Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A "heartwarming, real, passionate and often hilariousl" Read! Plus Excellent Writing!

"TUESDAY" production signImage by Vaguely Artistic via Flickr
"They made her a Driving to Florida Long
Journey Room Survival Kit..."
tuesday night miracles


Kris Radish




This book touched me personally, but having worked for over 40 years and meeting a lot of women in both professional and social settings, I earlier stated that I wished I could get this book into the hands of every woman. After finishing it, I still feel the same way, and maybe even more so. I would also recommend it for men, even though all of the primary characters are women since readers will also see how husbands involved with those women reacted. Read the blurb of the book for more specific info; I do not want to share much of the book itself so readers will have the benefit of learning along with the group member characters...


Even more so, both men and women are susceptible to the stresses of today's world. Yes, those stresses often become too much to handle. We know about some of the results by learning about domestic violence and other actions that "make the news" but I know there are many times that nobody knows what has or is happening to a woman or man who is trying to face her life situations and deal with them--trying to make it through...

I had never read Radish before, but find the titles of her other books quite intriguing. Nor do I know her professional background as I began to read, but I found her lead character, Dr. Olivia Bayer totally realistic and knowledgeable in her role as a clinical psychologist. Tuesday Night is the night that most of the group sessions for Dr. Bayer's latest mandated court were held for four women who had, as they say today, snapped...

"The beds are against the back wall in all three cells, which are identical. There's a toilet at what any sane
person would use as the foot of the bed, and it's screened from the cell across from it by a huge metal sink.
The thick brown walls are cracked at the top and appear to be solid concrete.
Leah places her ear against the wall to her right, thinking that perhaps voices were trapped inside the
last time the place was painted.
"Who do you two think stayed in these cells?" she asks, keeping her ear to the wall.
Both Kit and Grace reach out to touch one of the walls. They are cold, and whatever traces of life were
left her have long since been painted over, scrubbed off, erased...
Before she {Dr. Bayer} turns to leave, Kit blurts out, "Are there any ghosts in here?"
Each of the women are facing criminal charges for what they did and will be put in jail if they fail to complete an anger management class and associated requirements. But there is something different with this class. Dr. Bayer has been considering retirement and, perhaps, is being pushed to do so. She wants to discard traditional group session methods and try what she believes is a better model. She agrees with her boss that if the class doesn't work, she will definitely retire...

The only thing I wondered at the end of the book is whether her process is actually being used--or whether it is only the writer's imagination that created it. I found myself slowly being pulled into the activities, not actually stopping to do them, but to stop and ponder my own reactions. What I do know is that this book will not be one that I read and pass on. Right now I've already made some life decisions based upon the book and believe that I'll be referring to the book over and over.

It has been my experience that many women, and men snap during their daily lives. It may be a minor incident or, worse, a series of small incidents will make an individual sad or angry...and the feelings resulting from those incidents will build up to what can be a major event, such as taking physically aggressive actions as the women in the book did... It is my personal opinion that, in today's world, we have all experienced some form of stress-related response to someone else's action. If you know this to be true for yourself, or even have considered that you could reach the point of saying or acting out on your feelings, then I highly recommend you read Tuesday Night Miracles and see if you find yourself there, like I did, or feel that you just might one day see yourself in a similar situation...

This is fiction; however, I felt it was or could be a self-help type of book if you need it to be. Are you sad, angry, agitated, afraid, screaming, drinking...whatever...at times? Please....read this book if you use similar adjectives to describe your personal feelings. And God Bless...

Book Received Via

Kelley and Hall Book Publicity
 

GABixlerReviews


Biography

Kris Radish grew up dreaming about living a Nancy Drew-like life and always held her own passion for writing very close to her heart. A former journalist, nationally syndicated columnist, magazine writer and university instructor, Radish also loves to tell stories about the times she picked nighcrawlers, served beer to cowboys, worked on a tomato farm and hung out of the side of a fast moving helicoper. Radish is now the bestselling author of six novels and has captured the hearts of legions of fans with her heartwarming, real, passionate and often hilarious novels. Her stories focus on the important bonds of female friendship and celebrate the common feelings, heartaches, loves, and struggles that all women share. She loves to call her work "true fiction" because she addresses the real emotions that women live and share every day. She is also the author of two non-fiction books, writes poetry, is the mother of two young and very fiesty adults, is known for her wild laugh and wilder hair, and is working on her seventh novel.

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