reading a different text for needed inspiration. This one is far too harsh in its graphic descriptions and could benefit from a good edit.