I received this book as a gift.
We do not hear the “other side” of domestic abuse … you
know, the one from the man’s side of things. Abuse in any form is not easy to
talk about nor is it easy to walk away from.
So, here we have Rich … a young guy, married for the first
time, then SLAP! What? How could that possibly have just happened? It did. I
found myself relating to Rich, so much. That’s a rare thing for me, to feel
like someone “got it,” a character in a book. Yeah, to be honest, like one
quote in this book - been there, done that, got the tee-shirt (in my case,
minus the SLAP!). Rich, though, is a stand-up guy. Never once did he blame
Tami, never once did he judge her for her own issues. That says something about
Rich’s character. I did, however, enjoy his birthday present to her.
Tami … let’s just say Tami has her own set of issues which
are nothing to laugh about. On one hand, I did find myself feeling a bit sorry
for Tami, on the other hand - not so much. She comes across as a spoiled brat
who just wants her own way and when she doesn’t get it - BOOM! She flies off
the handle, which I think had more to do with her mental illness than anything
else. She just could not cope in certain situations.
Then there are their families - Tami’s family did not seem
overly supportive, at least not to me, or maybe they just did not understand
the depth of her issues. Rich’s family - extremely supportive, nonjudgmental;
the kind of family you want on your side. Much to Rich’s surprise, I’m sure,
his friends/coworkers rallied around him.
Yes, this is a story of domestic abuse but there is also a
deeper meaning. It is also a story of hope, a story of making it through to the
other side, a story of “The Other Cheek.”
I stayed up past my bedtime reading this one … that doesn’t
happen often. This book definitely comes from the author’s heart, and I totally
respect him for putting his story “out there.” I am going to put a trigger
warning on this one for domestic abuse, in all forms.
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