This year, our theme is “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.” The idea that you can’t understand someone (and shouldn’t judge them) until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes is a pretty common sentiment. And research has shown that reading fiction is one way to really get such a walk going. So, that’s what we are going to do this year: use fiction (and some nonfiction when we just can’t resist) to take walks in someone’s shoes. We hope you join our journey. For October, our theme is domestic violence.
Paula Sharp’s novel Crows Over a Wheatfield is about a Wisconsin judge named Melanie, whose abusive childhood informs her own work. She ends up befriending an activist named Mildred, who has a much more radical approach when the judicial system fails.
In Susan Wiggs’s The Oysterville Sewing Circle, protagonist Caroline returns to her small hometown in Washington State, with two children who are not her own in tow. They’re her friends’ children and the victims of domestic violence. As she works to reintegrate herself into the world she left behind, she forms a women’s support group and learns she’s not the only one dealing with heavy secrets.
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple remains as compelling and devastating as when it was first released over 40 years ago. It chronicles the story of 2 African American sisters, Celie and Nettie, through letters that also document Celie’s growing sense of identity and independence, despite the horrific abuse she’s endured.
The previous novels are more geared toward adults, but for YA novels that also delve into domestic violence, Sarah Dessen’s Dreamland is highly recommended for its realistic depiction of the topic. Reeling from family problems, Caitlin finds what she thinks is solace in her new boyfriend Rogerson. She soon learns, though, that being with him is worse than being without him.
Deb Caletti’s Stay is another YA novel that’s received a lot of acclaim for its sensitive, thoughtful depiction of domestic violence. Like Caitlin with Rogerson in Dreamland, Clara in Stay is initially swept off her feet by the charismatic Christian. However, she soon realizes that there’s a dark side to his affections.
Sara B. Pierce’s On a Dark, Dark Night is a gentle book that addresses the topic of domestic violence for younger children. Cub’s friends Moose and Eagle help him after he sees his father hitting his mother.
If you’d rather read nonfiction, Rachel Louise Snyder’s No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us debunks common myths in an accessible book that’s well-written and well-researched. Snyder interweaves chilling real stories with data and research.
Let Me Love You Through It by Amberlee Hoagland is also nonfiction but focuses on first-person accounts of both male and female domestic violence survivors. The details can be disturbing, but all of the stories are ultimately inspirational as they document how the victims were ultimately able to escape their situations.
If you live in Berryville or Carroll County and need resources, assistance, or support due to domestic violence–or know someone who needs them–please call or text The Purple Flower at 1-479-981-1676. You can also reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline from anywhere in the United States at 1-800-799-7233.
What’s the best book you’ve read about domestic violence? What have you read lately that helped you walk in someone else’s shoes? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information on any of these items or to place them on hold.
Berryville Book Buzz 