Melita by Gill D. Anderson begins in Malta with a sixteen-years-old Melita feeling suffocated in a patriarchal atmosphere of her home. She prided herself in being a feminist and detested the idea of following her mom’s footprints. However, when Ross MacDonald entered her life, her attraction toward the man shrouds her strong beliefs. As she surrendered to her desire, she chose a path for herself that was filled with abuse, sacrifice, and bitterness. These trials hardened her heart so much so that she failed to bond even with her only daughter, Emily. Although Emily tried her best to form a connection with her mom, Melita’s reluctance to engage eventually severed whatever was left of it. Unable to see his wife’s pain, Troy begged Emily to give up giving Melite power, but Emily just could not leave her mom alone and uncared for.

On the outset, Melita by Gill D. Anderson appears to be a story about a feminist girl in the sixties that transformed into a bitter old lady and destroyed her relationship with her only daughter. However, there is a more emotional depth to the plot than meets the eyes. When one’s dreams are crushed by one wrong choice and not even their family support them, the scars run deep. Melita did not want patriarchy to be the GPS that navigated her path; instead, she wanted to take charge of the life.

Men worked and women kept the home in order, but this did not sit well with Melita. She felt sure there’d be a time in the near future where equality would be an exciting new phenomenon. She knew this because she intended to be one of the strong women that made it happen.

– Melita by Gill D. Anderson

Obviously, she hadn’t expected her rebellious nature to throw her into a difficult life. Even then, she did the right thing and raised her daughter, Emily. Of course, Emily could not comprehend the severity of her mother’s wounds. She envied the warmth of the mother-daughter relationship she saw around her but could never bask in it herself. There was no right or wrong. The skill with which Gill D. Anderson explored these complex sentiments is commendable beyond words.

Troy could see that Emily desperately wanted to give the impression that she had a close relationship with her mother, Melita, but it was painfully obvious that they clashed horribly. Every time Emily tried to keep the conversation upbeat and positive, Melita responded with sarcasm or contempt.

– Melita by Gill D. Anderson

Apart from the mother-daughter relationship, Melita also unravels the psychological mindset of an abusive partner. “Monkey see, monkey do,” expression appears a couple of times, and the circumstances make the audience nod with the characters. The issues discussed in the book become all the more relatable when the aftermath of COVID-19 virus breakout unfolds. Social distancing forced characters to think about things with a more rational mindset. Introducing this shift was a stroke of genius.

The problem was that Melita was a control freak. It was her way or the highway. Her personality was partly borne from her strict upbringing where she was forced to undertake duties as her parents saw fit for a female, and partly because she was naturally rebellious and as stubborn as a mule.

– Melita by Gill D. Anderson

Melita by Gill D. Anderson moves back in forth between the sixties and the present in a relaxed and uncomplicated manner. The characters remind the readers of the bitter old lady who would never return your ball if it landed on her backyard, the old man who kept to himself, and a woman at your workplace who wanted to get along with her mom. Thus, forming a connection with these characters was inevitable. Furthermore, their conversations and thoughts not only resonated with real-life scenarios but also provided unforgettable pearls of wisdom. Melita by Gill D. Anderson is an engaging fiction that is rich with intricate human emotions, intriguing twists, and messy relationships.

She was the only child of a single mother and had little contact with other family members. So much was shrouded in secrecy, which affected her sense of identity. Every time she asked questions about her father and his side of the family, her mother’s response was vague. Likewise, every time she asked why they lived so far away from Melita’s side of the family in Malta, her mum snapped her head off.

– Melita by Gill D. Anderson

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