Rose Madder is one of Stephen King’s most highly acclaimed works. Published in 1995, the book left an impact on those who read it. Rose Madder includes domestic abuse and stalking that keeps readers sucked into the book.

When Rosie’s husband, Norman Daniels, gets home from work he finds his wife reading a romance novel and punches her in the stomach. Rosie, being four months pregnant, had a miscarriage and was taken to the hospital. Nine years later Norman goes to work and Rosie decides to run away.

Rosie goes to a women’s shelter, gets a job, and makes a few friends. When Norman comes home from work, he sees that Rosie is gone. Norman summons his police instincts to hunt her down and get her back. While Norman is looking for Rosie, he starts to slowly lose his sanity.

Rosie finds a painting called Rose Madder from a pawn shop and trades her wedding ring for it. While Rosie sleeps she starts having strange dreams about the painting. Rosie dreams about two women who live inside the painting. In one dream, they ask for her help. Rosie decides to help the women get back a baby. When she gives them the baby she retrieved, they give her one favor.

Norman soon finds Rosie and follows her into the painting. While in the painting, Rosie uses her favor to escape Norman, forever. When Rosie leaves the painting, she has to repay the women who helped her by planting pomegranate seeds.

Rose Madder is a heart touching book about domestic abuse, and trying to piece life together after leaving the abuser. This book keeps readers on their toes through the whole book. Rated nine stars out of ten, this book is a Stephen King classic.