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johnirving[Editor's note: The following is a reprint of our 2005 interview with John Irving, whose new novel, Last Night in Twisted River, has just come out... Continue »
  1. $19.60 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

If I Am Missing or Dead: A Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation

by Janine Latus

If I Am Missing or Dead: A Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation Cover

ISBN13: 9780743296533
ISBN10: 0743296532
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

Only 1 left in stock at $8.95!

Synopses & Reviews

Review:

"At age 37, Janine Latus's younger sister, Amy, was strangled to death by her live-in boyfriend, bundled in a plastic tarp and buried beside a remote country road. It was a wretched end to a too-short life, one frequently marked by disappointment, sadness and struggle. In the hands of a less gifted writer, Amy's story might stand only as an encomium or a cautionary tale: a glimpse into the life of one abused woman, representative of thousands like it. But Latus weaves a double strand. Part memoir, part biography, the book (which grew out of an article in O Magazine) explores Latus's own relationships with abusive men — and her eventual emancipation from a marriage riven by emotional and physical violence. Latus has a spare, economical style, softened by an undercurrent of humor and marked by a total absence of self-pity. When on a ski vacation, a boyfriend brutally beats her, breaking several of her ribs and her nose — and then makes love to her, in a twisted form of penance — Latus doesn't wince in the retelling. She lets ambiguities and contradictions abide: she loved her husband, even as he humiliated and hurt her. Had things been slightly different, she seems to say, she — and not Amy — might have perished at the hands of her partner. Unforgettable, unsentimental and profoundly affecting, Latus's book resonates long after the final page is turned." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"From the first line I was captured and couldn't put the book down. In these pages is the echo of so many other stories I have known. You may have known Amy. You might have been Amy. I could have been Amy. For anyone trapped in the maddening internal banter that justifies another's sinister actions, read this book. You will walk taller from these pages. A story of heartbreak and liberation."

-- Julie Gregory, author of Sickened

Review:

"Janine Latus' memoir of domestic abuse depicts two life journeys: Janine's own escape from a violent boyfriend and her sister's tragic death at the hands of one. Both stories are powerful cautionary tales that shine a bright light into the darkness of domestic abuse. There are no heroes here — just real people whose bravely told stories could save lives."

-- Betsy Lerner, Author of Food and Loathing

About the Author

Janine Latus is a freelance writer, radio commentator, and regular speaker on domestic abuse issues. She has also taught writing and journalism at several universities and is on the board of directors of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She lives in Virginia. If I Am Missing or Dead is her first book.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
cbandbcox, June 22, 2007 (view all comments by cbandbcox)
In her book, If I Am Missing Or Dead, Janine Latus lets the reader witness her pain, struggle, loves, fears and transformation. She lights a fire whose flame burns with heartfelt emotion and honesty and with a perspective that is insightful.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(5 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)

Product Details

ISBN:
9780743296533
Subtitle:
A Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation
Author:
Latus, Janine
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Subject:
General
Subject:
Women
Subject:
United states
Subject:
Abused women
Subject:
Personal Memoirs
Subject:
Abuse - General
Subject:
Abused women -- United States.
Subject:
Latus, Janine
Edition Description:
Picture book
Publication Date:
April 2007
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
308
Dimensions:
9.25 x 6.125 in
Children's Book Type:
Picture / Wordless

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