Domestic Violence By Gail Davis | Monday, April 06, 2009
You would have to be living under a rock to not know about the recent Chris Brown and Rihanna incident. Larry King, Oprah and everything in between is covering this topic.
Domestic violence is a sad and complicated issue. It’s an issue that never goes away, that people need to keep hearing about.
That’s why we’re proud to represent Leslie Morgan Steiner. Leslie is the author of “Crazy Love” – a new book released on March 28.
Leslie is someone I have truly enjoyed getting to know. From the first moment you meet her, you’re drawn to her warm and open personality. She is attractive and confident. It does not take long to realize how smart she is. Her degrees from Harvard and Wharton come as no surprise.
I first got to know Leslie when her husband was a client. I remember thinking it was so neat that he was so very proud of her. He told me about her shortly after she published her first book, “Mommy Wars.”
“Mommy Wars” is a anthology of essays by women who have struggled making career and parenting choices. When Sarah Palin announced her candidacy for vice president, Leslie was a frequent interview guest on national news outlets sharing the insights she’d gathered on women with children and career decisions. Recently, Leslie made the brave decision to tell the story of her first marriage. A marriage to an abusive husband.
She included me on the select list of people (mostly journalists and book reviewers) who were given a sneak peak. It is among the most well-written, and yet, disturbing books I’ve ever read.
I kept coming back to how perfect the title was “Crazy Love.” Leslie had a way of writing the book so that you can really understand the mindset of a person in an abusive marriage. Love is what kept her from leaving. The details were hard to read, but powerful.
Leslie had no idea when she wrote this book and, subsequently, St. Martin’s Press decided to publish it that the timing would be such that the every living room in America was discussing domestic violence. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing? Because the sad reality is domestic violence is a big problem that reaches farther than any of us can imagine.
I am proud of Leslie for having the courage to tell this story. It can give so many people hope, encouragement and insight. Most of the experts we’ve been hearing on the news recognize that abuse is a pattern. Typically the abuser was abused and their current victims tend to feel shame over sharing their story.
My hope is that Leslie is starting a new pattern – making it okay to talk about the pain so that others can learn and find their way out.
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