Book Review: Overtime by Judith Kendall
OVERTIME, by Judith Kendall, is a book that caters to a distinctly female audience and the role it plays (e.g. fights, voice of reason, etc.) in a man’s world. It tells the story of a conflict within conflicts, of major social changes, and the big, bad lifestyle of the 1960s–drugs, free-love lifestyle, and the non-declared Vietnam war–hovering in the background. The book itself is a culmination of Judith Kendall’s experiences and wisdom imbued with her passion for the era and the lifestyle of the `60s.
OVERTIME revolves around four primary characters who are, unsuspectingly, caught up in the warp of the tumultuous `60s. The backdrop for the story is Nielsen Electronics, the company for whom the main characters work. John Hampton is the senior engineer who seems to have everything working in his favor. Robin Nichols, a single mom, is learning to master the art of caring for her two boys while fulfilling her secretarial duties for Nielsen Electronics. In their forecast, there is a strong chance of friendship as well as love. Loren Slaton, general manager, is close to achieving his long-term goal of becoming the majority owner of the company. He is also the husband of Mildred Slaton, who is going through her first bouts of menopause, and is determined to reassess her life and future goals.
OVERTIME sums up this notion that life hits you so fast that it’s paralyzing. In fact, Kendall’s cannon-like bombardment of events, one after another, keeps the reader vigilantly watching for the next unexpected occurrence. Kendall emphasizes that the 1960s were all about life lived at breakneck speed, and where the underlying social currents were a staple of society; all the while its inhabitants remaining oblivious.
To be sure, the characters in this book are blindsided by the whirlwind of the `60s. The sequence of events leaves them barely holding on, desperately trying to grasp what has just transpired, calling upon what reason is available to make some sense of it all. Amidst all the chaos, the end result is impending divorce, tragedy, and dramatic changes in all of their lives.
Ultimately, OVERTIME is a quick and refreshing read that sheds light onto one of the most avant-garde eras in history, the 1960s. It vividly and honestly depicts the hustle and bustle, the conflicts of everyday life, and the social norms that took the world by storm and inevitably became the icons of the era.
The book may be ordered at Amazon.com, BN.com, and almost everywhere books are sold. Judith Kendall
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