See what You Made Me Do

At the office of Safe Steps, a 24-7 family violence helpline, the phones have gone quiet. "I get nervous when they stop ringing," says one worker. It's a rare occurrence. At its busiest, Safe Steps receives a call every three minutes. Many women are repeat callers: on average, they will return to an abusive partner seven times before leaving for good. "You must get so frustrated when you think a woman's ready to leave and then she decides to go back," I say. "No," replies one phone counselor pointedly. "I'm frustrated that even though he promised to stop, he chose to abuse her again." Book jacket.