I've been working on the galleys of the fourth book in the Kiki Lowenstein series--Make, Take, Murder. The theme of this book is domestic abuse. I drew on a situation I heard about when I lived in Illinois. A prominent man was abusing his wife, and because the town was small, other professionals helped keep that dirty little secret. Eventually, the woman started shoplifting. I believe it was a way to call attention to herself and embarrass her husband.
I don't know whatever finally happened. I hope someone helped her. I hope that someone reached out to her.
With that as the starting point for this book, I really wanted my efforts to make a difference. One in every three women in our country will be the victim of domestic abuse in her lifetime. Battering is the major cause of injury to women ages fourteen to forty-five.
There are many good women's shelters in this country, but I have long made donations to Lydia's House. Friday, after working all day on Make, Take, Murder, I sent them a check for $500. More will come as the book is published and I make some royalties. When I talked to one of the staff at Lydia's House, I acknowledged that $500 isn't a lot of money. She told me, "The fact you are calling attention to the problem, and to our organization is worth more than you know."
I sure hope so.
5 comments:
I'm looking forward to reading the next book. Hidden domestic abuse in a small town happens more than one would believe. Sadly, the women (and often children as well) who are abused are sometimes treated horribly by the people around them when they do speak up. It's a very difficult thing to overcome.
Sometimes it's not hidden, but has been documented over and over. That's partly the case with my cousin's daughter. Unfortunately, he was allowed to stay "free" until the worst happened; yes, he murdered her and another male friend of hers. It makes me so angry that "the system" fails so wretchedly sometimes. Thank goodness for the times that it works!
Yes, CMOM, the most dangerous time for victims of abuse is once they leave the abuser. It's a terrible dilemma.
Signlady, oh my gosh. Please accept my deepest sympathies. This is such a difficult situation, but thankfully some of the laws have changed and society is more aware. However, it does seem that law enforcement often takes too long to put abusers behind bars, doesn't it? What happened to the killer?
Women who are abused often blame themselves usually because they are told by their abusers they are at fault in some way. Perpetrators of abuse are notorious for not taking responsibility for their behavior. It is as if they think they have a right to treat their partners any way they want. I have encountered this often in my role as a counselor and I have written about this and can be found at:www.domesticabusenotyourfault.com
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