(1107) Under Orders by Dick Francis

This is a second book by Dick Francis that I blog on. His books are immensely readable. This is his 30th novel, after the death of his beloved wife. His son took over the research role from his deceased mum, encouraging his father to continue writing after a break of five years.

I like the fact that Sid struggled with having an artificial arm. Somehow super heroes do not attract me. A handicap hero is more human. Although his wife divorced him, after a few years he won the love of an exotic woman in science from a foreign country. I know, that sounded suspect alright. But how can you fault a man whose ex father-in-law still continue to befriend him years after his daughter's divorce?

In the story, Peter Enstone was a man much bullied and cowed by his father who was a successful, titled man. I can remember a similar young man I met in Silver City. I used to teach his younger brother. As the older brother was of driving age. he was often asked to drive my pupil to lessons in my house and much later to my neighbour's house. My pupil struck up friendship with the two neighbourhood sisters about the same age as he was. Years after I moved out of the city, my former pupil and his brother were still friends with the two sisters. Interestingly, the young man who was then at college age would visit the two girls' mother because she often had time on her hand and was gracious enough to have kind thoughts and encouraging words for him.

My son did ask me once if there was anything indelicate between the two. Reflecting back, I doubted it. It was just that: while my neighbour was beaten off and on by her husband, the young man was tortured emotionally day after day by his dad. They found out about the fact that they were both victims through the years. You see, there were three children under the age of 10, they said anything that came to their minds with no hesitation and the two adults were older and clear-eyed enough to read into what was being said in passing.

It is interesting that the lady was a former lawyer and the young man was qualifying as a medical doctor. So we can see that wife abuse and child abuse cross all social and economic barriers.