I Closed My Eyes: Revelations of a Battered Woman

by Michele Weldon

The author describes her nine-year marriage to an abusive husband and the difficulty of raising three sons alone

Genres: Memoir

262 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

About the author

I am emerita faculty in journalism at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University where I taught for 18 years. I am a senior leader with The OpEd Project since 2011, editorial director at Take The Lead since 2016 and author of six nonfiction books: I Closed My Eyes (Hazelden, 1999), Writing to Save Your Life (Hazelden, 2001); Everyman News: The Changing American Front Page (University of Missouri, 2008); Just Me And My Three Sons (SheBooks, 2011); Escape Points: A Memoir (Chicago Review Press, 2015); Act Like You're Having A Good Time (Northwestern University Press, 2020). I live in the Chicago area, have three grown sons and have recently started to paint again. Writing is my first love.

Reviews

[chebet · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is very honest

[Lee Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The honesty of this author and her courage are outstanding and an inspiration to women everywhere.

[Sharon Vela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have not read this book. I did hear that you wrote an article about amber heard and Johnny Depp. Don't speak for me. I am triggered by Amber heard. She reminds me of my abuser. She is just like him. It is so easy to see that she is the abuser. I see a lot of me in Johnny hiding be hind my humor. Not looking at him because I know that's what he wants. I am ashamed of what you wrote

[Soffie Link · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. this book taught me so incredibly much. i'm honored that i got to hear michelle's story and i applaud the honesty and bravery she had sharing it.

[Sofia Link · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book taught me so incredibly much. I'm honored that I got to hear Michelle's story and I applaud the honesty and bravery she had sharing it.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I’ve never been a battered wife, I’ve lived with levels of different types of abuse including emotional, verbal, and psychological. Reading this book brought back memories of some very dark and lonely times prompting me to have to put the book down for a bit.

Reading about the author’s struggle with finally deciding to leave clarified some things in my own story, so I’m glad I read it.

My only complaint about this book is that it was a bit repetitive and could have used some additional editing.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know Michele Weldon personally, which was why I decided to read the book. It details her nine-year abusive marriage, the ending of that marriage, the divorce and subsequent path to healing with her three sons. The story is incredible, but the writing is often repetitive and sometimes tedious. I just think this would have better long essay than book. There were so many paragraphs that I felt like I had already read, and the narrative just didn't move along as quickly as I think it should have. There were a few arresting moments, like when Weldon's son asks, "How old were you when your father died?" Weldon answers unthinkingly, "Thirty," to which her son responds, "I was six." I just wish Weldon had shortened the narrative and paced it better so there would have been more of these moments. I also found some of Weldon's sentences startlingly beautiful. Overall though, I thought her writing was good but not great.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sad and all-too common tale about spousal abuse. It takes the reader from the naiveté of the author's young Catholic marriage to the horrors of her abuse at the hands of her "perfect" husband and, finally, through her decision to leave the marriage. The author -- a journalist -- does an excellent job of conveying her thoughts, her reactions, her rationalizations, her fears, and those of the people around her during and after the marriage. A quote that I found interesting: "Give a rat unpredictable, intermittent reinforcement, and it will run in circles all day long."

[Kiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think every person, especially every woman, needs to read this book. This is a story of a woman who married an abusive guy. It was definitely shocking to me how normal her husband seemed when they were dating and yet how their relationship was the opposite of the stereotypes we all have regarding violent marriages. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the non-stereotypical aspects of domestic violence (e.g. her husband was a lawyer, she was an educated woman, etc.) but also to those who want to be aware of the signs of an abusive boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the more amazing books I have ever read. It reads so honestly. It is an inspiring and in some ways terrifying story. For people who have either had abusive relationships or who grew up in abusive homes, Michele's story brings up so much, it can be triggering but worth every second.

[Ronnica Fatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone who has no personal experience with abuse, this was a eye-opening, beautifully-written account of an ugly situation. Weldon doesn't seek to make her experience fantastical...she self-professes that it's an all-too-common experience.

[Lana Geselbracht · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes repetitive but never dull. Sad story of abuse that sometimes happens in a relationship. All the more complicated when children are involved. I saw her recently at a book talk for her newest book. I'm glad to see she has been able to move on. I am interested in reading her next book.

[Jennifer Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this while working at Hazelden between '98-'00 ... Loved this book. I was so inspired and personally touched by the author's story, I wrote her!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving tale, inspiring and confirming.

[Jennifer Shirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written yet sad story.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book for women.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of suffering and abuse and of survival and triumph. the kind that is really good to read

[Katie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Written- very interesting to a social worker like myself.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of a battered woman and her escape to a better life. Well written and insightful.

[Marsmannix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the internal conversations of the author rang true to my own experience