The text is intended to provide a forum for formerly battered women to inspire other women by relating their struggles, setbacks, triumphs, and continuing challenges and to help other abused women gain fresh perspectives on their situations. The stories are based on extensive interviews with women chosen to reflect a wide range of class, race, age, experience, character, and personality types. The narratives detail with the women's thoughts, feelings, social situations, and values as well as their personal histories. A summary analysis emphasizes the need to watch for warning signs, to tell other people about the abuse, to notice when they are vulnerable, to avoid trying to rescue their partners, to respect themselves, and to act immediately after the first sign of abuse, to create their own help networks, and to create their own environments. Chapter notes.