Book: Jess Under Pressure
Author: E. Graziani
Publisher: Morning Rain Publishing
Date of Publication: 15 June 2015
Genres: Women's Fiction, Self-help
"Just as randomly two
human cells come together to create life, it can easily and indiscriminately be
snatched away."
Jess Under Pressure by E. Graziani is a powerful novella of
regaining one's life, overcoming obstacles, breaking free and above all
learning to live and love once again.
The story is about Jessica
Britton, a renowned psychologist, whose book Give More, Do More, Be Better
has inspired thousands of women. However, things are not perfect for the
doctor, who discovers her husband cheating on her when he and her publicist die
in a car crash.
At the beginning of the novel,
Jessica tells one of the show hosts: "Life's a very demanding undertaking if you don't
know where to turn for support." This phrase is quite ironic
considering her upcoming predicament – she hasn't been told of her husband's
death and infidelity yet.
Throughout the book, we see Jessica
being interviewed by several talk show hosts. At first, she is confident and
professional but after the scandal, the renowned doctor breaks down. We also
see her struggling with her teenage daughters.
Each chapter of Jess Under Pressure opens with a quote from her
book. Ironically, Jess is incapable of following her own advice. But when she
suddenly decides to take a long drive away from home, she meets a group of
women who help her stand on her own two feet, while also using some of the
directions in her book.
Many of the quotes taken from Give
More, Do More, Be Better ring true in modern society, and in almost all
countries around the world. (These quotes will be in purple)
"Women
often feel pressure to present a 'Superwoman' persona because they believe
everyone is doing it."
Despite being a well-known psychologist,
Jessica lived under an illusion that her life was perfect. I like how
the author gave her such strong faults.
"She wanted her life back
the way it was – no she wanted her life back the way she believed it
was."
Jess Under Pressure comes at a tough time for me and many of the
lines in both Jess's book and the novel itself come out strong. I think they
will resonate with many women, old or young.
I like the interaction between
Jess and her children or at least Jess' attempts to do so. As a reader, I can see
how she is trying to cope with several things at the same time. Still, despite
being a successful writer and psychologist, she seems incapable of dealing with
her own children. Her statements to Kate in particular appear shallow, like she
is unaware that her daughter has grown up and that she is treating her as a
child, which naturally has caustic effects.
"Sometimes, she wanted to
run away screaming, and other times, she felt hollow, tired and spent. The energy
was being sucked out of her exponentially as the dichotomy of feelings swirling
and churning within her floated like sickening pond scum to the top of her
psyche like toxic goo."
Also, one of the things I liked
about Jess Under Pressure, was Graziani's description of Jessica's
emotions and how she struggles with her husband's death, his cheating and her
love for him.
The moment Jess meets Susie
and later the rest of the gang, she begins her transformation and development. She
admits to Susie: "I should be helping you. I'm trained to help
others… but I can't event help myself. Everything I've been saying is a
lie."
We also see how Jess thinks she has everything and
later how she feels she has nothing. But as the women begin to tell their
stories, Jess realises that many of them have been through worse experiences
and she begins to be thankful at least that her children are alive and well.
One of the dialogues I truly loved in Jess Under
Pressure was
this one, where Jess talks to her younger daughter Laura, while she's still at
Susie's, and which shows her character development.
"I promised my friends
that I would stay a little longer. We just had dinner together, and they left
not too long ago."
"You have friends?"
"I made friends here. Everyone
needs friends."
"You never needed them
before."
"May be I did, and I didn't
realise it. But I do now, and I'm happier that I do."
"You sound happier."
"I think I am."
Other quotes from Give
More, Do More, Be Better:
"Sometimes
we are at the mercy of events beyond our control – the key to knowing ourselves
better is how we react to them."
"If we cut
out stressing about all the things we are powerless to prevent, we would all
live healthier, better, and happier lives."
Note: I received
a free copy of Jess Under Pressure from the author in exchange for an
honest review.
About the Author:
E. Graziani resides in
Ontario, Canada with her husband and four daughters. She is a teacher and
life-long learner who believes in setting new goals for herself and working
hard to achieve them. Her love of history, word artistry, and storytelling help
to fuel these goals as do her students who particularly enjoy her classroom
read alouds.
Add the book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25743557-jess-under-pressure
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