Runaways - A Book by Jack & Zena Briggs with John McCarthy (Runaways - Jack & Zena Briggs, John McCarthy)

Member Name: tonilouise

Product:	Runaways - Jack & Zena Briggs, John McCarthy
Date:	03/11/01 (193 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Encouragesmcompassion, empathy and understanding of two differing cultures and religions

Disadvantages: None

This review is really about a book for which John McCarthy only wrote the introduction and for want of no where else to submit it, I have placed it here.

Having read both 'Some Other Rainbow' by him and Jill Morrell and 'An Evil Cradling' by Brian Keenan, I was inspired to read this book also. What I loved best about the books, was despite the hostages suffering, they were able to write so eloquently and so humorously about what had happened to them. Neither, was I disappointed with this book.

Once upon a time in the not so distant past, a boy met a girl. Big deal, you might say, so what? It happens all the time. However, when Jack met Zena their lives were set to change forever.

We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet, the star crossed lovers but this is no fictional tale and goes to prove how is so often said, that the truth is much stranger than fiction.

Living in a Yorkshire town, Jack is white. The object of his affection is Zena. She is from a Pakistani family of strong Muslims and expected to marry the man chosen for her, a man she has met once at the tender age of 14, a man she doesn't love - could never love.

When is becomes clear that her family will not accept them as a couple, they decide to run away together and marry. Before they know it, Zena has a £9,000 theft charge against her and her family has hired a private detective and a bounty hunter, with one aim, to kill them.

What follows is a inspirational tale of outstanding courage and commitment, of fear and of hope. Forced to live in bed and breakfast accommodation across the country, never being able to settle anywhere for any length of time, Jack and Zena turn to the authorities for help. Enter, a whole assortment of characters, the police, the DSS, Victim Support, politicians and journalists.

The couple are subsequently passed from pillar to post. No one really wants their sort of trouble, so they are moved fro
m place to place like some sort of baggage and like some sort of farce or comedy of errors, just when you think that things are looking up, things go more wrong than you could possibly imagine...

This book will leave you appalled that such a thing could happen in Britain today and it will make you sad to think that a once cherished daughter could be so mercilessly hunted down for loving someone who had not been chosen for her by her family... in a last ditch attempt for freedom and acceptance, Jack wrote to John McCarthy. The result was this book - a book that should surely be read.

I myself read this book prior to the September 11th tragedy and was as appalled as the rest of the world at those events and am devastated at the situation we now found ourselves in.

I find myself torn between two attitudes. Firstly, by bombing the hell out of our enemy, are we really any better than they are but secondly, do we really want to look back in 50 years time and say we did nothing to stop these attrocities?

This book read now, is a timely reminder of the need for compassion and empathy towards others at all times. It highlights the need for understanding of other cultures and religions and the fact that at the end of the day, we are all, only human.

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