The book describes the background and events that led to the breakup of a violent marriage, followed by persistent and continuous death threats from her ex-husband Sam. A description of the dynamics of the physical abuse and the marital relationship in the context of Sam's violent behavior encompasses confusion, remorse, isolation, secrecy, denial, and minimization of the abuse. Death threats followed the separation and divorce, until Beth shot and killed Sam while he was brutally assaulting her in her apartment. Beth's subsequent mishandling by the police, the military, a mental health professional, and the welfare system illustrates how abused women can face further revictimization and neglect by the systems that should provide support and assistance. Commentaries written by experts in the field follow Beth's story and provide insight into the causes and processes of spousal abuse, why battered women stay in a violent marriage, and the dynamic consequences of domestic violence. 111 references