I picked this off the shelf at one of my local libraries and it's a great book for abused women and/or children. Very educational and I liked how the author included her own experiance and was able to rise to such a position to help others. There needs to be more shelters like SafePlace all over the US! They seem to very successful with that project! ( )

I was disappointed by this book - I am a board member for our local women's shelter, and I guess that I expected more of a self-help book for women who were dealing with domestic violence, or a book that was more professional, for folks in the field. What I got was an ill-organized amalgam of both, more like a memoir than a professional book, and more about creating a shelter than about dealing with domestic violence recovery. This book tries to be too many things - a semi-academic review of issues in domestic violence, a self-help manual, and a startup manual for shelters: it succeeds at none of its goals. Sorry, folks, but I'd say skip this one. ( )

I did not know what to expect from this book, but I found it to be a very interesting and intriguing read. White addresses many different aspects of domestic violence that I have never even thought about, from the point of view of both a survivor and a shelter administrator. I feel this book would be a great read for anyone working or volunteering in a shelter, or anyone in a counseling related field. Some of the chapters about running and designing a shelter would seem irrelevant to someone reading this to overcome their own abusive situation, but it could be a useful read nonetheless. ( )

Overall, I found A Safe Place For Women engaging, informative, and moving. As a survivor of intimate partner violence with a bit of experience with domestic violence shelters, I found a lot in this book that either resonated with my previous experience or showed me new perspectives I had never considered.

That being said, I do have some minor criticisms of the book. Its subject matter is a bit disparate, covering White's personal experiences with IPV, general information on abuse, and tips and anecdotes about running a DV shelter (much of which also applies to other nonprofit organizations serving the community). At times the shifts in subject, and accompanying shifts in tone, are rather abrupt, and the quality of White's writing varies greatly depending on the topic. I found the sections on her personal experiences and the lengthy chapter dealing with the stories of various survivors to be incredibly affecting and well-written. Most of the chapters dealing with the ins and outs of nonprofit management were a bit less gripping, but were interesting nonetheless. A few sections, such as parts of the "Defining the Problem" chapter, get into quasi-academic territory, quoting statistics in what seems like an attempt to lay out a basis for her discussion of the impact of gender roles and patriarchal social structures on IPV. White seems out of her element engaging in this kind of discussion, and frankly, it's ineffective and probably unnecessary. Anyone who does not grasp the concept of institutionalized sexism and how it relates to IPV needs more than a book chapter to get them up to speed, and it's unlikely they'd pick this book up in the first place.

I've read a number of reviews of this book that recommend it to a wide audience. If it were only a memoir of White's abuse and recovery or a collection of stories from IPV victims like the "Survivors" chapter, I would agree. But the amount of material in the book about DV shelter logistics, nonprofit management, etc., make it a book that will ultimately appeal to a niche audience. I would recommend it to nonprofit workers and volunteers of all sorts and to IPV survivors with a keen interest in what goes on behind the scenes at DV shelters, but I don't think it would make a good choice for someone looking to read their first book about IPV or someone who simply has some passing curiosity about the topic. That being said, I gained a great deal from reading the book and found it well worth my time. ( )

Kelly White is not the stereotypical battered wife. She's educated, self-sufficient, middle-class, with a non-abusive background. But she was the victim of domestic violence, as are countless other women who do not fit the profile of those at high risk. Because of her education and ability to support herself -- and an indomitable spirit -- she was able to get herself out of the abusive situation and has spent 25 years working to help other abused women, most of it as executive director of Austin's SafePlace.

Ms White reviews and integrates an amazing amount of research about abuse, identifies the difficulties and trends, and proposes directions and solutions for this very real problem. General statements and conclusions are reinforced by liberal examples from her own life, her experiences (and mistakes) working in women's shelters, and the stories of many other women with whom she has had personal contact. The result is a very readable, well-organized book which is fascinating as well as appalling.

Back in the mid-1970s, my job was working with rape and sexual abuse victims, trying to increase awareness, reporting, and successful prosecution by providing different procedures and attitudes and the involvement of women. The term "battered women" was just making its appearance back then and I was very peripherally involved with a local (brand new) shelter, because of the obvious overlap with sexual abuse. I requested this ER book hoping to see how far we have come in the last 30+ years. But despite our greater understanding of the problem and significant advances, we haven't come far enough. There's still a lot to be done.

This is a book which should be read by everyone involved with social services, and those who work with women or children -- teachers, coaches, care providers, doctors and nurses, counsellors and psychologists, lawyers. The greater awareness which can be gained from this book may very well result in much needed assistance for abused women, children and even men. My only real objection to the book is the subtitle: this is not really a book for women who need help getting out of an abusive situation; it is, rather, a book for those who wish to help them get out. ( )