Book review by Llana Carroll on domestic violence and the legal system.

"Leigh Goodmark’s A Troubled Marriage: Domestic Violence and the Legal System traces the history of domestic-violence law over the past 40 years and argues that the current legal system is inadequate: built on an antiquated theory of “dominance feminism” it does not safeguard as many people as it might. As an alternative to the current system, Goodmark recommends an anti-essentialist, women-centered policy including community-based accountability programs. This is a radical proposal, one that Goodmark earns by analyzing the development of domestic violence law. She uses both theory and legal case studies to build her narrative: it is an effective strategy, one that makes Goodmark’s criticism of the current legal system convincing."