Black and Blue : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A Dramatic and Powerful Novel!
Review: After reading this novel I discovered the severity of Domestic abuse and the effect it has on the family. Anna Quindlen used extremely vivid detail in describing the way that Fran Benedetto's husband Bobby beats her. Quindlen continusly is using the most vivid detail in all of her memories of her husband. This book is similiar to most books that I have read in the way that this author goes deep into the life of the characters and portrays their life in detail for all to understand. This topic of domestic abuse is a common topic especailly in this day and age. Too many couples are getting involved in abuse, Anna Quindlen realizes this and shows one woman who escaped the horror and moved her son to Florida under protection. The trials that mother and son go through are very challenging. Suspense is the key to this novel, the fear of Bobby Bendetto finding them and what he would do, even in her memories there is suspense because the detail is so real, "...after he'd grabbed me by the hair, and another time he's pushed me down, and another time, and another." The voice of the character is very strong, Quindlen portrays Fran Bendetto as a weak woman in the beginning and then her courage and strength is built up and by the end she is fearless and capable of anything. I liked this because it showed strong character and showed that Bobby didn't take everything away from her when he beat her. This story is very realistic, it's as I have mentioned, vivid. This makes the novel more powerful and leaves the reader feeling the impact of the abuse. This novel shows the inner spirit in the characters as they grow and change making this a well rounded book for all to enjoy. There is a setting change and is not only a physical relocation but and emotional relocation, this adds to the emotions felt by the characters and even the author's thoughts and feelings are revealed. This novel may be a little too emotional or feeling orientned for some readers. Overall this is an excellent novel.

Rating:
Summary: gripping!
Review: I have enjoyed Anna Quindlen's non-fiction for years, but prior to this I had not read any of her novels. I was not disappointed. This is the story of Fran, a woman who is escaping her abusive marriage with her young son. Fran, a nurse, feels that her husband's violence has escalated to the point where her life is in danger and because he is a police officer the justice system cannot help her. So instead she changes her name and with the assistance of an underground group, creates a new identity. The book is the best when taking about Fran's old life, her new best friend and new boyfriend, do not have the same feel of reality that the characters from her old life, such as the husband, the mother-in-law, and her sister, do. The back of the paperback edition also gave the reader strong hints as to what the ending would be, taking away some of the novel's supsense. On the whole, I like the book and it is my favorite so far of all of Oprah's selections.

Rating:
Summary: Found Truth
Review: I read this book about a year ago, and was deeply tocuhed by the story Quindlen told. I am son of a battered woman and while never witness to the attacks my father inflicted on my mother, this book allowed me to expereince her pain. The book afforded me the opportunity to find the truth behind what it means to be abused, to have one's dignity and self respect stripped from one's being day by day hit by hit verbal barb by verbal barb. The thing that I found most compelling about Quindlen's novel is that she did not conclude the story with a "pretty bow on the box". While it is true that brusies and scars heal, victims of domestic abuse never truly recover from being abused, as the psychological scars stay with them their entire lives. I applaud this book for its honesty, and I found Quindlen's character developemnt of Fran and the exploration of her internal motivations to be very compelling. This is an excellent book for readers who want to know about the impact domestic violence has its victims and the ripple effects the experience of being abused has on victims lives.

Rating:
Summary: Not the usual suspects . . .
Review: My first thought on reading the description of this book was, "Oh, no. Here we go again. Another 'Look at me, I hurt'" type of book. "Abused woman barely escapes." That type of thing. Boy was I wrong! Anna Quindlen has given us a rare look into the life of a victim with "Black and Blue." What might have turned into a made-for-TV-movie type of book in any other author's hands turns to gold in this riveting tale or abuse, dysfunction, and psychological horror. I also initially thought that making the main character's husband a cop was, well, a bit of a cop-out (sorry). But Quindlen manages to bring even this to a new level. This is just a great book and I highly recommend it. Would also recommend another wonderful (though disturbing) book that I recently came across. "The Bark of the Dogwood" by Jackson McCrae. Equally well written and on the same level as this one.

Rating:
Summary: Raw & Riveting
Review: What a fantastic book! From the moment I started to the very ending I did not put it down. Anna Quindlen weaves a complex tale of an abused woman on the run with child from her abusive husband. The plot starts with her escape and proceeds to show us the beginning of a new life for her provided by an agency that helps out women such as herself. The main character Fran/Beth is sympathetic mainly because she seems to be a real human being with flaws just like the rest of us. Her frustration in building the new life and worrying about her son really hits home. I admire the fact that Ms. Quindlen did not sugar coat any aspect of the book and gave us a realistic view as to what it would be in a relationship so horrific as well as the impact it could have for all involved. Definitely recommended if you have a few hours to spare - this book cannot be read in stages for it is impossible to put down.

Rating:
Summary: You can run. But can you hide?
Review: [Warning: a review below by "Drea248" unwittingly divulges a crucial element in the story line. Though a positive review, if you plan on reading this book, avoid the review.]

Anna Quindlan's latest work of fiction "Black and Blue" has the potential to do what few so called "women's books" are able to accomplish, have an intrinsic appeal which serves both genders. This is a story with the ability to be accessible on many levels and that is one of its strengths.

This is a book about women, about children, about men, about the building up and breaking down of relationships, about strength and weakness, about truth, about secrets, about courage, and about trust. It is enlightening, entertaining, and exciting; once started it will be difficult to put down. This is not an easy book to read or forget.

The issues raised, some resolved some not, remind us of the frailties and shortcomings we experience in our own lives. Hopefully the main topic is one with which many are personally unfamiliar. The description of the effort involved to achieve escape velocity from the gravitational pull of an old life is simultaneously interesting and frightening. But can you really escape?

This is the focal point of the story. The day-to-day events of the principal characters as they establish their new lives is beautifully and touchingly developed in every way, you almost forget how the main characters arrived where they are. Present experiences are cleverly woven with past memories throughout the narrative. However, this is a story that also has all of the underlying tension and menace of a good suspense novel, neither of which are ever very far from the surface.