NCJ Number
197301
Date Published
2002
Length
236 pages
Annotation
This autobiographical account of a battered woman's (Lavon Morris-Grant) experiences, thoughts, feelings, and coping behaviors is intended to help other women, especially African-American women and women of color, to know that others share in their struggles for identity and that it is possible to have a better life.
Abstract
The book opens with a personal recounting of the events and relational dynamics associated with a separation and attempted reunion between Lavon and her husband Herby. In the course of the anger, conflict, and frustration of an attempted reunion after the separation, Herby shot and wounded Lavon and then killed himself. The book then turns to Lavon's recollections of what brought her, her husband, and her children to this tragic outcome, which was preceded by a happy courtship and high hopes when she and Herby married. She reviews her perceptions and feelings associated with a deteriorating and abusive relationship in which control issues began to dominate the marriage. A series of abusive incidents led to Lavon and her children seeking refuge in a shelter for battered women, followed by attempts to make the marriage work. Herby, however, resisted any change in his life or marital relationship, and a trial separation ensued, followed by the tragic events of the attempted reunion. The book details Lavon's experiences in finding the resources to recover from her wound, deal with the death of her husband, and build a life with her children in the aftermath of their father's death. She discusses the failings of a "governmental, bureaucratic system that has little regard for women and their children, and holds us accountable for our partners' abusive and controlling behaviors;" and she shares her story in the hope that "it will educate, empower other women...to know that they are not alone in their everyday struggles for identity, and that it is possible for them to discover their own voices, tell their stories, and claim their freedom, no matter their experiences or ages."