Numerous books on the market offer hope for battered women, but perhaps none so practically as Refuge: A Pathway Out of Domestic Violence & Abuse. Author Donald Stewart is a veteran police detective with a good deal of experience helping battered women leave their abusers and begin new lives. In addition to reflection on Christian topics such as forgiveness and ministering to the abused, he offers pragmatic chapters on the effects of domestic violence, profiles of abuser and their usual victims, information on how to get help and tips on what to expect in the court system. (New Hope, $10.99 paper 224p ISBN 1-56309-811-3)