When I Hit You
Foreword’s Lit Hit—Indie Books That’ll Blow You Away
Powerful and poignant, Meena Kandasamy’s When I Hit You follows a young wife as wedded bliss transforms to a waking nightmare. An unnamed narrator believes her life is off to an enviable start when she marries a progressive university professor, but cracks quickly appear in his mild-mannered facade. His abuse escalates, both physically and psychologically, and she is left isolated from friends and family, fearing for her life. Her writing, once a source of pleasure and peace, becomes a method of resistance as the freedom she finds in her words emboldens her to escape. Though set in modern-day India, the harrowing account and indictment of domestic violence rings universal, the anonymous narrator a mirror for all individuals who find themselves at the mercy of an intimate partner. Providing a message of hope and strength for victims while calling bystanders to action, When I Hit You is a sharp, scalding novel that is not soon forgotten.
For more information and resources related to domestic violence, visit thehotline.org.
When I Hit You
Meena Kandasamy
General Fiction
Europa Editions
2020-03-17
Softcover $17.00 (224pp)
978-1-60945-599-6
Danielle Ballantyne
