Surviving Intimate Terrorism cover

Surviving Intimate Terrorism

by Hedda Nussbaum

This book is the story of the abuse suffered by Hedda Nussbaum. She was so beaten and brainwashed by her domestic partner, Joel Steinberg, that she was unable to save the life of her adopted daughter, Lisa after he had knocked her unconscius. However, after spending a year and a half in psychiatric hospitals and testifying at Steinberg's trial (after which he was sentenced to 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison), she went on to become an advocate for battered women and a speaker about domestic violence. She went from a beaten down woman who was scarcely functioning to a strong and powerful speaker and writer with the aim of helping other battered women and their children. The book is a must read for all women who have suffered abuse.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?