The Burning Bed by Faith McNulty
From Library Journal
The deeply moving and shocking biography of a battered wife who, after years of enduring torture at the hands of her husband, killed him rather than be killed and was acquitted. The basis of the TV movie starring Farrah Fawcett, this book brought attention to the problem over a decade ago and remains in print.
This was an incredible story and, sadly enough, it's a true one. This was the life of an abused wife (Francine Hughes) who was so browbeaten that she could not leave the situation. Her abusive husband would follow her from house to house and threaten to kill her should she ever try to leave. This abuse was extensive and it occurred daily. It was hard reading the graphic passages but I can imagine that Francine suffered more going through the actual beatings.
The book goes into detail about Francine's childhood and her early married life. Thus, the reader has some understanding of what might have led her to marry this man.
I cannot imagine my friends or I tolerating physical abuse. But, most of us have support systems in place such as friends and family to whom we can go if things become rough. Francine had no such support system. She had a pansy of a mother who was also abused and who did not deal well with problems. Her inlaws sided with their son, Mickey, and blamed Francine for the beatings. Francine also did not have friends to whom she could turn; her husband made sure of that.
I am glad that she killed him - that's one less abuser in the world. However, she is such a good person that she does regret very much doing this. I would have never looked back on regrets toward an evil person. He abused not only his wife but also his pets. It's a wonder that he never hit his four children.
Anyhow, I highly recommend this book. It might be out of print. I bought my copy at a library sale. However, many libraries should stock the book and one can find it at on line at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.
The deeply moving and shocking biography of a battered wife who, after years of enduring torture at the hands of her husband, killed him rather than be killed and was acquitted. The basis of the TV movie starring Farrah Fawcett, this book brought attention to the problem over a decade ago and remains in print.
This was an incredible story and, sadly enough, it's a true one. This was the life of an abused wife (Francine Hughes) who was so browbeaten that she could not leave the situation. Her abusive husband would follow her from house to house and threaten to kill her should she ever try to leave. This abuse was extensive and it occurred daily. It was hard reading the graphic passages but I can imagine that Francine suffered more going through the actual beatings.
The book goes into detail about Francine's childhood and her early married life. Thus, the reader has some understanding of what might have led her to marry this man.
I cannot imagine my friends or I tolerating physical abuse. But, most of us have support systems in place such as friends and family to whom we can go if things become rough. Francine had no such support system. She had a pansy of a mother who was also abused and who did not deal well with problems. Her inlaws sided with their son, Mickey, and blamed Francine for the beatings. Francine also did not have friends to whom she could turn; her husband made sure of that.
I am glad that she killed him - that's one less abuser in the world. However, she is such a good person that she does regret very much doing this. I would have never looked back on regrets toward an evil person. He abused not only his wife but also his pets. It's a wonder that he never hit his four children.
Anyhow, I highly recommend this book. It might be out of print. I bought my copy at a library sale. However, many libraries should stock the book and one can find it at on line at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.