Book Review of Unresolved Issue

The name of the book I would like to write, share and review is unresolved issue. It is an interesting story. It is family and relationships and child abuse story. This book was publishing in 2010. The name of the author is Patrick L. Brooks.

About the author

Patrick L. Brooks was born and raised in Chicago, Llanos, and has worked as a mental health counselor for more than a decade, helping adolescents with behavior problems and psychotic issues. Unresolved issue is his first novel

Character

In this book the main character are Tanya, Mr. Raymond and Mrs. Mable ( Tanya Mom& Dad), Deandra ( Tanya best friend), Daniel ( Tanya’s Husband),Daniel Junior DJ ( Tanya’s Son) and Jorie ( Dj’s girlfriend).

Summary of the story

The story began at the school. It was Tuesday. The school bell had just rung and all the children moved frenetically, packing their books and material. Tanya, twelve years old girl sit quietly and didn’t moved and not happy about going back home. Her teacher noticed and asked her what’s happened to her? She answer she was the only child and didn’t have sibling, so that she had a lot of chores to do when she got home.

Actually, Tanya was trying to avoid go back home every Tuesday and Thursday. On those days, her mother, Mable would meet with her sisters at 3:00 to clean early before the Sunday school teachers’ meeting on Tuesday, and on Thursday, they would do the same for Bible Class and her mother come home 4:30 to cook dinner and return to church by 7:00 for teacher’s meeting. Raymond, her father would wait with anticipation for her to come home on these two days during the week.

Tanya’s teacher suggested her to stay with her after school and help her class room work. Tanya was so happy about her teacher suggestion. At that time Tanya didn’t have any friends, later Tanya got one friend. Her name is Deandra. Deandra became Tanya’s best friend. After the school finished every Tuesday and Thursday they went to Library to study the homework. Tanya had suffered molested from his father when she was a child. Tanya had a good relationship with Deandra, she told about her secret that she had suffered molested and raped from his father. Deandra was so sad and pity for Tanya. They spent in library on Tuesday and Thursday to avoid Mr. Raymon, Tanya’s father.

After six month, they are in grade eight now, Tanya and Deandra were inseparable, and they played and visited the park together nearly every day. One day, after the school finished and on the way to the library, Deandra told Tanya, she had to go back home because her father was sick. Deandra said I’m sorry and I forgot. Tanya offered no response to Deandra’s apology. She headed up on her way home.

When she got home, Raymond wasn’t there and went inside her room, firmly closing the door behind her. She sat on her bed quietly with thoughts racing throught her head about what was going to happen when Raymond entered the house. She beagan having flashbacks of the many times Raymond had his way with her on this very bed. His heavy breathing pulsated through her ears and she could physically feel the weight of his body on top of her.

Raymond received promotion at work, so he was celebrating with his divisional manager. Ramond had drunk and was having difficulty with his balance. When he arrived home, he searched Tanya, Raymond tried to rape Tanya. Tanya punched Raymond the head and back with all her might, she stood back and watched him agonize over the impact from her knee and that punches she’d thrown and said to him, ‘you are never going to touch me again’ and run out of the door and set on the steps.

Tanya’s mom didn’t know about her husband bad behavior and Tanya didn’t mention about him. Tanya didn’t want to make her mom unhappy. Tanya hated her father so much; she didn’t call Daddy to her father. She just called him Raymond. Mable didn’t pleased with that and Tanya and her husband relationship.

When Tanya was 18 years old, Tanya was working part time to collect money to stay alone. Raymond didn’t pleased Tanya idea. Tanya got a boy friend called Daniel introduced by Deandra. Daniel and Tanya, they loved each other and stayed together in an apartment. They had falling in love for three years. After three years, Daniel wanted to marry Tanya. He didn’t want to stay with her in living together and he wanted to marry Tanya officially.

Tanya always changes the subject and issue when Daniel told him about the wedding. Tanya had a nightmare about Raymond those days. She didn’t want to tell about her secret to Daniel. She worried that if Daniel knew, he would not love her. Daniel noticed about Tanya and her father bad relationship. Tanya always told that Raymond was very strict to her when she was a child. That’s why she hated Raymond. Later on, Daniel and Tanya married, when Tanya was having Daniel’s baby, one month.

After officially wedding finished, Tanya had a nightmare about Raymond nearly every night. When she dream about she shouted aloud and woke up with sweaty. Daniel concerned about Tanya’s bad dreams. Whenever she had a nightmare Tanya went to Deandra house and told about her dream. Deandrea encouraged and suggested to tell the truth to Daniel about Raymond.

Tanya was afraid to lose Daniel if he knew the secret of Tanya. Tanya was give birth a baby boy, Daniel Junior. One night, she had a nightmare again, at that Daniel try to know exactly what Tanya dream was. Tanya explained Daniel what her dream was. When Daniel knew reality he was shocked and unbelievable Raymond bad behavior. He was tried to control his emotion with drinking and spending and working hard at workplace. After telling the secret, Tanya relieved form stress.

DJ, Tanya and Daniel Son became 15 years old, he was good at basketball and he was so popular in the school and among the girl. Jorie was DJ girlfriend. They loved each other and they met always after the class. One day, there was a concert. Dj, Jorie and their friends planned to go there. They went to Dj grandparents’ house to heir the car. Dj and his grandparents had good relationship. Dj loved his grandfather than his dad because Raymond followed and cheered Daniel Junior basketball match most of the time. They got a car from Dj’s grandfather and promised him give back as soon as. When they got a car, Jorie drove the car, they went the concert, after that they went hotel and making love.

They went back from hotel and their friend went back from the hotel as they self. On the way to home Jorie drove the car and went to DJ home first and she drove alone to Dj’s grandparents’ home to take back the car. When she was arrived Raymond home she saw Raymond in front of the house and greeted him. When she gave the key to Raymond, Raymond grabbed Jorie’s breast and asked her to sleep and sex with him, if she didn’t he was going to tell where they went and he knew what’s they going and done. Jorie afraid and shocked at the time Mable came out from the door. Jorie took a chance to run form Raymond when Mable came out. She felt shocked and ashmed .Jorie didn’t tell anyone anything about that.

Several months later, Dj invited to Jorie to go to his grandparents’ home, she refused again and again gave others reason, Dj and his mom Tanya noticed Jorie faced wasn’t good when Dj mentioned about to go Raymond and Mable home. Tanya encouraged to Jorie to tell about the problem, later jorie told about them what Raymond did to her, Tanya couldn’t hep and think about this would affect DJ. Dj was in disbelief and angry to his grandpa. Tanya and Jorie remind Dj not to do anything to Raymond.

They were planning to tell first to Mable. But Dj didn’t control himself and went to his grandfather house. When he arrived, Raymond was alone and watering the plant. When Raymond saw Dj, he smiled to him but Dj walked angrily to him and asked what he had done to Jorie, Raymond replied him, I didn’t do anything to your girlfriend and your girlfriend offered me sex if I gave her money. Dj angry Raymond’s replied he lunged forward and pushed his grandfather against the garage wall; Raymond lost his balanced and fell to the ground.

Raymond’s neighbor Mr. Bursten heard their shouting and arguing and saw Raymond fell to ground, he went to Mr. Raymond and called ambulance and police, Mr. Bursten recognized Dj from the rear as he ran. Mable was shocked and asked to Tanya why Dj did to his grandfather. Tanya told about Raymond did to her and Jorie, Mable felt so sorry for Tanya and Jorie. She couldn’t forgive herself because she couldn’t protect her daughter. Mable told that Tanya, Raymond wasn’t her real father. Her biological father died when she was one month.

When Raymond was in hospital Mable didn’t go and watched to Raymond, Raymond felt better and he worried about Mable would know the reality. The detective asked Dj about what had happened with his grandfather and why he was there that day. Dj replied them what his lawyer taught him, he went his grandfather to visit and his grandpa scolded him that he didn’t filled the gas to the car.

Raymond was getting better and going back to his sister home from the hospital. He missed Mable so much; he was attending regular meetings at The Human Care Center for his sex addiction. He came to realize his sex addiction stemmed from the incest and child molestation he was exposed to as a child. His aunt Bernadine cared for him molested him and she persuaded Raymond to keep quiet about the molestation by giving him sweets his mother wouldn’t allow him to have. For many years, Raymond’s mother worked full-time hours as a maid and a nanny for two different families. His father’s was shot killed over a dispute with a man who accused him of whistling at his wife. This left Raymond’s mother Mary to raise him on her own. There at weren’t many jobs available for black women that time. Most employment opportunities were servants for financially- stable white people.

Raymond mom died when Raymond’s fifteenth birthday, Bernadine his aunt couldn’t provide for Raymond so she sent him to live with older brother, Hondo, who lived in Chicago. Hondo was a factory worker and had one daughter. Raymond had a difficult time adjusting to the rules and discipline in Hondo’s home because he was used to doing whatever he wanted under Bernadine’s care.

Raymond’s was poor in academic and Hondo pulled him out of school at the age of sixteen and got him a job at the factory where he worked. Hondo’s daughter, Cheryl, was eleven years old when Raymond came to live with them, but this time she was thirteen, she was beginning to develop into womanhood. Raymond raped Cheryl when his uncle didn’t at home. Raymond learned that kind of behavior from his aunt and run away after raping his cousin Cheryl. Raymond had stored this part of his life in the deepest part of his memory bank.

He felt guilty for molestation to Tanya and the sexual assault toward Jorie. In later, Raymond and his grandson DJ at the Courtroom, the lawyer asked them about what had happened between them. Raymond answered his grandson and he argued for Dj basketball team and Dj pushed him because he was angry. Finally, the case was dismissing.

Raymond apologized to Mable for everything he had done to family and left for Florida to start a new life.

In human right article (25) recognized the needs of motherhood and childhood to “special protection and assistance” and the right of all children to “social protection.” First, he didn’t get well education and molested form his aunt since he was a child. It made him to become sex addict and happened to rape his cousin and his daughter and cause sex assault to his grandson’s girlfriend.

Tanya, although she got education, molested from her father. Tanya needs the right of social protection such as sexual abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse.