<p>According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, one in four women over the age of 18 has been a victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner over her lifetime, and nearly half of all women have experienced psychological abuse by an intimate partner in her lifetime. Intimate partner violence is far more common than many of us realize. This is partially because many of us do not recognize the various forms that it can take. Another reason is that far too many cases of intimate partner violence go unreported because the victim may feel shame, powerlessness, fear that nobody would believe them, or fear of what might happen to the perpetrator.</p><p><em>If These Walls Could Talk </em>is a collection of stories from 11 strong and courageous women, led by Victoria Necole Long, who have experienced some form of intimate partner violence. These 11 incredible women show us that your voice does have power, you are not alone in what you are going through, and that your current situation is not a life sentence&mdash;you have everything you need within you and around you to come out of your situation stronger. In sharing their stories, these 11 women illustrate the importance of making your voice heard in order to break the cycle of intimate partner violence.</p>