cover image Mejor Sola Que Mal Acompanada: For the Latina in an Abusive Relationship/Para La Mujer Golpeada

Mejor Sola Que Mal Acompanada: For the Latina in an Abusive Relationship/Para La Mujer Golpeada

Myrna M. Zombrano, Myrna M Zambrano, Myrna M. Zambrano. Seal Press (CA), $16.95 (243pp) ISBN 978-0-931188-26-8

There is an old Latina expression, the author reports: A man is not truly a man if he beats his wife only once. He has to do it twice. Zambrano maintains that 1.8 million women per yeara surprising number of them Latinasare beaten in the U.S. by husbands or lovers. Writing in both Spanish and English, the author, a Mexican-American bilingual counselor for battered Latinas, offers victims of family violence encouragement, sensitive understanding and valuable advice: how to get into a shelter for battered women, how to find police protection, how to prevent a husband from kidnapping the children. She also addresses the Latin woman's particular problemsunsympathetic police officers, lack of immigration documentation, the need for interpretersand includes a chapter for social service workers who help Latinas, a glossary of legal terms and a bibliography. This excellent, clear-headed book is the third in Seal Press's series on family violence. November