I read this to see how the author characterized the phenomenon of domestic violence in mainstream reading given my professional background. She did a pretty good job of discussing the issue.

All the stars! Going on my favorites list of 2022.

Although BLACK AND BLUE is a fictional story, the writer made the events seem real. The content could have been depressing, but hope and the triumph of real, lasting love are the themes that come alive in the book. For a quick meaningful read, this book is a great choice.

Powerful book. While reading it I marveled yet again at Anna Quindlen’s ability to get inside and truly illuminate a main character, especially this one, Fran, a young gal on the run from her abusive husband, Bobby. With her little boy in tow, she gives up everything - her sister, her job, her home and everything familiar in Brooklyn - to build a new life in an apartment in Florida. In Anna’s trusty hands this tale, while harrowing at times, explores all the many layers of living and loving from within the horrors of an abusive marriage, shedding light on the unfathomable courage that it takes to leave and then, to go on living. Always looking over her shoulder and forever fearful that, one day, Bobby, a Brooklyn cop, would find her, Fran forges ahead in Florida making new friends and building a new life. Definitely a page-turner.