Under Pressure

By Abigail Reed

Cilla is a mid-level executive at a mid-level department store chain, she is having an affair with her boss, Lou. But when she tries to break it off with him he threatens to fire her. Recently divorced, Karyn is Cilla's assistant who soon finds herself the target Lou's harassment as he continually brushes up against her, leaves pornography on her desk and demands that she wear shorter skirts. Raquel must constantly fend off his advances by threatening him with her male relatives. Obsessed with her ex-boyfriend, she begins to stalk him and finds herself arrested when she shows up at his house at 2 a.m.Joining forces, the three friends begin to track down other women that Lou has harassed in the past hoping to stop to his degradation of women.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812539281
• ISBN13: 9780812539288
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Forge
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.0" x 4.0"

Customer Reviews

gripping

Having worked in a variety of business environments and seen sexual harrassment in action (including a man who pushed his full body against mine 'in fun,' I really wanted to read this book. When I reported the sex harrassment I had seen to Human Resources nothing was ever done, and one of the men who was on the "sexual harrassment memo" as someone to come to, was one of the harrssers! I was glad to see a book that covered the topic and allowed me to live the lives of women and one man) who did fight back. The story is written in a warm style that appealed to me and got me involved in the characters. I hope Abigail Reed tackles a lot of topics like this in her future writing career.

Well-written look at sexual harassament in the work place

In Michigan, anyone who wanted to get anywhere in the fashion side of the Cybelle Department store chain had to brown nose Lou Hechter. If they want to remain employed, they have to have sex when he wants it because it is an unwritten part of the job description. His latest target is new employee Karyn Christophe, who he hones in on like pinpoint radar in the parking lot on her first day. Karyn is starting over after a nasty divorce and a frantic move from Atlanta. She has obtained a court order for her crazy ex spouse to stay away from her and their daughter Amber. Starting this new job that her aunt helped get for her was caused by Mack's constant harassment of her at her old firm. Lou begins his campaign to sleep with Karyn with unwanted "accidental" touches and ribald comments. Though frightened for her job, Karyn refuses to be a victim again. When Lou tries to rape her, she records his illicit comments in a hotel room. Although whistleblowers are allegedly protected, the pressure on Karyn from the Cybelle management and legal team protecting one of their own begins. UNDER PRESSURE is a well-written tale centering on sexual harassment on the job. The story line builds up the tension as Lou increases his pressure on a subordinate to sexually get in line. Although, Abigail Reed simplifies the complexity of the issue by allowing Lou to always think with the wrong head, the story line provides an energetic look at the extended impact of harassment on everyone within the circles of influence (friends, family, and workers) of the victim and the predator.

Sexual Harassment In Fashion Industry

This was a pretty good tale of sexual harassment and the boss was certainly very realistically portrayed. He is seen from 3 women employees' points of view and we thus learn their 3 stories. It may have been better to reduce the women to two so we could have gotten more depth on the characters. As it is, the characters are developed in rather broad strokes. One of these women has a problem of her own. She is stalking her former fiance, who is an employee of the same company. She gets progressively more out of control until the police are called to arrest her. The cover on this book is what caught my eye. It is striking, in red and black on a white background; the photo of a woman in a doorway facing a desk and a briefcase.