One of the Lucky Ones

A.E. Lee's memoir, One of the Lucky Ones, describes her descent into, and eventual escape from, an abusive marriage. By the time A.E. meets Don at a friend's party, she has accepted that she will always be the bridesmaid and never the bride. But a friendship quickly turns into something more, and soon her dreams of marriage and children are within reach – dreams really do come true! There is a beautiful wedding, followed by two beautiful babies and the start of A.E.'s teaching career. She is sure that the loud, explosive fights are just evidence of the passion in their relationship. They always make up, of course, and he always apologizes and swears that he loves her. Things will improve, they must – they are in love, and on the cusp of an exciting future together. Things do not improve, however – in fact, they get much worse. A.E. struggles to accept that she is a victim of domestic violence – unable to admit it to herself, she is too embarrassed to confess the truth to her family and friends, let alone ask for help. One fateful August night changes everything, however. But escaping her home is just the beginning – what follows is a harrowing and humiliating journey through the justice system, where the rights of criminals are often valued more than those of the victims. Through it all, A.E. Lee never loses hope. Determined to make a better life for herself and her children, she perseveres. She knows she is one of the lucky ones, and if her story can bring hope to even one–woman facing abuse, it will be enough.

-- A.E. Lee