DENOUNCE!

Marconi, a survivor of domestic violence, shares her story in this memoir.

The author was born and raised in Uruguay during a time when domestic violence was ignored or denied as a serious problem. In March 1999, at the age of 21, Marconi went on her first date with Ricardo, the man she refers to throughout the narrative as her abuser. He was 24 years old and worked in a produce store that he owned with his mother. He was very attentive during the first months of their courtship, but he became more distant as their relationship continued into its second year; it seemed his real devotion was to his mother. When the couple had a baby and finally left their respective parents’ homes for their own house, Ricardo’s hostility increased. Verbal and emotional abuse turned physically violent. He began demanding she leave their home. One night, to emphasize the seriousness of this demand, he dragged her into the bathroom. Marconi writes: “Under his stone fists and thick work shoes, I actually believed that the death he spoke about…was very close, very close….” It wasn’t until Marconi became pregnant with their second child that she finally extracted herself from the relationship. This English version of Marconi’s story is the result of a project created by Dr. Giada Biasetti, who provides the book’s introduction, for her Spanish language and translation class. More than a dozen students contributed to the translation, each working on a separate section of the memoir. Perhaps this accounts for the occasional gaps in information (there is no mention of an actual marriage or divorce) and for time frames that are not always clear. But the group’s mission—to bring a graphic tale of domestic violence to a larger audience—is laudable. In the translation, Marconi emerges as a strong woman who has chosen to publicly identify and “denounce” her abuser despite the risk of possible retribution.

A disturbing tale of suffering and courage that shines light on an oft-hidden problem.