Rating: 
Summary: Superb Book, Invaluable Resource
Review: This personal account of an abusive marital relationship and the healing, transforming journeying out of it is beautifully written and deeply moving. It is all at once heart-wrenching, inspiring, and empowering, and it offers a message of courage, hope, faith, and love. Michele Weldon effectively puts to rest the many fallacies surrounding domestic violence in our culture, and her story illustrates the fact that willingness/ability to respond to domestic violence and abuse continues to be a major challenge for the church in 2000. I CLOSED MY EYES is an invaluable resource for a variety of contexts today, e.g., in seminary pastoral care & counseling courses, clinical social work degree programs. It should be on the bookshelves of our churches and synagogues, domestic abuse shelters, and public libraries. It would be an enormously good read for medical students and interns in our teaching hospitals across the country who, sadly, get little education and training regarding the complex family and societal issues surrounding domestic violence and abuse. All who minister to or care for people caught in the cycle of domestic violence and abuse will learn from this book.
Rating:
Summary: You'll never think about Domestic Violence in the same way
Review: WARNING: Don't start reading this incredibly compelling story without first setting aside some uninterrupted time, because once you pick it up you won't want to put it down. (I set my alarm for 6:10 AM, just to be sure I could finish it before waking the kids for school.) I will never think about domestic violence in the same way again. I Closed My Eyes revealed so many myths about DV, the abuser and the abused. I am not a victim of DV, yet I found the book incredibly moving and thought provoking. I highly recommend it to all women, regardless of their marital status or situation.
Rating:
Summary: Michele is amazing! Great Book! Very helpful.
Review: When I read this book in manuscript form, I was a few weeks out of a ten year marriage to an abusive man with an alcohol problem. I see a zillion book manuscripts in a year, but this one I read every word, cover to cover, and cried my eyes out. Michele allowed me to become her literary agent, and when we sold this book to Hazelden, the recovery publisher, I had no idea the impact it would make, little by little, in the world. Not only did this book help me, it helped all the people who have been able to read it. I highly recommend it. It deserves all the success it is getting! Congratulations on being on Oprah, Michele. Wendy Keller, ForthWrite Literary Agency, Malibu, CA
Rating:
Summary: A MUST read for all abused women
Review: When I saw the title of this book in the library, I immediately put it back as I did not want to read about myself. But the title echoed home and it called out to me. Once starting this book, I could not put it down and finished it in the wee hours of the morning. I then cried.This is an EXCELLENT book for all women, but especially for those of you who have been abused or are being abused and DO NOT want to look at reality in the eye. If your eyes are closed, like mine were, this book will compassionately and lovinging open them up and empower you. It took me so long to get out of an abusive situation with 3 children, and like Michele's the abuse still continues, even though the divorce is final. Michele portrays in her story that abuse knows no "class" boundaries - it strikes everyone. Yet, why do we wait so long to remove ourselves from these situations? I guess it is an individual answer. I felt many of the emotions and pain and situations that Michele felt and could just relate so very much to her situation. I cannot thank her enough for being brave and bold enough to share her story with women. This is a MUST read for all people involved with helping women in domestic violence situations. This book will OPEN your eyes if they are shut and I encourage you to read this book for your sake or for those of you who know women who are being abused and for some reason cannot or are unable to leave. This book will DEFINITELY help you heal and/or start you on the path of healing. Thank you Michele - I applaud and commend you.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST read for all abused women
Review: When I saw the title of this book in the library, I immediately put it back as I did not want to read about myself. But the title echoed home and it called out to me. Once starting this book, I could not put it down and finished it in the wee hours of the morning. I then cried. This is an EXCELLENT book for all women, but especially for those of you who have been abused or are being abused and DO NOT want to look at reality in the eye. If your eyes are closed, like mine were, this book will compassionately and lovinging open them up and empower you. It took me so long to get out of an abusive situation with 3 children, and like Michele's the abuse still continues, even though the divorce is final. Michele portrays in her story that abuse knows no "class" boundaries - it strikes everyone. Yet, why do we wait so long to remove ourselves from these situations? I guess it is an individual answer. I felt many of the emotions and pain and situations that Michele felt and could just relate so very much to her situation. I cannot thank her enough for being brave and bold enough to share her story with women. This is a MUST read for all people involved with helping women in domestic violence situations. This book will OPEN your eyes if they are shut and I encourage you to read this book for your sake or for those of you who know women who are being abused and for some reason cannot or are unable to leave. This book will DEFINITELY help you heal and/or start you on the path of healing. Thank you Michele - I applaud and commend you.
Rating: 
Summary: Two new awards for the book
Review: Word about the book has been moving very fast around the country. The good news is that the hundreds of women who have written to me at the P.O. Box listed in the book or by e-mail, say they feel empowered and supported as they, too were trapped in violent relationships. The bad news is anyone has to endure that. I was recently awarded the Individual Courage Award 2000 from Rainbow House in Chicago,a domestic violence services agency. I was lucky to be chosen for my book and for my work on the board of directors of Sarah's Inn in Oak Park. I CLOSED MY EYES was chosen as the Non-fiction book winner in the Women's Peacepower Foundation Media Awards 2000. I am enormously appreciative. I will use the cash award for another wonderful organization, Tuesday's Child in Chicago. I realize I am blessed in many ways. What was a frightening time of my life has been transformed to be a tool to help myself and help other victims of domestic violence. Anyone can change her life and rebuild the life of her dreams.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing, powerful, enlightening
Review: WOW, what a great story. It feels weird saying that since violence isn't something you're supposed to describe as "great." Still I couldn't put it down. I've already recommended the book to 5 of my friends.
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