DIGITAL DOMAIN
Meant to Be - Beverly Butler and Sue Warhaftig (2011)
Somewhere along the way, 50-year-old homemaker Judith McCoy has lost her identity. From chauffeuring the kids to and from school, play dates, parties, the continuous PTO meetings, and taking care of the house there was never any time for her. Judith married her college sweetheart turned successful businessman Rod McCoy, who is going through a mid-life crisis of his own that could cost him their marriage. Desperate to distance herself from her seemingly adulterous husband, she takes her kids and spends time at a friend's beach house. There she evaluates the last 20 or so years of her life and is determined not to let this destroy her. The quirky supporting characters are easily woven into the story and you will identify with the situations they're in ranging from sentimentally sad, to electrifyingly sexy, painfully sweet, to plain old funny. Is there hope for their marriage, for their family or has too much happened to heal the emotional mess that has become their reality? The story is well written, moving and true-to-life. Judith is one gutsy woman, who emerges as a witty and totally relatable character. (CF)
Meant to Be, by Beverly Butler and Sue Warhaftig, is about a middle-aged mum who hasn't been taking care of herself because she's too busy taking care of others. The summary says: "Judith McCoy is turning 50 and somewhere between kids, carpools, community, and an extra 30 pounds, she's lost track of the interesting and attractive woman she used to be. She's also misplaced her libido, much to her husband's dismay. Longing for intimacy and confused about his wife's mid-life changes, Rod McCoy reaches a tentative and hungry hand into the candy dish that is his New York City advertising agency's glossy hallways, filled with smart and sexy young women. One particular ambitious beauty, a southern charmer named Tammi TeWinkel, is making a calculated play for Rod. Tammi knows what she wants and has the looks, brains and motivation to get it. Judith stumbles across evidence her husband may be having an affair. The hurt she feels is reminiscent of an unhealed wound: the loss of their first child and only son, Johnny, early in the marriage. Judith turns to alcohol to lessen the pain. Through blood-shot eyes she sees her life as one big failure; her mother and two teenaged daughters are caught in the middle of Judith's reckless self-destruction. Hitting bottom and alienating those she loves most, Judith has no choice but to pursue a wrenching ride of self-discovery. It starts with support from Debbie, her worldly and wise best friend, who offers up her well-appointed beach house for the summer. That one action sets in motion a series of events that will heal or destroy Judith, her marriage, and her family." You can find out more details at the Meant to Be website.