I think it's almost easier to find truth in fiction than in non-fiction. The purpose of non-fiction is to teach, to change your mind or to guide your thinking. I find that most of us learn, change our minds and think more deeply when we're not being told to do so. And that's where fiction comes in; fiction isn't technically real. But it's the easiest way many of us will ever find to understand the world around us on a more complex level, to witness life from perspectives far removed from our own comfort zone, and to delve more deeply into our personal convictions as we witness the acts of strangers on the written page and discover we didn't know ourselves quite as well as we may have thought.
That being said, every now and then I stumble upon a non-fiction title that really pulls me in and makes me listen to what it has to say. Due to my upcoming YA book release dealing with teen dating violence, I recently received a copy of a non-fiction book introducing new perspectives on the decades old discussion of domestic violence. It offers a honest and truthful portrayal of not just several case studies, but the author's own personal history of what she terms "intimate partner violence." It was good to see such a frank portrayal of the widely varying domestic violence circumstances prevalent in our society and to read the clear, concise text that challenges some of the accepted notions of domestic violence.
The book is titled Violent Partners: A Breakthrough Plan for Ending the Cycle of Abuse by Linda G. Mills, J.D., Ph.D, a lawyer and social worker with a personal connection to the issue. I hope Linda's theories and practices continue to benefit those who are caught in relationships with violent partners. Her up front portrayal of the problems with the current system results in a productive urge to change and evolve rather than the typical pointless rant without any suggested solutions. I hope her ideas continue to make a difference as they offer further options to stop the violence once and for all.
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