Official Review: Down Under by Sonia Taitz
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Official Review: Down Under by Sonia Taitz
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Down Under" by Sonia Taitz.]
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Down Under by Sonia Taitz follows the life of Judy (Jude) Ewington, a neglected wife who is a resident of a suburb just outside of New York City. Her story begins on the night before her birthday. She planned to celebrate by sharing a night of passion with her husband. Bothered by the fact that she was aging, Judy decided to implement a few tricks of seduction. She carefully applied makeup, struggled to put on a bustier and slid into high pointy heels. Ready to play the part of seductress, Judy reclined on her bed and anticipated a night of passion. Suddenly the phone woke her. It was her husband. Samuel called to say he would not arrive until after midnight. Judy’s hopes were dashed - once again, she would not receive the love and affection she so desperately wanted.
Judy made a trip to the supermarket the next day and a tabloid magazine grabbed her attention. Her first love, Collum Whitsun (aka Colm Eriksen), graced the cover. Judy was taken in by the same beautiful eyes that had captivated her when they first met. She relished their cool color, but saw that they still held the pain they had the last time she saw him – the anguish of an unloved soul. Judy decided to try to reconnect with the boy she had promised to love forever and hoped his response would fill the painful void in her life.
Down Under is a well written poignant story that deals with the issues of love, loyalty, prejudice, abuse and addiction. Taitiz expertly handles these subjects with a thoughtful and insightful touch. All of these topics compliment each other as they reveal profound messages about true love and the affects of extreme belief systems.
Taitz’ characters were well developed. At the beginning of the story readers learn intimate details that give great insight into the main characters’ lives. Judy is a Jewish woman who works as a creative writing teacher. She has two teenage boys, but does not quite to live up to the standard of the ideal suburban mom. In contrast, Collum was raised in a strict Catholic household, has 12 children, but is an absentee father. He has reached the end of a successful movie career, his marriage and the bottom of many glasses of alcohol.
The author’s writing style was straightforward and the storyline moved at a steady pace. Using the third person perspective Taitz gave detailed insight into the source of Judy and Collum’s troubled lives. The story moved from the present to the past and revealed how the main characters’ past experiences affected them as they developed into adults.
As the story progressed, readers learn that Judy and Collum’s relationship formed when they were around the age of fourteen. The teens dated each other even though they knew their fathers would disapprove. Judy and Collum’s fathers had very negative reactions when they found out that their children were seeing each other and the teens were forced to break up. The end of the relationship and their fathers’ extreme viewpoints devastated the teens, and circumstances surrounding their split locked Judy and Collum into negative behaviors that affected their close relationships.
Even though the main characters have their flaws, it is clear that the author does not intend for readers to like or hate them. This work of fiction was designed to give readers insight into the problems that occur when people hold whimsical beliefs about love. It also deftly revealed the components of the vice that holds prejudicial beliefs in place and how certain beliefs can hinder people from receiving and benefiting from true love.
By the end of Down Under, readers receive a profound message about Judy and Collum’s emotional growth and maturity. Taitz showed, mainly through Judy’s experience, how people can take the reins of awareness and tact to keep extreme prejudice from being passed on to future generations.
If it were possible I would give this book 3.9 out of 4 stars because there were a few flaws in the story. The author did not provide information Judy’s courtship with her husband. It was apparent that Judy may have chosen her husband because he had certain personality traits, but it would have been interesting to find out about what happened when Judy and Samuel met. It would have also been interesting to find out what happened to Judy between the time she parted with Collum and the time she met her husband. There were also a few minor grammatical errors in the book that might interrupt the flow of the story for some readers.
Those who choose to read Down Under need to keep in mind that there are tragic scenes that depict physical abuse. Some readers may be disturbed by them, but the author was able to balance these harsh moments with humor and wisdom. People who may be interested in reading this book should also be aware that that this book has sexual content that may be offensive to some readers.
This story was heart wrenching, but it was very touching and informative. I would recommend this book to people who want to learn positive ways of dealing with and understanding the roots of prejudiced behavior. People who are concerned about physical violence and its effect on children may find this book interesting. The messages came across in a powerful way as they gave insight into the origins and consequences of holding on to extreme beliefs. I was really impressed with the way the author dealt with such serious subject matters, which is why I give Down Under a formal rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
***
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View hassle-free sample of "Down Under"
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Judy made a trip to the supermarket the next day and a tabloid magazine grabbed her attention. Her first love, Collum Whitsun (aka Colm Eriksen), graced the cover. Judy was taken in by the same beautiful eyes that had captivated her when they first met. She relished their cool color, but saw that they still held the pain they had the last time she saw him – the anguish of an unloved soul. Judy decided to try to reconnect with the boy she had promised to love forever and hoped his response would fill the painful void in her life.
Down Under is a well written poignant story that deals with the issues of love, loyalty, prejudice, abuse and addiction. Taitiz expertly handles these subjects with a thoughtful and insightful touch. All of these topics compliment each other as they reveal profound messages about true love and the affects of extreme belief systems.
Taitz’ characters were well developed. At the beginning of the story readers learn intimate details that give great insight into the main characters’ lives. Judy is a Jewish woman who works as a creative writing teacher. She has two teenage boys, but does not quite to live up to the standard of the ideal suburban mom. In contrast, Collum was raised in a strict Catholic household, has 12 children, but is an absentee father. He has reached the end of a successful movie career, his marriage and the bottom of many glasses of alcohol.
The author’s writing style was straightforward and the storyline moved at a steady pace. Using the third person perspective Taitz gave detailed insight into the source of Judy and Collum’s troubled lives. The story moved from the present to the past and revealed how the main characters’ past experiences affected them as they developed into adults.
As the story progressed, readers learn that Judy and Collum’s relationship formed when they were around the age of fourteen. The teens dated each other even though they knew their fathers would disapprove. Judy and Collum’s fathers had very negative reactions when they found out that their children were seeing each other and the teens were forced to break up. The end of the relationship and their fathers’ extreme viewpoints devastated the teens, and circumstances surrounding their split locked Judy and Collum into negative behaviors that affected their close relationships.
Even though the main characters have their flaws, it is clear that the author does not intend for readers to like or hate them. This work of fiction was designed to give readers insight into the problems that occur when people hold whimsical beliefs about love. It also deftly revealed the components of the vice that holds prejudicial beliefs in place and how certain beliefs can hinder people from receiving and benefiting from true love.
By the end of Down Under, readers receive a profound message about Judy and Collum’s emotional growth and maturity. Taitz showed, mainly through Judy’s experience, how people can take the reins of awareness and tact to keep extreme prejudice from being passed on to future generations.
If it were possible I would give this book 3.9 out of 4 stars because there were a few flaws in the story. The author did not provide information Judy’s courtship with her husband. It was apparent that Judy may have chosen her husband because he had certain personality traits, but it would have been interesting to find out about what happened when Judy and Samuel met. It would have also been interesting to find out what happened to Judy between the time she parted with Collum and the time she met her husband. There were also a few minor grammatical errors in the book that might interrupt the flow of the story for some readers.
Those who choose to read Down Under need to keep in mind that there are tragic scenes that depict physical abuse. Some readers may be disturbed by them, but the author was able to balance these harsh moments with humor and wisdom. People who may be interested in reading this book should also be aware that that this book has sexual content that may be offensive to some readers.
This story was heart wrenching, but it was very touching and informative. I would recommend this book to people who want to learn positive ways of dealing with and understanding the roots of prejudiced behavior. People who are concerned about physical violence and its effect on children may find this book interesting. The messages came across in a powerful way as they gave insight into the origins and consequences of holding on to extreme beliefs. I was really impressed with the way the author dealt with such serious subject matters, which is why I give Down Under a formal rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
***
Buy "Down Under" on Amazon
View hassle-free sample of "Down Under"
Latest Review: "Deadly Secrets" by Robert Boris Riskin
