Against My Will by Benjamin Berkely Review for Premier Virtual Book Tours

About the Book

Rose is a young girl and has just been liberated from a Nazi death camp. As she is convalescing in the hospital, a nurse hands her a journal and suggests that she records her experience before she forgets. Rose says that she will "never forget." 70 years later, her grand -daughter Danielle discovers the journal entries. Danielle is struggling in an abusive relationship. And the two lives intersect. This is the story of survival, self- discovery, justice, and ultimately about love.

                       About this author

“Against My Will” is Benjamin Berkley’s fifth book and debut novel. He is also the author of four self-help books: “My Wishes, Your Plan for Organizing Your Family’s Needs” (Sourcebooks, June, 2006) “The Complete Executor’s Guide” (Sourcebooks, June 2007) “Winning Your Social Security Disability Case” (Sourcebooks, February, 2008) and “Before You Say I Do Again, A Buyer’s Beware Guide to Remarriage.” (Frederick Fell Publishers, September, 2009).
And though writing is his passion, for over 34 years he has conducted a busy law practice in which he has seen many interesting clients come through his door. One in particular, an older woman with white hair, the kindest smile, and an amazing story became the inspiration for one of his characters for “Against My Will.” Berkley lives in southern California with his wife Phyllis and their cat Riley. He has two grown children and is always bragging about his most beautiful grandson and granddaughter.

My Thoughts:

Against My Will is a story about a young Jewish woman, Danielle, who lives with her father, just passed the bar exam and comes home one day to have the local matchmaker in her living room with her father. With them is a young man, Jacob, whom her father thinks would be a perfect husband. Against her better judgement she agrees to date him. Then she agrees to marry him and then it all goes downhill from there. She finally finds the courage to leave Jacob when he rapes her. A tough subject matter for sure where a lot of people would argue that a husband isn't raping his wife if he takes her by force. 

A parallel story is about her grandmother Rose who survived the Holocaust and kept a journal about it. Rose is the only one who seems to understand how Danielle feels. As a lawyer, Danielle will find herself defending a woman who charges that her husband raped her. The author intertwines these stories into a very poignant story of women who are finally able to stand up for what they feel is right. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I received this book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.