Keep it In Yor Knickers ~ J R Sanders

This was a light and surprisingly enjoyable read about the on/off relationship between 'Judi' and 'George' that spans across the continents.  It was ‘racey’ without being pornographic and I think that there are a lot of women out there who will be able to identify with an erratic roller coaster relationship though perhaps not on this Transatlantic/Pacific level, but may it be a lesson to us all as it smacks of desperation!

Based on actual events Ms Sanders said that the story was embellished a little to make it more exciting so I really hope that she didn’t give ‘George’ all those chances.  Actually I felt that she was a bit of a stalker, not letting go, sending emails trying to keep in touch and asking heartfelt questions after each break up.  It’s easy for someone to send a reply and tell you what you want to hear in an email – he could have been in bed with someone else whilst he was sending it!  I think it would be very interesting to have this story told from ‘George’s’ point of view!!

In some parts it comes across as very naive – I think I must be a bit of a cynic when it comes to men but truly they do love differently from women.  Women invest their heart and soul into a relationship but men (in my experience J) just want food and sex.  I think the amazing Tim Minchin sums up a man's point of view perfectly………….“If I didn't have you, someone else would do”!  Tongue in cheek?  They do say many a  truth is told in jest.

There is plenty of humour throughout however, though I think the story would have benefited from a bit more depth with regards to the travel locations (they interested me much more than the sex) and I think an editor would have been worth the effort (Ms Sanders said she didn’t use one) as apart from some grammar and punctuation errors they would have picked up on the heinous spelling of Cold Chisel’s ‘Khe Sahn’.

I was reading Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks in tandem, which could not have been further from the other end of the scale as far as sexual liberation for women is concerned and I found that I was picking up Knickers more often to read than Desire.  So, in summary, Keep it in Yor Knickers is certainly a roller coaster ride of sex, love (?), heartbreak, a lot of travel and a warning of what not to do when trying desperately to hold onto something that is not really there.  Be broadminded or you might be shocked with the opening chapter; it’s a fun read with plenty of aspects within it that one can identify with. However, if I do find myself free and single in my 50s, this story will inspire me to do things much more gracefully than our fifty and fabulous 'Judi'!