Below is a list of fiction and non-fiction titles related to relationship abuse, as well as sample questions that can be used during class discussion.
- Strange Fits of Passion by Anita Shreve
- Big Girls Don’t Cry by Connie Briscoe
- Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- Eyes of a Child by Richard North Patterson
- Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- If She Hollers Let Her Go by Chester Hines
- Island Justice by Elizabeth Winthrop
- Jazz by Toni Morrison
- Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
- Othello by William Shakespeare
- The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
- The Rainmaker by John Grisham
- Rose Madder by Steven King
- Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo by Ntozake Shange
- Tar Baby by Toni Morrison
- The 13th Juror by John T. Lescroart
- The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by Roddy Doyle
- This Boy’s Life: A Memoir by Tobias Wolff
- “Weight” in Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood
- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- The Burning Bed: The True Story of Francine Hughes – A Beaten Wife Who Rebelled by Faith McNulty
- Community Secret: The Story of Two Filipinas by Jaqueline J. Agtuca
- Deals With the Devil and Other Reasons to Riot by Pearl Cleage
- Doorways to Freedom by Cynthia Ford
- I, Tina: My Life Story by Tina Turner
- Living with the Enemy (photographs) by Donna Ferrato
- Next Time She’ll Be Dead: Battering and How to Stop It by Ann Jones
- Point Last Seen (a memoir) by Hannah Nyala
- The Stalking of Kristin: A Father Investigates the Murder of His Daughter by George Lardner
- To Have or To Harm: True Stories of Stalkers and Their Victims by Linden Gross
- Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men by Lundy Bancroft
- Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and What All Men Can Do About It by Jackson Katz
- Which characters were impacted by domestic violence in this book, and how were they affected by it?
- What did you learn about domestic violence from this book?
- Was the problem handled well, or did the book include stereotypes about the women being abused or the men hurting them?
- In what ways did other characters in the book help the women experiencing domestic violence to stay safe?
- If they didn’t reach out to help, why didn’t they and how could they have?
- In what ways was violence against women portrayed as socially acceptable in this book?
- Was the problem of domestic violence connected to other social problems faced by the characters (i.e.: child abuse, racism)? How so?
- Was there victim blaming in this book?
- How did the book make you feel?
- Did it remind you of a situation you have experienced yourself?
- How has that experience affected you?