NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Intimate and illuminating and, as is true of most anything Quindlen writes, well worth the read.”—PeopleFor 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 … 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.
Praise for Black and Blue
“Heartbreaking.”—Time
“Beautifully paced—keeps the reader anxiously turning the pages.”—New York Times Book Review
“A gut-wrencher—another stunner.”—Denver Post
“Impossible to put down—the tension is both awful and mesmerizing.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Engrossing—compassionate and tense.”—New York Times
“Her best novel yet.”—Publishers Weekly
“Absolutely believable—Quindlen writes with power and grace.”—Boston Globe
“A moving masterpiece.”—Lexington Herald-Leader
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Very difficult to read
Jumped all over
Sad ending
Difficult read at times about spousal abuse. Yet educational.
Well written; good, if not entirely realistic story; predictable ending.
Well written interesting characters. Believable circumstances.
One of the best books I’ve ever read. I still think about the characters.
Slow read, boring. Ending was unpredictable but Ioverall I was disappointed.
A family law attorney could provixs a different outcome in 2017. Law has progressed since book was written.
It dealt with the difficult subject of physical abuse and what people will go thru to get out of that particular situation.
Boring
Really enjoyed, felt it was a true story!
it was excellent
Was just the right story for the day. Nice flow.
I have lived the life she portrays in all its horror.
This is a difficult subject and a realistic story about domestic abuse. I wanted a different ending, but was gripped by the story.
I listened to this book through audible. Great listen!
Read several years ago. Still remember it
I was interested in how the father’s actions affected the son’s world.
The story was not realistic since the author obviously has not experienced the subject of her story. Fleeing an abusive spouse is very hard. Often so many go back time and time again. The information for contacting help to flee would have been a good option for the book. It is pretty certain that there will be readers or relatives reading this book who could use the information to help themselves get free. In my experience as a counselor in a homeless shelter, usually children of abusive fathers who observed the abuse turn around and abuse their own abused parent unless they get help and turn themselves around. Therefore the abused wife is not safe when she goes away with her children who have viewed her abuse and seen her take it, as her adult children come back and abuse her later. What woman can make a complete break from her children!! That is very hard. I have seen such women change their names and only use PO box addresses in a different town to keep from being stalked and abused by their own sons and daughters.
I down loaded this by accident, I started reading it at night after I had finished another book. I picked it up again the next day and from then on I felt like I knew these people and wanted to know what happened. What a GREAT book.
The characters were real and the story a nail biter. A lot of women can relate to a wife-beater but cannot find the way out of the relationship until the damage is done and someone has to step in to help. The ending was not what a lot of readers might want but it was realistic. Good novel.