Element of Blank

Ann Harper Reed
Ann Reed (2007)
ISBN 9780615141947
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (8/07)


Ann Harper Reed’s “Element of Blank” is a courageous and powerful book on a subject that is definitely not discussed often enough, namely, domestic abuse. Ms. Reed’s story of Sally and David is bone-chilling and nail-biting tense. Although the outcome is – unfortunately just like in too many other cases – all too predictable, the journey to the bitter end leaves the reader hoping for a miracle.

Sally, an impressionable high-school student, falls for David real hard. Although he is not nice to her and already early on shows signs of a disturbed mind and abuses her verbally, she leaves home immediately after high school and moves away with him. Things start getting worse rapidly. Sally has to call her mother to come and get her, but after David learns that Sally is pregnant, he comes and gets her after the miscarriage. The relationship does not get any better and is not helped by the birth of the second daughter either. Verbal abuse is followed by escalating physical violence. We learn of drug abuse by both parents. The children are more and more scared and oftentimes neglected by both parents. Sally finally realizes that she needs to get herself and her daughters away from this poisonous situation, but she never manages to do so. Her life ends with a crashed skull – practically in front of the neighbors’ eyes.

Ms. Reed’s writing is particularly powerful when it comes to Sally’s internal musings. There are some occasionally awkward turns of a phrase in descriptions of public situations and personal encounters, as well as quite a few misspelled words. In the beginning I thought that they might have been intentional, since Sally was not extensively educated. Reading further I realized that they most probably were not, since they kept appearing. I believe this book would profit greatly from expert editing and meticulous proof-reading.

The story is extremely engaging and grips the reader from the very first page. I found it impossible to put down, even when personal memories threatened to break my composure down. It followed a path all too well known to me and many other women out there. I was lucky and got out. Sally and so many others were not. This book should be compulsory reading for every woman – whether in an abusive relationship or not. It might save your life or help you save somebody else’s life.  If the subject of “Element of Blank” would be a happier one, I’d say that I loved this book. I don’t think a story this heartbreaking could be loved, at least not by me. But I truly admire Ms. Reed’s courage in bringing the subject into the limelight this way.

Make comment on weblog