Letting Go by Belinda Tors

Margery Arturo has two children and an abusive husband Tony.  Finally, summoning her courage and her meager resources, she leaves her husband of twenty years while he is away on a business trip out of state.  With her teenage daughter, Lola, Margery manages to find an apartment and get a job at a women's shelter as a counselor.  Things are starting to look up.  But Tony continues to follow her wherever she goes and turns up at their daughter's school.  He makes threats and refuses to give her child support and monies he owes her in a divorce settlement.  Margery soon learns that leaving a violent husband has more risks than possibly getting beaten up or killed after she departs.  Will Margery be able to make it on her own?  (taken from the back of the book)

I will admit, I was incredibly interested to read this book because I wanted to blast it.  So many women give their version of an abusive relationship and it's completely one-sided.  It's not entertaining.  It's usually a whiny person wanting to bash someone else and turn themself into a martyr of some sort.  I was really expecting to pick up this book and hear a female version of 'I'm a victim!  Give me sympathy!'  I'm quite happy to admit that I was wrong.  This book is nothing like that.  I apologize sincerely, Belinda.

First, I did not like the main character at all.  Though it was easy to sympathize with her plight, she did become quite hard-hearted in places.  I'm not saying that it isn't understandable, but she went beyond the boundaries that I felt are acceptable.

Now that I have my admission of guilt and the bad stuff out of the way, let's move on!

I absolutely adored this book!  It really is a good story about one woman and her struggle for independence in a world that makes it difficult.  Our world, to be exact.  Our world is designed to be easier for married couples and more difficult for those who are trying to make it on their own.  Our world is designed for people to take the easy way out rather than putting in the hard work and sacrifice to make things work.  Our world is designed so that people can stay where they feel comfortable, instead of sticking their necks out and becoming better people.

The human condition is a tricky one.  Divorce is tricky.  There are always hurt feelings, especially when one person has been harmed.  Being able to push past that hurt to forgiveness in order to move on with your life is really difficult.  Getting to the point you realize that at least a smidgeon of the blame belongs to you as well, well that's life-altering.  Sitting back and watching Margery grow and learn was fascinating. I didn't always agree with her decisions, often I didn't.  I did, however, see where she was coming from and what her motivations and goals were.

If you're looking for a story that you can become involved in, this could be a great book for you.  It's easy to get sucked into and has a way of keeping you in Margery's world without making you feel all depressed and outraged.  Tors has a way of getting inside the psyche and sharing it without letting anyone know that she's psychoanalyzing them and laying them out for display, which, as a reader, is a blast for us!

Instead of being the whiny piece of man-trashing I was expecting, I found a well-proportioned character and life study.  I found intrigue and romance, friendship and family.  I found a nice visit with the skeletons being cleaned out of someone's closet.