STANDING UP

A debut memoir focuses on one woman’s difficult journey to becoming a police officer.

Devine met her first husband, Vince, in 1984. Both were in their 20s, and though they had their share of conflicts, things seemed as if they would work out. One lingering problem was Vince’s temper. As the author puts it, “Vince yelled, not necessarily at me but to me, about everything.” Devine recounts that the end of their relationship occurred after a physical altercation. The author filed for divorce and started rebuilding her life. This reconstruction came with a newfound interest in taekwondo and the desire to work in law enforcement. Taekwondo brought Devine’s second husband into her life, a recovering alcoholic named Doug. While things started well enough with Doug, the author recalls, his eventual relapse brought a torrent of seemingly unbelievable criminal activity. Despite such personal fiascos, Devine remained undeterred in her quest to become a police officer. She finally joined the New Castle County Police Department in Delaware in 1997. She worked as a patrol officer for years, often responding to domestic disputes. She later landed at the Division of Family Services unit, where she was one of two detectives investigating domestic violence. The book offers a unique perspective that is part civilian, part law enforcement. The stunning material relates how the author managed a metamorphosis from a young wife in the 1980s arguing with her spouse about his drug use to a police officer in the 1990s helping to subdue a husband who had been choking his wife. And the account moves quickly with direct prose. A recalled conversation about Doug involves someone noting: “Doug didn’t just fall off the wagon with alcohol. He’s been smoking crack.” Unfortunately, not all of the dialogue packs such a punch, as when the author joins Family Services and is told: “Congratulations and welcome. You’re going to like it here. Your office is up here.” Nevertheless, the memoir’s often difficult subjects make for a swift and stimulating read.

A terse, revealing, and absorbing look at a varied, complex relationship with domestic violence.