Writing with candor, compassion, and a clear-eyed perspective, the author explores in depth the shockingly underexamined psychological underpinnings of female violence. Far from the heartless and inhuman monsters we might believe them to be, these women are often victims of a culture of violence and emotional trauma. Already hailed as a landmark, Motz's daring book, bursting with humanity, makes clear that women's violence is more widespread than most realize, that these acts of violence expose deeply held, centuries-old beliefs about women and their value, and that these acts demand to be taken more seriously as a distinctive societal taboo that can--and must--be brought into the light. 272 pages hc