Book Review: Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen

There were many strong female characters in this novel including Fran/Beth, Grace, Cindy, and Mrs. Levitt. Fran fled an abusive relationship with her young son. Grace is a spinster who has strong ideals. Cindy is a girl who settled for less than love to escape her upbringing. Mrs. Levitt is a Holocaust survivor who keeps her invalid husband company during his dying days.

Fran leaves her husband Bobby and takes their son Robert to Florida to set up a new life. She is beaten for a very long time before she finally gathers the courage to do so. Her role in this novel is stereotypical because many women continue to stay with abusive husbands. I thought that her being a nurse was not stereotypical because nurses know the signs of abusive men and I felt that she should have left long before she did. It's like she was enclosed in a bubble where as long as she didn't mind the beatings, she could act as if everything was ok and it would be. She couldn't fool her son though. He believed the "I had an accident" story only through a few beatings and then her pain began to show on his face as the stress of living in an abusive home. She had to get him out of there.

Bobby's interaction towards women was stereotypical. Fran recalls their first meeting where Bobby was a smooth talker. Many women say that they were convinced to go out with an abusive man because he was a smooth talker. That smoothness is also a factor in her staying: every time she gets ready to leave him, Bobby taunts her by saying "Who are you gonna call? The cops?" She fears his honey rich voice and knows what tone he will use when he has had a bad day. Bobby's interaction with his mother is confusing. He doesn't invite Fran to Thanksgiving one year (before they are married) because his mother is upset that he sprung it on her. Bobby respects everything his mother does and puts Fran's wants and needs second. The novel isn't entirely sure on whether Bobby's mother was beaten; we know that Bobby was by his father. But that could be the reason Bobby seems to respect his mother more than Fran-if he had to see her be beaten everyday.

Grace, Cindy and Mrs. Levitt all play roles in Grace becoming a more independent woman. Grace is the younger sister who hasn't married and socializes with people from all different backgrounds. Grace is the one Fran runs to when Bobby beats her the last time. They are very close as sisters because of their parents' indifference to them. Cindy is the friend Fran meets when she takes Bobby to school on the first day. They have coffee together, take their children to events together, and confide in each other. If it weren't for Cindy, Fran probably wouldn't have a place in the washed-out Florida town that she flees to. Mrs. Levitt is a strong character because she shows Fran daily that things could always be worse. She is strong for her husband who is bedridden and invalid because he saved her from a concentration camp many years ago during World War II. She talks to him, jokes with him, and watches TV with him pretending that he actually takes an interest. She shows Fran that one must always be strong.

Robert isn't a stereotypical child because he is sullen and moody. He takes after his father in some unfortunate ways such as anger but the reader sees some assets from Fran in him too such as sensitivity. The fact that Robert isn't beaten is non-stereotypical because according to statistics: a man who beats his wife usually beats his children. Overall this book was full of strong characters who helped tell a known tragedy.