Ease Reading-Find Your Next Favorite Book

Hot Search

Black and Blue

anna quindlen

... Show More
For eighteen years, Fran Benedetto kept her secret. And hid her bruises. And 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. And in this place she uses a name that isn't hers, and cradles her son in her arms, 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. Because Bobby always said he would never let her go. And despite the flawlessness of her escape, Fran Benedetto is certain of one thing: It is only a matter of time...

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1,1998
Literary awards
orange prize, 
Places
florida, 

This edition

Format
288 pages, Paperback
Published
August 25, 2010 by Delta Publishing
ISBN
9780385333139
ASIN
0385333137
Language
English

More editions

About the author

Profile Image for anna quindlen

anna quindlen

... Show More
Anna Marie Quindlen is an American author, journalist, and opinion columnist.
Her New York Times column, Public and Private, won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1992. She began her journalism career in 1974 as a reporter for the New York Post. Between 1977 and 1994 she held several posts at The New York Times. Her semi-autobiographical novel One True Thing (1994) served as the basis for the 1998 film starring Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger.

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
29(29%)
4 stars
34(34%)
3 stars
37(37%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
100 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
aguecheek
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
Eh. This story had a pretty good build-up, but given the extremely anti-climactic ending of this book, I just could not bring myself to give it higher than 2.5 stars, which is a shame because much of the story was strong, with the mom/main character trying to put her life back together after escaping an abusive husband, but there was no sense of justice or vindication by the time I finally finished the story.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
zZJoennZz
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
The description of domestic abuse is authentic and the story itself is decent (as is the writing). Outside of that, there isn't anything particularly groundbreaking or outstanding. I also wanted a different ending, but I guess I see what the writer was going for.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Hero49
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
I thought this book did a pretty good job describing what domestic violence can look like and how it can impact children. I did feel bad for Fran and Robby at times, but I also felt that the author inaccurately captured the feelings of fear Fran must have had, because I've read other books that mention a woman never forgets the fear and even small things will bring back the fear.
I liked how the book went from the past to the present as I found the past helped to give Fran a background and allowed me to understand what she might have been thinking. That said, I wish the book had ended differently and was a bit disappointed with the ending.
Overall, I thought this was a well-written book that did a good job at depicting a violent relationship but the ending left a lot to be desired.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Asddds
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
"I stayed because I thought things would get better. I stayed because I wanted my son to have a father" I stayed because I wanted a home. I stayed because I loved Bobby."

This book is a MUST read for anyone that says "Whys don't they just leave?", often said without compassion or understanding.

I worked for a large Domestic Violence agency for many years and I have talked, safety planned and sat and listened to many women (and some men) in these situations. The answer to the question, "Why don't they just leave", is never an easy answer. It is never black and white. It is never something that unless you have lived it, that you can fully understand or judge.

This is just one window into a situation, but it is a good and clear window.
Read it, maybe it will help you understand, maybe help you recognize it in someone else, or at the very least maybe make you less likely to say, "Why don't they just leave?"

0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
OshieteOshiete2
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
I just started reading Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen. I haven't finished it quite yet but so far it is amazing. So far Fran Benedetto has escaped a life of abuse and neglect. Fran has a 10 year old son named Robert. Once Robert was old enough to talk he would ask him mom how she hurt herself.
He would wake up every morning to find a new mark or welt or cut on his moms face. What Fran didn't tell Robert was that his daddy had beaten her.
Bobby (the dad) was a firefighter for New York. Fran met Bobby at a bar. She says he made her feel alive. After they got married and had Robert the beating got worse. So she left her old life behind. She left her husband her job in the ER even her identity. She cut off all her red hair and dyed it blonde.
She changed her name completely but only changed Robert's last name. She was now Elizabeth Crenshaw from a small town in Delaware.
Robert and her escaped with the help of Patty Bancroft and her women, her secret women. They now live in Florida and Robert is now starting a new school.
She just got a job as an assistant for Home care. Beth lives in an apartment with her son. He has made a new friend, his next door neighbor Bennie.
This book is just getting interesting and I can't wait to finish the book.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
matt___h__
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
A resolution of mine for 2013 was to read books by authors new to me. I have several favorite writers, and I concentrate much of my reading on their works. I had heard of Anna Quindlen over the years, but had never read anything by her. I picked up this paperback in a Goodwill store. Even though I believed that it was primarily directed toward a female readership, I thought it sounded interesting and decided to buy and read it. I retired after working twenty-four years as a police dispatcher, so I am all too aware of the problems of domestic abuse. I found "Black and Blue" to be an amazing work by an amazing writer. Quindlen has done a tremendous job in showing the many and varied things that abused women endure. The characters were very genuine and believable. In fact, at times I had to remind myself that it was a novel I was reading. I am so glad that I read this book, not just as a diversion from my usual novels and authors, but as a work which has reminded me anew what a terrible thing domestic abuse really is. This book has been out for several years, but if you have never read it, I heartily recommend that you do.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Kurahma
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
... Show More
3.5 stars for Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen.

Black and Blue is about Fran Benedetto who flees an emotionally and physically abusive marriage with her son, Robert. Fran's husband, Bobby is controlling, manipulative, and downright nasty to her, and after a particularly severe beating, she has had enough so she takes off.

The plot then relates what happens to Fran and Robert after they are relocated. It is a story of survival, of standing up for one's self, of new beginnings, and of hope for better things in life.

The characters were well developed and believable. I sympathized for Fran and Robert. Bobby Benedetto was well portrayed as the evil, hateful, abusive, drut of a husband. I also enjoyed the other characters like Mike, Cindy, and Mrs. Levitt. All played important roles in the story and they were all interesting characters.

Setting was also well done and Quindlen had quality descriptions that helped me visualize where the characters were and again, it all felt realistic.

So, overall, Black and Blue has a lot going for it and it is a believable story about escaping an abusive relationship. It hit a lot of nerves and some parts of the story made me uncomfortable but that is okay. Sometimes that is what a good book is all about - getting out of your comfort zone a little bit!
0 0 Reply
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.