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tildahlia's review
5.0
An incredible book that genuinely unpacks the taboos and complexities of family violence in ways that few thoughtful thinkers and writers have been yet to do. The content is devastating and confronting, but we can't afford to sanitise the bleak and terrifying realities of far too many women and children. The chapter on the family law system is particularly alarming. Accessible and readable but supported by robust data and analysis, this is a book that everyone should read.
punkinmuffin's review
5.0
Every single person working in media, law enforcement, primary healthcare, education, the justice system, community services and above all politicians should read this book. Every. Single. One of you.
In Australia, about once a week, women are being killed by their current or former intimate partners. Uncounted numbers more are enduring assault, degradation and humiliation, having their freedom to go about their lives taken away, and their children are suffering horrifically. Even if a woman manages to leave the home where the abuse occurs, she usually faces even more suffering and loss because our system is broken. Jess Hill has created something extraordinary: a forensic analysis of domestic abuse in Australia; what it looks like; the conditions that allow it to flourish, the horrific toll it takes on victims and the wider community, and how to fix it.
We can do this. We can make it better.
In Australia, about once a week, women are being killed by their current or former intimate partners. Uncounted numbers more are enduring assault, degradation and humiliation, having their freedom to go about their lives taken away, and their children are suffering horrifically. Even if a woman manages to leave the home where the abuse occurs, she usually faces even more suffering and loss because our system is broken. Jess Hill has created something extraordinary: a forensic analysis of domestic abuse in Australia; what it looks like; the conditions that allow it to flourish, the horrific toll it takes on victims and the wider community, and how to fix it.
We can do this. We can make it better.
kay_soy's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Engaging writing, stacked with an amazing amount of credible evidence backing just about every word. Everyone should read this, it's as simple as that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Death, Suicide, Murder, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
gabrielle_erin's review
4.0
This book unpacks this intricacies of the domestic violence crisis in Australia in more detail than I ever imagined existed. I was especially intrigued by Hill's commentary surrounding the relationship between violence and shame and how our patriachal society perpetuates and exacerbates this issue. Hill also expertly explores the complexities of Indigenous violence and the innovative approaches that police have taken to resolve these issues in communities where women and children are most affected. This book was a huge influence in my education about the domestic violence crisis and I will be recommending it to anyone who wants (or needs) to become more informed about this important issue.
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Rape, and Gaslighting
nix_jinx's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Extraordinarily important and thorough investigation into the complex issue of domestic abuse. I want every first responder and politician to read it. More than that, I want them to understand it.
gabmc's review
5.0
On average one woman is killed in Australia each week by a domestic partner (either former or current). This book is a must read for anyone concerned about the safety of women and children. It has been meticulously researched over a four year period and is incredibly readable. Jess Hill has won several major awards for this book and I can see why. She starts the book with an explanation of the so-called "Stockholm syndrome" and then goes on to compare prisoners of war with victims of abuse - as it seemed to her and to many working in the domestic violence sector that perpetrators of abuse, violence and coercive control were operating from the same handbook. She then examines several cases of families living in what she calls "The Underground". There are chapters on 'The Abusive Mind', 'Shame' and 'Patriarchy'. Although the majority of domestic violence is perpetrated by men against women, she presents a balanced view and documents some cases where the woman uses violence. The extremely sad state of affairs is the level of violence directed at indigenous women and Hill explains that this is not 'tribal law' as some have proposed - but rather an awful inheritance from British colonialists. The last chapter outlines strategies to fix the problem so I was left with a feeling of hope. This is one of the best books I've read in a while.
pennyalice's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.75
evabails's review
5.0
It took me months to finish this book - it was a very hard read, upsetting but so important. I agree with the sentiment that this book should be required reading. Devastating and eye opening.