One glance at We Need Our Daddy, Too A Grandmother's Story of Her Son's Divorce, by Karen P. Ronald, gives readers a pretty good idea of the contents. A breakup of a marriage is never easy, and children mess things up even further with custody issues.
When Karen's son Keith decided he had to end his relationship with his wife, he thought it would be better to be apart than to continue 'for the sake of the kids'. However, the resulting court battle just made the situation worse. Did he make the right decision? Perhaps, although it's hard to know without the other side of the story.
Sonja, Keith's wife, was unhappy to say the least. Even though the marriage was not working out, she could not accept writing a new chapter for her life. What did she decide to do? Fight back the only way she could, with their two sons paying a high price.
The plan was relatively simple. As long as Keith saw his children during the times agreed upon in their divorce decree, Sonja could get the maximum amount of child support available. What if Keith had the day off from work? It wouldn't matter, just ensure he picked up the kids at about the same time he would if he were working.
Anguish and pain are clearly visible throughout each paragraph of this book. By no means is it a quick read, even though the piece is relatively short.
Ronald states her intention in writing this book was to show how the court system could be tilted in favor of the mother without taking the father into consideration. Did she succeed? Perhaps.
Readers will come away with a skewed portrait of Sonja which does not reflect well. Since I do not know the family personally, I'm not sure whether or not the bias is justified.
The judges varied in their decisions, not favoring one person in particular but not ruling in the optimum desire. Yes, one judge might have seemed to be a friend of Sonja's. However, this individual also said the matter should be left in the hands of a mediator.
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