Thursday, September 16, 2010

84. Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen

While looking at Amazon, I saw some description of Black and Blue on the site and decided to give it a try. I also saw it was an Oprah Book Club pick and I never read any of her picks (at least I don't think I have) so that made me a bit more curious. It was a tough book to read and difficult to handle but good. I give it a B+.


From Amazon:

For eighteen years Fran Benedetto kept her secret, hid her bruises. She stayed with Bobby because she wanted her son to have a father, and because, in spite of everything, she loved him. Then one night, when she saw the look on her ten-year-old son’s face, Fran finally made a choice—and ran for both their lives.Now she is starting over in a city far from home, far from Bobby. In this place she uses a name that isn’t hers, watches over her son, and tries to forget. For the woman who now calls herself Beth, every day is a chance to heal, to put together the pieces of her shattered self. And every day she waits for Bobby to catch up to her. Bobby always said he would never let her go, and despite the ingenuity of her escape, Fran Benedetto is certain of one thing: It is only a matter of time.


It was so tough to read about the abuse of Fran and how she finally decides to leave her husband. Having to forgo all of her family and friends to get be safe. My heart was pounding at time when the thought of her husband, Bobby, would track her down. While the ending was a bit disappointing, it was realistic. Sometimes I like to read to escape real life, but I can see why the author chose to go that route. A very interesting, but tough, read.

1 comment:

stacybuckeye said...

I read this when it first came out and found it hard to read, though powerful too.