NOT EXACTLY LOVE

In this memoir, narrator Patricia Santomasso captures the late 1960s and 1970s and vivacious high school French teacher Betty Hafner as she brightens at the sight of cute, edgy Jack Brennan, the new science teacher. Santomasso deftly presents firsthand descriptions of the music, clothing, hair, and pop culture of the period, along with Hafner's delight with her new lover. However, hearing the disparity between the Brennan and Hafner families, and between the couple's friends, suggests their tumultuous future together. When Brennan's temper and physical abuse erupt, listeners accompany Hafner as she faces violence and denial, and finally develops the strength to leave him despite having had some good times and still loving him. Hafner and Santomasso have created an audiobook that offers courage and hope to abused women and those who work with them. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2018]