Crazy Love

A Memoir

By: Leslie Morgan Steiner

Narrated by: Tanya Eby Sirois

Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Leslie Morgan Steiner met the love of her life at age 22, soon after graduating from Harvard and starting her first job at Seventeen magazine in New York. She fell for his self-deprecating wit and street smarts - and especially his unabashed worship of her. They married and spent four years together. At first Leslie felt like the woman of his dreams.

Then she discovered her husband had been beaten as a child, taught by his parents that intimacy and rage danced together. He brought violence into their life, pouring coffee grinds over her hair, choking and threatening her with a gun during arguments. Several times, he came close to making good on his threats to kill her. Leslie's mistake is one millions identify with: she fell in love with the wrong man. It took one last terrifying attack to convince her that he would kill her one day if she let him.

Gripping and compelling, Crazy Love unravels the traps laid by love, mesmerizing listeners with insights into why smart women stay in unhealthy relationships - and how one found the courage to leave.

©2009 Leslie Morgan Steiner (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Awesome Read

This was Amazing and empowering story. I enjoyed the insight of her story very inspired

Great cautionary tale

This personal account of a period in the author’s life serves as a cautionary tale & as an assurance that women who experience abuse can get out.

Great Listen!

The story was done well. It would have been better if the author would have read the book for more feeling. Domestic violence is hard to go through even harder to write about as there are so many emotions while your going through the abuse and the aftermath.

Triggered

Brought back many bad memories but help me realize that our stories were the same!

Brought back memories

This book I really enjoyed. I was married to a abuser for 14 year I finally got out . I think everyone should hear this book it totally explains how they think and is very helpful.

This is a must read

Before I read this book I was just thinking it’s just another book I have to read for class. I’m not the biggest fan of reading but I must say that I was so intrigued after reading the part one that I got the audio for the rest of the book and listened as I read my book. Reading this book made me feel all sorts of emotions, emotions that I didn’t think I could even feel. I felt a lot of anger, sadness and then excitement. This book really touched me, there were even moments where I teared up because I could visualize what Steiner went through and it was so heartbreaking. This book really opened my eyes and has made me even take a step back to analyze my own relationship with my partner. I recommend this book to anyone honestly. I loved the book so much it was very powerful in its message and it’s just a must read. You won’t regret reading this book.

I really liked it

Listened every day, even would rewind back a chapter or two, if needed, once I noticed I zoned out....I actually grew find of Les🤗

Interesting read

I was concerned by the negative reviews. I'm glad i went ahead and listened anyway. This autobiography is fascinating as a different take on the tragedy of domestic violence. The author, a graduate of Harvard and Wharton, is in her 50s and has gone on to great personal and professional success. It should be noted that while the book was released in 2009, the events the author discusses occurred in the 90s...this explains some of the complaints by other listeners.

While she doesn't state it outright, one of the reasons the author stayed with her abuser was her history of emotional abuse and neglect by her parents. Despite her upper middle class upbringing, she did not feel loved. She was intermittently terrorized by her mother's rejection and physical abandonment throughout her childhood. For young children, abandonment or threats of abandonment feel life-threatening since they cannot survive without their caregiver. Love and abuse became intertwined for her as a child. It was in a way comfortable for her.

I suspect her mother suffered from borderline personality disorder, which can be terribly damaging to children.

Good Story

Its does have a couple of racially offputting statements and the air of white privilege but over all the message is clear, that Domestic Violence can effect anyone and that unhealed trauma manifests in one way or another.

Worth the read/listen.

I couldn't stop listening. She gives great explanation on the entire story, and what lead up to its becoming.