Berry Stainback

I haven't read this book because it's old and hard to find - the cheapest used copy I can find on Amazon is 90 bucks and I'm not going to pay that much for something that's likely to make my blood pressure shoot through the roof reading it. I do want to read it - not because I'm a fan of abusive relationships but because I'm morbidly curious about this book and I am a rubbernecker.

I came across the Pugach couple purely by chance over a decade ago when I was watching one of these court TV show more shows. Burt and Linda were the defendants and IIRC it was because of property, they were having problems with their landlord and their apartment had some damage or some shit and I think there was some harassment? It's been over 10 years and I can't remember all the details.

Anyway as the proceedings are going, their story is touched up on somehow during their testimony and they're both chuckling about it. I thought it was weird so I looked it up and was just floored that Linda would marry the dude who was responsible for her maiming/blinding.

Linda Riss was dating Burt Pugach back in the late 1950's, unaware that he was married and had a kid. When she learned of it, she dumped him. Burt was not one to take rejection well and made a vile threat towards her. She did report that to the police but was not taken seriously (something that still happens to women 60 years later, unfortunately...)

In 1959, Burt hired three assailants to attack Linda. They threw lye in her face, blinding her in one eye and severely damaging the sight in her other eye. This landed Burt in prison for 14 years, as well as his disbarment.

At this point, you'd be feeling sorry for Linda, right? After all, the guy she was dating turns out to be a cheating cad, so she dumps him and is horribly punished for it by said cad.

But then when that cad gets out of jail, she marries him! Jesus Fucking Christ!!! Several years after their marriage, this book was published (late 1970's)

Twenty years later, Burt threatened another woman he was having an affair with (you know the saying, if someone is willing to cheat with you, they'll cheat on you sooner or later...) Linda was actually a character witness at THAT trial. She should have just divorced his ass and I'm sure any lawyer would have helped her if she'd asked them for it.

Linda lost the rest of her sight later in life and died at 75 in 2013. Burt died at the end of 2020.

I'm sorry if this sounds judgmental, but Linda was a dumb fucking cunt. I mean, she dumped him when she found out he was cheating, but later defended him when he cheated on her, after he had lye thrown in her face, blinding and maiming her???

I hope that I come across this book in a little free library or something so I can properly review this trainwreck, because there's no way I'm paying good money to read a story/biography about abuse = love.

One thing I can say is that it's a good thing that Burt and Linda never had any kids, because god, what a shitty example their relationship would set/what kind of awful message that would give to a child of such a toxic couple. show less