“Prettiest House on the Block: A Revealing Story of Domestic Partner Abuse” by Patricia Schoch, tells the all-too common story of a woman trapped in an abusive relationship that she cannot make herself leave.

Schoch will give a virtual reading of her book as a benefit for Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley, 6 - 7 p.m. Oct. 11.

“Prettiest House” is about Donna (not her real name), whose difficult life seems to turn around when she meets Max. However, she falls into a pattern of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) as she realizes Max has drug and alcohol problems and is verbally abusive.

He begins to physically assault her. Throughout the book, Schoch explains how the personal histories and psychologies of Donna and Max forge their relationship.

In a phone conversation from her home in Wake Forest, N.C., Schoch says, “There is a lot of education in there. It’s not just a story.”

Schoch is a forensic nurse who works with victims, collects evidence and can give certified court testimony against perpetrators.

“Most serial assaults never go to trial,” she says. “Victims back off because of threats or apologies.

“They keep going back for many reasons, like having no other source of income, or their partner threatens the kids, threatens to take the kids, or threatens their lives.

“Many times women tell me, ‘I have to go back. I have no other place to go.’”

Schoch says that most victims are women, but can also be men and can take place in heterosexual and same-sex relationships.

Schoch, born in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., moved to Bethlehem as an infant with her family. She graduated from Liberty High School and St. Luke’s School of Nursing and was an ER nurse at the Fountain Hill campus of St. Luke’s University Hospital from 1973 to 1990.

When she was in North Carolina, the head nurse in the ER unit where she worked asked, “How would you like to put away bad guys?”

She was invited to take a course to become a Forensic Nurse Examiner. “It was a week long, and the most fascinating course I ever took, which included working with the police and visiting a shelter.”

Later, Schoch, says, “I put out a call on my blog asking for stories.” Donna answered. “I recognized her name right away.”

As the book reveals, Schoch had been professionally involved with Donna 13 years earlier. “She was anxious to tell her story. To tell everything,” says Schoch, “I told her we will have to do a whole book.”

Andrea Search, Community Outreach Director for Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley, says Donna’s story is common. “The biggest thing to highlight to people is that they are not alone in what they are going through. There are many who are experiencing similar issues.

“We will listen without judging and give you support and help you navigate through your journey. A safety plan is crucial. Everything is confidential. It doesn’t cost anything. You don’t need insurance.”

As recounted in “Prettiest House,” separation can be a difficult process. “It takes an average of seven tries for people to leave a relationship,” says Search.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Turning Point is planning a virtual vigil, “Voices of Resiliency,” Oct. 22, which features an online video with stories from victims and remembrances of domestic violence victims who died.

Schoch is the author of the children’s books, “The Giggle Box” (2014) and “The Town of Alpaca” (2018). “Prettiest House on the Block” was published in September by Blue Heron Book Works.

Schoch will have in-person book signings, 1 p.m. Oct. 10, Bayou Restaurant, 702 Hawthorne Road, Bethlehem, and 6:15 p.m. Oct. 15, Copperhead Grille, 1731 Airport Road, Allentown.

To register for the Turning Point: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/pasphotb/event/820075