Hidden Family Dysfunction - Powerful Story
The story line of A Prisoner Within, by J. M. Northup, is by far the best book I’ve read on the lives of the modern-day dysfunctional family. The story is so true to life, I found myself experiencing emotions I haven’t felt for a long, long time. I have known of some dysfunctional families and the one Northup has created epitomizes these people and types of habits and secrets.
The mother figure in the story is definitely one character I detested from the beginning. She is pure evil; her actions and hate so intense and blatant I could feel how vile she was. This story is a perfect example of how parental abuse confuses a child. Children know only love unless taught otherwise.
The author’s characterization of the abused teenage daughter is impeccably rendered. We get to see the true-to-life emotions of a daughter who clings to loving her mother but remains in a state of utter confusion by the abuse and hate heaped on her for no known reason. Northup did a magnificent job of showing us how this girl clung to her sanity. Yet, the long-suffering begins to take a toll as her emotional stability is being stripped away.
Then there is the wimp of a step-dad, again, about as realistically portray as I’ve ever read. I kept asking myself, “How does Northup do this? How can she understand so much about the infinitesimal depths human nature?” I honestly enjoyed what he did at the end of the story and, despite him taking a stand to control the abuse, his shocking comeuppance was well-deserved.
This fiction story is so real, so life-like it has stirred my deepest emotions. If you’ve never understood the meaning of “dysfunctional family” this story will clear it up for you. The author has created a plot that could be true of anyone, even your neighbor, well hidden from the public eye, as were these characters’ lives.
J.M. Northup’s ability to give life to words and stories seems to know no end. I’m following her through all her books. Her understanding of the human condition in any situation, down to the most abysmal detail, is nothing short of amazing. For this story, for the writing in it, to experience J.M. Northup’s phenomenal story telling ability, this is s MUST READ.