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Memoir of Abuse
Broken Pieces
Not easy subjects -- love, loss, sexual abuse, date rape, grief -- but real ones, told in pieces (thus the title). Broken Pieces is a work of non-fiction.
Poetry, prose, and essays to let you into one woman's life -- a searingly raw examination of topics most people avoid.
Already a #1 best seller on Amazon (eBooks) on Women's Poetry and Abuse, this book is recommended for mature audiences only.
Poetry, prose, and essays to let you into one woman's life -- a searingly raw examination of topics most people avoid.
Already a #1 best seller on Amazon (eBooks) on Women's Poetry and Abuse, this book is recommended for mature audiences only.
116 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2012
169 people are currently reading
1358 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Thompson
9 books1,365 followersRachel Thompson is the author of the award-winning, bestselling Broken Places (one of IndieReader’s “Best of 2015” top books and 2015 Honorable Mention Winner in both the Los Angeles and the San Francisco Book Festivals), and the bestselling, multi-award-winning Broken Pieces, as well as two additional humor books, A Walk In The Snark and Mancode: Exposed. She recently released her first business book, the BadRedhead Media 30-Day Book Marketing Challenge, to stellar reviews. She is thrilled to be included in Feminine Collective’s two anthologies, Love Notes From Humanity: The Lust, Love & Loss Collection and Raw and Unfiltered Vol 1: Selected Essays and Poems on Relationships with Self and Others.
About: Business and Writing
She owns BadRedhead Media, creating effective social media and book marketing campaigns for authors. Her articles appear regularly in The Huffington Post, Feminine Collective, IndieReader.com, The Verbs on Medium, Vocal Media, Mogul.com, and several other publications. Connect with Rachel at RachelintheOC.com or BadRedheadMedia.com.
Not just an advocate for sexual abuse survivors, Rachel is the creator and founder of the hashtag phenomenon #MondayBlogs and the live weekly Twitter chats, #SexAbuseChat, co-hosted with certified therapist/survivor, Bobbi Parish (Tuesdays, 6 pm PST/9pm EST), and #BookMarketingChat, co-hosted with author assistant Melissa Flickinger (Wednesdays, 6 pm PST/9pm EST). She hates walks in the rain, running out of coffee, and coconut. She lives in California with her family.
About: Business and Writing
She owns BadRedhead Media, creating effective social media and book marketing campaigns for authors. Her articles appear regularly in The Huffington Post, Feminine Collective, IndieReader.com, The Verbs on Medium, Vocal Media, Mogul.com, and several other publications. Connect with Rachel at RachelintheOC.com or BadRedheadMedia.com.
Not just an advocate for sexual abuse survivors, Rachel is the creator and founder of the hashtag phenomenon #MondayBlogs and the live weekly Twitter chats, #SexAbuseChat, co-hosted with certified therapist/survivor, Bobbi Parish (Tuesdays, 6 pm PST/9pm EST), and #BookMarketingChat, co-hosted with author assistant Melissa Flickinger (Wednesdays, 6 pm PST/9pm EST). She hates walks in the rain, running out of coffee, and coconut. She lives in California with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
December 8, 2015
Full of emotions I wasn't expecting!
Rachel's words filled my heart with pain, grief and happiness. Her stories teach us that life is a roller coaster, one we can't always stomach, but each drop and twist make us stronger, enough to teach and help others overcome and survive. That is what Rachel has done by way of using lyrical words in this compilation of soul-bearing stories. For anyone who has suffered from abuse, pain, loss, or fear, comfort can be found within this book. I highly recommend it to all!
Rachel's words filled my heart with pain, grief and happiness. Her stories teach us that life is a roller coaster, one we can't always stomach, but each drop and twist make us stronger, enough to teach and help others overcome and survive. That is what Rachel has done by way of using lyrical words in this compilation of soul-bearing stories. For anyone who has suffered from abuse, pain, loss, or fear, comfort can be found within this book. I highly recommend it to all!
January 19, 2013
Broken Pieces Review
Rachel Thompson
Some girls grow up being told that a knight in shining armor will save them, and slay dragons for them. But in the real world, sometimes the knight IS the dragon.
Then the princess has to find the knight within her to slay her own dragons.
This collection of essays, short vignettes and poetry evoke an emotional roadmap for the warrior Rachel Thompson had to become. It’s an intensely personal journey, at times both vulnerable and triumphant.
It is not an easy path for her to follow. It is not an easy path to WATCH her follow. As a man, it conjures up shame for the crimes one gender commits against the other. I imagine for a woman it is a gut-wrenching vindication for the hazards women endure every day simply for being a woman. At times safe, protected in the hollow of the space between them and their lover. Protected at other times by the hollows they create within themselves.
But their bodies, their minds, and their hearts always in danger of betrayal.
This book is an important work. Of art, of warning, of succor.
If I had a daughter, I would insist she read it.
The cover is beautifully conceived and executed by Natasha Brown. The artwork does as much to describe the spirit of the book as any I’ve seen.
I recommend this book, but for a man who cares about women, I recommend walking away from it from time to time before coming back to it. And remind yourself that even though some men have done these horrible things, not ALL men do these things. And NO MEN should ever do these things. Raise your sons to know this.
Rachel Thompson
Some girls grow up being told that a knight in shining armor will save them, and slay dragons for them. But in the real world, sometimes the knight IS the dragon.
Then the princess has to find the knight within her to slay her own dragons.
This collection of essays, short vignettes and poetry evoke an emotional roadmap for the warrior Rachel Thompson had to become. It’s an intensely personal journey, at times both vulnerable and triumphant.
It is not an easy path for her to follow. It is not an easy path to WATCH her follow. As a man, it conjures up shame for the crimes one gender commits against the other. I imagine for a woman it is a gut-wrenching vindication for the hazards women endure every day simply for being a woman. At times safe, protected in the hollow of the space between them and their lover. Protected at other times by the hollows they create within themselves.
But their bodies, their minds, and their hearts always in danger of betrayal.
This book is an important work. Of art, of warning, of succor.
If I had a daughter, I would insist she read it.
The cover is beautifully conceived and executed by Natasha Brown. The artwork does as much to describe the spirit of the book as any I’ve seen.
I recommend this book, but for a man who cares about women, I recommend walking away from it from time to time before coming back to it. And remind yourself that even though some men have done these horrible things, not ALL men do these things. And NO MEN should ever do these things. Raise your sons to know this.
April 29, 2013
Forgive me for stepping outside of the tone set by the other reviewers. I’m interested in addressing you guys out there who may have stumbled across this book and read the description with a shudder. You should reconsider before moving on.
Years ago, around the time Rachel Thompson was being born, we used to joke: “Why don't women come with instruction manuals?” It sounds like the build up for a great joke, but I never heard the punch line. (Like a lot of people, I had to LIVE the punch line. A few times.) So, if we don’t get a set of instructions we can read to a keep us from watching the relationship we treasure melt down far beyond our worst, possible imaginings of the term “ this really sucks,” just how do we go about leaning about the opposite sex?
Well, you can try to glean wisdom from pop songs. (I believe, back in the 70s, Aerosmith advised us it was a good idea to have a big, 12“); you can seek the advice of your “friends” - who probably just want you to fall on your butt anyway, or worse yet, you can find a guru -- usually the seedy, acne ridden guy who was held back in High School, wore the same US Army surplus overcoat all year long, smelled like rotting chicken and had the biggest collection of “Hustler” magazines in town. He was an expert on women. He'd read the forum pages.
And then there was the guy at the corner bar - how he ever found time to actually be with a woman between consuming oceans of brewski's no one will ever know, but he had all the answers, his favorite being: "Treat 'em rough. They'll love ya better." I'm sure he read that somewhere.
Well, my man, contradicting the sage council in the above paragraph, I advise you to download Roy Head and the Traits song “Treat Her Right,” and Rachel Thompson’s book “Broken Pieces.” You may want to hang around Rachel’s blog too. You might just learn something.
As you know by now, from slogging through the other reviews to get to this one, (yeah,) Rachel is a very funny writer of snarky essays on male and female relationships. She also has several social media connections set up (Facebook, Twitter, Google +, etc) offering very good advice for the careers of budding, independent authors. “Broken Pieces,” though is a departure. There’s not a joke to be seen. Anywhere. This is Rachel Thompson’s serious side - just honest, solid, bare bones reporting of life as she has experienced it from the female perspective. Okay, there are a couple of emotional essays and some free form poetry, but they are brief - and there are no pastel renderings of butterflies, kittens or the like.
Actually, although I don’t know a damned thing about the subject, the poems and essays strike me as being very good. I breezed through the volume in an evening.
Rachel seems to have lived through just about every possible bad relationship with a male short of attempted murder. Anyone familiar with the tales circulating though battered womens' shelters and the offices of female therapists will recognize the situations: Abusive, demon lovers, control freaks, child molesters, and attempted date rape. Through it all Rachel presents her narrative in clear, unemotionally charged prose that doesn’t get between you and the hideous events she describes. The result is heartbreaking because of it's honesty and realism.
You are there.
However, this isn't a book about wallowing in the past and whining about how unfair life is. This is a book about surviving. I kid you when I say it could be an instruction manual for understanding the opposite sex -- but you can do a lot worse, and pal, it's a good idea to learn how 50% of the population experience life - without having to wade through all of those silly bodice ripper romances your mother loves. Rachel is a straight talker. Guys appreciate that. Well, some of us anyway.
If you are a woman struggling with some of the issues mentioned, I could imagine the book providing comfort and inspiration - a reason to keep going. Is there higher praise?
Recommended.
Five stars.
Years ago, around the time Rachel Thompson was being born, we used to joke: “Why don't women come with instruction manuals?” It sounds like the build up for a great joke, but I never heard the punch line. (Like a lot of people, I had to LIVE the punch line. A few times.) So, if we don’t get a set of instructions we can read to a keep us from watching the relationship we treasure melt down far beyond our worst, possible imaginings of the term “ this really sucks,” just how do we go about leaning about the opposite sex?
Well, you can try to glean wisdom from pop songs. (I believe, back in the 70s, Aerosmith advised us it was a good idea to have a big, 12“); you can seek the advice of your “friends” - who probably just want you to fall on your butt anyway, or worse yet, you can find a guru -- usually the seedy, acne ridden guy who was held back in High School, wore the same US Army surplus overcoat all year long, smelled like rotting chicken and had the biggest collection of “Hustler” magazines in town. He was an expert on women. He'd read the forum pages.
And then there was the guy at the corner bar - how he ever found time to actually be with a woman between consuming oceans of brewski's no one will ever know, but he had all the answers, his favorite being: "Treat 'em rough. They'll love ya better." I'm sure he read that somewhere.
Well, my man, contradicting the sage council in the above paragraph, I advise you to download Roy Head and the Traits song “Treat Her Right,” and Rachel Thompson’s book “Broken Pieces.” You may want to hang around Rachel’s blog too. You might just learn something.
As you know by now, from slogging through the other reviews to get to this one, (yeah,) Rachel is a very funny writer of snarky essays on male and female relationships. She also has several social media connections set up (Facebook, Twitter, Google +, etc) offering very good advice for the careers of budding, independent authors. “Broken Pieces,” though is a departure. There’s not a joke to be seen. Anywhere. This is Rachel Thompson’s serious side - just honest, solid, bare bones reporting of life as she has experienced it from the female perspective. Okay, there are a couple of emotional essays and some free form poetry, but they are brief - and there are no pastel renderings of butterflies, kittens or the like.
Actually, although I don’t know a damned thing about the subject, the poems and essays strike me as being very good. I breezed through the volume in an evening.
Rachel seems to have lived through just about every possible bad relationship with a male short of attempted murder. Anyone familiar with the tales circulating though battered womens' shelters and the offices of female therapists will recognize the situations: Abusive, demon lovers, control freaks, child molesters, and attempted date rape. Through it all Rachel presents her narrative in clear, unemotionally charged prose that doesn’t get between you and the hideous events she describes. The result is heartbreaking because of it's honesty and realism.
You are there.
However, this isn't a book about wallowing in the past and whining about how unfair life is. This is a book about surviving. I kid you when I say it could be an instruction manual for understanding the opposite sex -- but you can do a lot worse, and pal, it's a good idea to learn how 50% of the population experience life - without having to wade through all of those silly bodice ripper romances your mother loves. Rachel is a straight talker. Guys appreciate that. Well, some of us anyway.
If you are a woman struggling with some of the issues mentioned, I could imagine the book providing comfort and inspiration - a reason to keep going. Is there higher praise?
Recommended.
Five stars.
April 7, 2013
I had a strong reaction to this book, and frankly I think it would be hard not to. It was a difficult book for me to read for many reasons. The one that is actually about the book, and not a reaction to similar experiences in my own life, and the one I will discuss is the way it jumps around. While I understand it was a series of essays and perhaps meant to be displayed as fragmented experiences (aka Broken Pieces), my borderline OCD mind thinks in order and stayed somewhat confused during the reading. However, the CONTENT of the book is beautifully and painfully presented. It is poignant, impactful, dark, hopeful, and so many other things. You find yourself (or I did) weeping for the 12 year old girl who's been molested and lived in fear for her life and the lives of her family members, remembering what it feels like to be in (or know someone who was in) an abusive/dark/sordid/tumultuous/exciting/terrifying relationship in their late teens or twenties (when we are least capable of dealing with them because we don't even know ourselves yet) and cheering for the woman who is CLEARLY not a victim and has found love and happiness while dealing with her past, depression, and well, LIFE. THIS is a woman I'd like to have a glass of wine with.
May 9, 2013
Baring your soul... reading from your diary aloud... all your fears, pain, sorrow, anxiety… dealing with death… standing completely naked, bathed in stark light, in front of a judgmental public eye.
The author does this with a natural, stumbling, honest voice. She shares with us more than most are comfortable with ever sharing and does it in a formidable, “in your face”, way.
There isn't an easy way to explain the experience of reading this work. Much of it doesn't read easily. By that I don't mean it is difficult to decipher or understand, but the emotional resonance of the work has a certain 'punch-you-in-the-face' brutal honesty that is rare to find.
As this isn't a work of fiction the depth of the work is far beyond light reading. You have been warned.
It's common for me to say, in reviews that write, that I don't give spoilers... and I won't give spoilers here either. What I will say is that there is raw, honest looks into the human condition, and it can, if you allow it to, affect you on a highly personal level.
I will happily read and recommend this work of truth to any and all who will read it. It is simply amazing.
The author does this with a natural, stumbling, honest voice. She shares with us more than most are comfortable with ever sharing and does it in a formidable, “in your face”, way.
There isn't an easy way to explain the experience of reading this work. Much of it doesn't read easily. By that I don't mean it is difficult to decipher or understand, but the emotional resonance of the work has a certain 'punch-you-in-the-face' brutal honesty that is rare to find.
As this isn't a work of fiction the depth of the work is far beyond light reading. You have been warned.
It's common for me to say, in reviews that write, that I don't give spoilers... and I won't give spoilers here either. What I will say is that there is raw, honest looks into the human condition, and it can, if you allow it to, affect you on a highly personal level.
I will happily read and recommend this work of truth to any and all who will read it. It is simply amazing.
January 24, 2013
As a writer, I marvel at exquisite prose. And Rachel's prose dazzles, running the gamut from in-your-face to an angel's chorus—doing it eloquently. But this isn't just about her moving prose, it's about where Rachel takes you—her world.
It's a world of cages, flutters and tears of blood. It's touch and release, light and shadows, love and lovers and revealing her truth. A truth that isn't always soft and gentle and pretty, yet never fails to move you. I'm intrigued by her unique insights into the human emotions we all share: confusion and shame, loss and regret, fear and rage, love and lust—depression, perseverance and passion.
Gentlemen, so you know, I not particularly a Chick Lit fan, and in my humble opinion Broken Pieces is not that. However, we males would do well to learn from Rachel's revelations—to better understand how our behavior impacts the female psyche, and to appreciate how a contemporary woman loves and lives.
A brutal and brilliant memoir, fasten your seatbelts for this one – Author and Rachel Thompson fan, Michael Allan Scott.
It's a world of cages, flutters and tears of blood. It's touch and release, light and shadows, love and lovers and revealing her truth. A truth that isn't always soft and gentle and pretty, yet never fails to move you. I'm intrigued by her unique insights into the human emotions we all share: confusion and shame, loss and regret, fear and rage, love and lust—depression, perseverance and passion.
Gentlemen, so you know, I not particularly a Chick Lit fan, and in my humble opinion Broken Pieces is not that. However, we males would do well to learn from Rachel's revelations—to better understand how our behavior impacts the female psyche, and to appreciate how a contemporary woman loves and lives.
A brutal and brilliant memoir, fasten your seatbelts for this one – Author and Rachel Thompson fan, Michael Allan Scott.
December 29, 2012
This is one of the most intense and honest books I have ever read. I have trouble putting into words how much it means to me. I can open up Broken Pieces and feel someone has truly been through hell and it puts my problems into perspective. On another level, I can relate to the pain of partners being unfaithful and how much it eats away at you. Rachel Thompson strikes deep into the reader's heart as she opens up her own. Her journey is not humorous but it is real. You will admire her strength and you will not pity her. Pity is not he purpose of this book. Thompson shares her story because it is a story that needs told and will benefit those suffering from abuse, both sexual and not. Sexual harassment, molestation of children and rape are not a thing of the past; they continues and we must be aware. We must stop all of it with everything we have. Broken Pieces is a book everyone will be better for reading. I know I am.
October 16, 2013
Rachel Thompson’s book Broken Pieces (Essays Inspired By Life) is a courageous effort to distill the most closely held, shameful, hurtful, damaging, abusive, and terrifying events in her life into something she chooses to share with readers. That something is an elegant, well-written collection of poems, essays, and narrative selections that reveal a woman who has confronted her deepest, darkest fears to not only survive, but to thrive.
Few people are fortunate enough to go through life without suffering from any sort of emotional, mental, or physical abuse—fewer still emerge unscathed. Thompson delivers these dark life experiences, from being the victim of a pedophile to falling into a co-dependent relationship with an alcoholic, for all to see. She describes her emotions, feelings, reactions, and actions in a powerful, raw state that helps convey her essential truth.
“Where do we draw the line?
Across my heart. He became so good at holding my body close and then pushing me away as though he was punishing me for loving him. I didn't know where to gasp for air. And thus began my unknowing addiction.”
I find the structure of the book ingenious, for each little vignette, narrative, poem, or commentary stands alone and yet together they weave together a major portion of this remarkable woman’s life. I find myself picking up the book at odd times to savor a selection or two.
I highly recommend this book to people who are not afraid to confront their own inner fears or at least to attempt it. If you are disconnected from your true self, you probably will not like this book.
The most remarkable thing I took from this book is that even though life can break you to pieces, it is still possible to emerge as a caring, loving, and compassionate person fully capable of engaging in long-term, healthy relationships. For many of us, this can take a lifetime.
I applaud Rachel for this inspiring work. Thank you for sharing it.
Few people are fortunate enough to go through life without suffering from any sort of emotional, mental, or physical abuse—fewer still emerge unscathed. Thompson delivers these dark life experiences, from being the victim of a pedophile to falling into a co-dependent relationship with an alcoholic, for all to see. She describes her emotions, feelings, reactions, and actions in a powerful, raw state that helps convey her essential truth.
“Where do we draw the line?
Across my heart. He became so good at holding my body close and then pushing me away as though he was punishing me for loving him. I didn't know where to gasp for air. And thus began my unknowing addiction.”
I find the structure of the book ingenious, for each little vignette, narrative, poem, or commentary stands alone and yet together they weave together a major portion of this remarkable woman’s life. I find myself picking up the book at odd times to savor a selection or two.
I highly recommend this book to people who are not afraid to confront their own inner fears or at least to attempt it. If you are disconnected from your true self, you probably will not like this book.
The most remarkable thing I took from this book is that even though life can break you to pieces, it is still possible to emerge as a caring, loving, and compassionate person fully capable of engaging in long-term, healthy relationships. For many of us, this can take a lifetime.
I applaud Rachel for this inspiring work. Thank you for sharing it.
December 27, 2012
Read my full review @ http://bit.ly/VhqV5o
My opinion: As someone who has known Rachel for almost a year in a professional setting, I have been amazed by her aura. A funny, sarcastic, bright and dynamic individual, Rachel is one that never ceases to dazzle.
I was shocked going into this novel because it showed a totally different side to this author. One that left me asking questions. I found it to be thought provoking in the sense that the essays were palpable with emotions that ranged the gamut. I really don't think there isn't a woman who can read some of these essays and not identify with occurrences in her own life.
On a final note, I will say that I found myself reflecting (even after finishing) on this one novel than her other two novels due to its' grittiness and just simple raw emotion.
My opinion: As someone who has known Rachel for almost a year in a professional setting, I have been amazed by her aura. A funny, sarcastic, bright and dynamic individual, Rachel is one that never ceases to dazzle.
I was shocked going into this novel because it showed a totally different side to this author. One that left me asking questions. I found it to be thought provoking in the sense that the essays were palpable with emotions that ranged the gamut. I really don't think there isn't a woman who can read some of these essays and not identify with occurrences in her own life.
On a final note, I will say that I found myself reflecting (even after finishing) on this one novel than her other two novels due to its' grittiness and just simple raw emotion.
August 26, 2013
3.5 Very personal but a poignant grouping of essays chronicling life and feelings. Beautifully expressed, easy to identify with. One of my favorites was Locked Rooms and yes I believe most woman have these places in their heart.
July 17, 2013
Why do I feel the urge to type “Rachel S. Thompson”?
Broken Pieces breaks the moulds of confessional memoirs and is rightfully ahead in the polling for best non-fiction book of the year among the E-Festival of Words contenders.
Rachel Thompson is best known for her humourous observations of male-female relationships in her blog, Rachel in the OC, and her previous books, A Walk in the Snark and The Mancode Exposed. These books are short, snappy, definitely snarky. Funny, entertaining and usually dead-on right.
“Husband has t-shirts from before we met. He sees no problem with this fact. “They still fit!” — why should he throw them away? Sigh. #Mancode.
With Broken Pieces, Thompson takes a decidedly more serious turn — a walk on a darker side. The book includes verse and prose poems, as well as extended descriptions of her emotions at different crises or turning points of her life in almost stream-of-consciousness prose.
It begins with descriptions of learning about the suicide of a former lover which happened only hours after she met him following years of separation. With a few well-crafted sentences, Thompson exposes the conflicted emotions that result from the memories of a troubled, inconsistent, thrilling and terrifying relationship.
Broken Pieces is an apt title. The book is very much a collection of essays, odes and prose poems, as well as pieces that are impossible to categorize. There are long passages that describe the author’s up-and-down relationship with her unnamed lover: how his strength made her feel safe, and how that feeling contrasted with his barely-restrained violence and his tendency to tear down her self-esteem. She also contrasts the lover with her eventual (and still) husband.
It’s not all dark: Thompson also writes eloquently about the joys and bemusements of her relationships with her sometimes bumbling husband and their kids. Then, like refractions through a broken window, she turns back to her childhood and the trauma and abuse she experienced.
The pieces are disjointed. But I was never in doubt about which period of her life she had just jumped to. I always knew which man she was writing about on any given page. The book is not an easy read; it’s sometimes disorienting, but it’s compelling writing that tells Rachel’s own story. Broken Pieces shows Thompson as a real person, someone much more sympathetic than she comes across in her earlier books.
You cannot stop reading Broken Pieces once you start.
4*
Broken Pieces breaks the moulds of confessional memoirs and is rightfully ahead in the polling for best non-fiction book of the year among the E-Festival of Words contenders.
Rachel Thompson is best known for her humourous observations of male-female relationships in her blog, Rachel in the OC, and her previous books, A Walk in the Snark and The Mancode Exposed. These books are short, snappy, definitely snarky. Funny, entertaining and usually dead-on right.
“Husband has t-shirts from before we met. He sees no problem with this fact. “They still fit!” — why should he throw them away? Sigh. #Mancode.
With Broken Pieces, Thompson takes a decidedly more serious turn — a walk on a darker side. The book includes verse and prose poems, as well as extended descriptions of her emotions at different crises or turning points of her life in almost stream-of-consciousness prose.
It begins with descriptions of learning about the suicide of a former lover which happened only hours after she met him following years of separation. With a few well-crafted sentences, Thompson exposes the conflicted emotions that result from the memories of a troubled, inconsistent, thrilling and terrifying relationship.
Broken Pieces is an apt title. The book is very much a collection of essays, odes and prose poems, as well as pieces that are impossible to categorize. There are long passages that describe the author’s up-and-down relationship with her unnamed lover: how his strength made her feel safe, and how that feeling contrasted with his barely-restrained violence and his tendency to tear down her self-esteem. She also contrasts the lover with her eventual (and still) husband.
It’s not all dark: Thompson also writes eloquently about the joys and bemusements of her relationships with her sometimes bumbling husband and their kids. Then, like refractions through a broken window, she turns back to her childhood and the trauma and abuse she experienced.
The pieces are disjointed. But I was never in doubt about which period of her life she had just jumped to. I always knew which man she was writing about on any given page. The book is not an easy read; it’s sometimes disorienting, but it’s compelling writing that tells Rachel’s own story. Broken Pieces shows Thompson as a real person, someone much more sympathetic than she comes across in her earlier books.
You cannot stop reading Broken Pieces once you start.
4*
April 2, 2013
We all have many painful and even traumatic experiences in our lives, many of which come to shape us in ways that we are only partially aware of. They end up influencing our relationships and interactions, and can significantly shape our entire outlook on the world. Most of us don’t have the courage or desire to speak about them even to people that we are closest to. Going out of our way to actually write about them and make them available to the wide audience takes a particular kind of inner strength. And in “Broken Pieces” Rachel Thompson does just that – she brings out some of the darkest and most traumatic experiences of her life and lays them out for the World to see.
As the title of this book suggests, the personal experiences explored in “Broken Pieces” and their impact on Rachel’s life are fragmented and disjointed. There are certain themes that join them, such as trust, intimacy and sexuality, but overall there is no overwhelming sense of what impact one experience may bare on the others – if any. Rachel is bearing her soul out, for all of us to see, and letting each one of us take away our own lessons that we find in these incidents. This book avoids being preachy and patronizing, which in itself is remarkable since these kinds of traumatic experiences are precisely the ones that are most often taken as the basis for some greater agenda. There is no hidden agenda in “Broken Pieces,” but a wealth of valuable life lessens that most of us will be fortunate enough not to have to go through ourselves.
The book is written as a series of fragmentary essays. The “narrative” (if it can be called that) jumps from one experience to another, often going back and forth in order to reinforce certain points. Thompson is a wonderful stylist, and the whole book is written in a very lyrical and poignant prose. This is not a book for leisure reading, but a powerful testament to the resilience and the indomitable nature of human spirit. Regardless of your own life path, there is a lot in this book that will inspire you and give you encouragement to come to terms with your own dark places.
As the title of this book suggests, the personal experiences explored in “Broken Pieces” and their impact on Rachel’s life are fragmented and disjointed. There are certain themes that join them, such as trust, intimacy and sexuality, but overall there is no overwhelming sense of what impact one experience may bare on the others – if any. Rachel is bearing her soul out, for all of us to see, and letting each one of us take away our own lessons that we find in these incidents. This book avoids being preachy and patronizing, which in itself is remarkable since these kinds of traumatic experiences are precisely the ones that are most often taken as the basis for some greater agenda. There is no hidden agenda in “Broken Pieces,” but a wealth of valuable life lessens that most of us will be fortunate enough not to have to go through ourselves.
The book is written as a series of fragmentary essays. The “narrative” (if it can be called that) jumps from one experience to another, often going back and forth in order to reinforce certain points. Thompson is a wonderful stylist, and the whole book is written in a very lyrical and poignant prose. This is not a book for leisure reading, but a powerful testament to the resilience and the indomitable nature of human spirit. Regardless of your own life path, there is a lot in this book that will inspire you and give you encouragement to come to terms with your own dark places.
February 20, 2013
Does it take more creative talent to make a reader laugh, or cry? It’s one of those age-old questions. Whatever the answer, Rachel Thompson possesses the writing chops to do both.
Readers may be familiar with Thompson’s humorous stories, and pervasive online presence, but in the nonfiction book Broken Pieces, she unveils another, darker side that’s just as powerful.
Child abuse, relationships gone bad, eating disorders, workplace harassment, suicide, redemption: it sounds like a laundry list of self-help items. Instead, Thompson bleeds emotions into this collection of short essays, and demonstrates the power of the psyche.
As a survivor of suicide myself – since that’s what they call those left behind – the connection Thompson makes of feelings of guilt, and not quite being able to leave it behind years later, rings true:
“Suicide is devastating for those left behind. I’m not his family. No longer lovers though still connected by invisible wires and time.”
In Broken Pieces, Thompson speaks of truths that touch the human condition – ones we can connect with.
“[Women] carry former lovers, long lost, inside our limbs. We feel their caresses, remember exactly how their tongues entwined with ours as our bodies melted, their eyes on ours as their entered us; even our cells remember the exquisite burn.”
As a romance writer, it’s powerful material, and provides a glimpse into the psyche of a woman who’s been through a lot, and has come out even stronger.
Readers may be familiar with Thompson’s humorous stories, and pervasive online presence, but in the nonfiction book Broken Pieces, she unveils another, darker side that’s just as powerful.
Child abuse, relationships gone bad, eating disorders, workplace harassment, suicide, redemption: it sounds like a laundry list of self-help items. Instead, Thompson bleeds emotions into this collection of short essays, and demonstrates the power of the psyche.
As a survivor of suicide myself – since that’s what they call those left behind – the connection Thompson makes of feelings of guilt, and not quite being able to leave it behind years later, rings true:
“Suicide is devastating for those left behind. I’m not his family. No longer lovers though still connected by invisible wires and time.”
In Broken Pieces, Thompson speaks of truths that touch the human condition – ones we can connect with.
“[Women] carry former lovers, long lost, inside our limbs. We feel their caresses, remember exactly how their tongues entwined with ours as our bodies melted, their eyes on ours as their entered us; even our cells remember the exquisite burn.”
As a romance writer, it’s powerful material, and provides a glimpse into the psyche of a woman who’s been through a lot, and has come out even stronger.
September 27, 2013
Upon purchasing Broken Pieces, I thought that I would read it over a week or so and savor it as I do with most books. I started reading it after finishing a night shift at my hospital and I did not stop until I had turned the last page. And, when I lay down my reader, I sat back. I was stunned. I was moved and I was changed.
Rachel Thomson's series of essays, which examine the deepest and often darkest recesses of her life, are like a sucker punch to the stomach. Unflinchingly honest, even brutal are descriptions that many reviewers have used to describe this work and I cannot add to those really. Broken pieces is indeed those things but there is something more within its pages - a power, a courage, a potential. Rachel's examination of herself is so raw and honest. By allowing us into her world, Rachel allows us to examine her but she also encourages us to examine ourselves. Her experiences here are unique to her, yet they are unique to many of us. And, within that, Broken Pieces has the potential to start a conversation that may well lead to the healing of many like Rachel. One cannot help but be in awe of what she has achieved.
To be honest, I am speechless in the aftermath of Broken Pieces. It is one of the most powerful books I have ever read.
Rachel Thomson's series of essays, which examine the deepest and often darkest recesses of her life, are like a sucker punch to the stomach. Unflinchingly honest, even brutal are descriptions that many reviewers have used to describe this work and I cannot add to those really. Broken pieces is indeed those things but there is something more within its pages - a power, a courage, a potential. Rachel's examination of herself is so raw and honest. By allowing us into her world, Rachel allows us to examine her but she also encourages us to examine ourselves. Her experiences here are unique to her, yet they are unique to many of us. And, within that, Broken Pieces has the potential to start a conversation that may well lead to the healing of many like Rachel. One cannot help but be in awe of what she has achieved.
To be honest, I am speechless in the aftermath of Broken Pieces. It is one of the most powerful books I have ever read.
February 14, 2013
The review was originally posted at Library Cat book blog.
This story captivated my heart from the very beginning. Actually, it’s not just one story, it is collection of many stories, many pieces. Each one of them is so unique and so touching. Every story is narrated by the very same voice, voice of someone who suffered in life, voice of someone who loved and desperately longed to be loved. The person behind the voice was hurt many times and every scar just made her stronger. Many men hurt her, when she was a child and when she grew up. They made her grow up. But she became stronger and stronger. And she learned to love herself, just the way she was.
I started this book expecting a novel. I’ve ended with non-fiction stories fulfilled with emotions. Each story is one broken piece of her soul. Being a woman. Being a person. She sent letters to the one who hurt her. No hate. No revenge. Just to let you know you that I’m there, that I survived and you cannot hurt me anymore, cause I won’t let you, not anymore.
Touching and emotional stories that made me think about some very important issues in life.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, of course.
This story captivated my heart from the very beginning. Actually, it’s not just one story, it is collection of many stories, many pieces. Each one of them is so unique and so touching. Every story is narrated by the very same voice, voice of someone who suffered in life, voice of someone who loved and desperately longed to be loved. The person behind the voice was hurt many times and every scar just made her stronger. Many men hurt her, when she was a child and when she grew up. They made her grow up. But she became stronger and stronger. And she learned to love herself, just the way she was.
I started this book expecting a novel. I’ve ended with non-fiction stories fulfilled with emotions. Each story is one broken piece of her soul. Being a woman. Being a person. She sent letters to the one who hurt her. No hate. No revenge. Just to let you know you that I’m there, that I survived and you cannot hurt me anymore, cause I won’t let you, not anymore.
Touching and emotional stories that made me think about some very important issues in life.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, of course.
March 5, 2016
This is a new author to me. From what I gather, this book is distinctly different from her other books which look like cozies.
Let me start with ... I read about half before I put it away. Broken Pieces, as far as I can tell, is Rachel's life ... written in very short chapters, each chapter is a recalling or remembering an abusive relationship she dealt with many years ago.
It starts with his suicide and her feelings of sadness, maybe a little relief, maybe a little guilt.
This is a personal journey of the author's, but I found it very distressing and depressive.
What I read seems well-written, but I could not connect with this story. It's just not my cup of tea. I was hoping to like it, but .....
My thanks to the author and Runaway Goddess who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Let me start with ... I read about half before I put it away. Broken Pieces, as far as I can tell, is Rachel's life ... written in very short chapters, each chapter is a recalling or remembering an abusive relationship she dealt with many years ago.
It starts with his suicide and her feelings of sadness, maybe a little relief, maybe a little guilt.
This is a personal journey of the author's, but I found it very distressing and depressive.
What I read seems well-written, but I could not connect with this story. It's just not my cup of tea. I was hoping to like it, but .....
My thanks to the author and Runaway Goddess who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
December 28, 2012
I commend the author, Rachel Thompson, with taking this step into parts of her life and baring her soul in such an emotionally raw way...taking deeply life changing moments and putting it into words and feelings was extremely brave of her. From the moment I had the great fortune to be a beta reader to the moment I finished it, I couldn't put it down or tear myself away from the stories and poems that were so full of strong words, powerful emotion. Broken Pieces is a step away from Rachel's usual wit and snark, but it was no less real and powerful...in fact, more so. Each story gives you pause and you can't help but take a moment to reflect and absorb. You will not be disappointed if you read this.
January 14, 2015
First, I need to commend Rachel Thompson on her courage here. This collection of essays is intensely personal. She stands before us, raw and bleeding, fully exposed. We see her vulnerability in a way we rarely see another person, even those we consider close friends.
These essays are about heartache, grief, abuse, family, friendship, and love. While the content is largely dark, tragic, and sad, there is also an underlying feel of hope. The author doesn't ever give in to the beatings life hands out, and her strength is beautifully inspiring.
While none of us share exact circumstances, we do share many parallels. Rachel Thompson's journey and the insight she offers can help us all to better understand ourselves and each other.
These essays are about heartache, grief, abuse, family, friendship, and love. While the content is largely dark, tragic, and sad, there is also an underlying feel of hope. The author doesn't ever give in to the beatings life hands out, and her strength is beautifully inspiring.
While none of us share exact circumstances, we do share many parallels. Rachel Thompson's journey and the insight she offers can help us all to better understand ourselves and each other.
December 29, 2015
Broken Pieces is like nothing I have ever read before. Broken Pieces is fragments of a life filled with unspeakable trauma and yet at the end has produced such an amazing person. My mother and I actually had a discussion about this book. The topics in this story are harsh, childhood sexual abuse, abusive relationships, anxiety, and suicide to name a few.
The full review can be found at http://katetilton.com/december-2014-k...
The full review can be found at http://katetilton.com/december-2014-k...
July 4, 2013
A tough subject for any author to write about. When the focus of the subject is the author herself it must have been even harder to write. The style of writing in short snapshots and poems works very well. I couldn't put this book down and I would recommend it to anyone out there not afraid to read something different that tackles a hard subject.
February 20, 2013
Broken Pieces is a love letter to herself as she processes the pain of her past dysfunctional relationships with men. This is non-chronological, and the short chapters read like journal entries. Rachel is vivid, expressive and honest with her own pain, the observations of what she has learned, and how she became a stronger woman. She explains how she was sexually abused as a child, how she was sexually assaulted in college and and often emotionally, physically and sexually abused by boyfriends, but she does this in a poetic, raw and artistic way. I imagine that this book was very freeing for her and I can certainly see how readers who have been through similar pain would find comfort identifying with Rachel.
My favorite parts were these:
Women have rooms inside of us men cannot fathom. It's where we store the depths of the hurt we've been dealt.
and,
He became so good at holding my body close and then pushing me away as though he was punishing me for loving him. I didn't know when to gasp for air. And thus began my unknowing addiction.
and,
In our tiny microcosm, where time melted as I fell deeper in in, where I became the girlfriend he wanted me to be, I should have known better. I knew that meeting a platonic friend would upset him, but I did it anyway. A small act of rebellion on my part, which earned me shards of glass on my head. But I also got back a piece of myself -- my strength -- through my defiance.
and,
I blame myself. I take responsibility for allowing him to affect me. He wanted what he wanted, and I wallowed his desires to become a part of me. Being vulnerable isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it is. The woman I am today? She would never allow something like that to happen. No way. If I saw that manipulation, intentional or not, I'd be out of there.
I am convinced that the author is a very strong woman. She makes it clear in the end that she is not a victim and despite the pain, despite the broken pieces, she will not allow her previous abuse define who she is today. The best part of this book is the sum of its parts: the honest, vulnerable confessions of a survivor, a fighter who is no longer afraid. I applaud her efforts in the writing and even though I am just getting to know her, I am very proud of the way she has come out of these events. I highly recommend this book for any woman who is struggling with abuse, is haunted by the past or who needs someone smart, articulate and strong to identify with.
A copy of this book was given to me free in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite parts were these:
Women have rooms inside of us men cannot fathom. It's where we store the depths of the hurt we've been dealt.
and,
He became so good at holding my body close and then pushing me away as though he was punishing me for loving him. I didn't know when to gasp for air. And thus began my unknowing addiction.
and,
In our tiny microcosm, where time melted as I fell deeper in in, where I became the girlfriend he wanted me to be, I should have known better. I knew that meeting a platonic friend would upset him, but I did it anyway. A small act of rebellion on my part, which earned me shards of glass on my head. But I also got back a piece of myself -- my strength -- through my defiance.
and,
I blame myself. I take responsibility for allowing him to affect me. He wanted what he wanted, and I wallowed his desires to become a part of me. Being vulnerable isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it is. The woman I am today? She would never allow something like that to happen. No way. If I saw that manipulation, intentional or not, I'd be out of there.
I am convinced that the author is a very strong woman. She makes it clear in the end that she is not a victim and despite the pain, despite the broken pieces, she will not allow her previous abuse define who she is today. The best part of this book is the sum of its parts: the honest, vulnerable confessions of a survivor, a fighter who is no longer afraid. I applaud her efforts in the writing and even though I am just getting to know her, I am very proud of the way she has come out of these events. I highly recommend this book for any woman who is struggling with abuse, is haunted by the past or who needs someone smart, articulate and strong to identify with.
A copy of this book was given to me free in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2013
Every art form betrays something of the artist and, for writers especially, this is a given. In fact, writers are more than usually fortunate in that their opinions, prejudices, likes and hates, can be woven convincingly into their characters and the situations they encounter. But it is, above all, their creation and, whatever they write, they cannot entirely exclude `self' from the narrative. The writer's experiences in life inevitably shape their work.
But what if a writer sets out deliberately to revisit their life, explore on paper what happened to them and, perhaps more importantly, investigate their own reactions to the events of their past? And what if those events were often far from happy? And if you bear your soul, who picks up the broken pieces of that revelation? When the book is out there, where does the writer go?
In `Broken Pieces', I believe Rachel Thompson has written the most important book of her life, so far. I say, `so far', because I sense there is another in the same genre waiting in the wings of her hectic, often troubled but ultimately triumphant life. If she had written a breast-beating user manual-cum-guide book of self analysis, it would not have been an important book. It would certainly have been well written, because Thompson writes like the poet she is. But it wouldn't have been important.
`Broken Pieces' is important because Rachel Thompson is able to look objectively at her life and writes without rancour, self-pity or revenge, leaving many of her experiences with their ever-unanswered questions, avoiding trying to explain or direct our emotional response and using humour as a balm to smooth the many, many open wounds. For me, one of the most interesting consequences, was a `look, no hands!' journey into a woman's psyche. I learned more from `Broken Pieces' about how women `tick' than from anything else I have read before. `Broken Pieces' is a book that defies description because words such as `amazing', `revealing', `fascinating' and `troubling' are a shadow of what this book represents. Quite simply, it should be in every eBook device where the written word and recorded human experience and courage are valued.
Roderick Craig Low. Author of several novels, including 'Rewards and Dilemmas' and 'Promises of Love and Good Behaviour'
But what if a writer sets out deliberately to revisit their life, explore on paper what happened to them and, perhaps more importantly, investigate their own reactions to the events of their past? And what if those events were often far from happy? And if you bear your soul, who picks up the broken pieces of that revelation? When the book is out there, where does the writer go?
In `Broken Pieces', I believe Rachel Thompson has written the most important book of her life, so far. I say, `so far', because I sense there is another in the same genre waiting in the wings of her hectic, often troubled but ultimately triumphant life. If she had written a breast-beating user manual-cum-guide book of self analysis, it would not have been an important book. It would certainly have been well written, because Thompson writes like the poet she is. But it wouldn't have been important.
`Broken Pieces' is important because Rachel Thompson is able to look objectively at her life and writes without rancour, self-pity or revenge, leaving many of her experiences with their ever-unanswered questions, avoiding trying to explain or direct our emotional response and using humour as a balm to smooth the many, many open wounds. For me, one of the most interesting consequences, was a `look, no hands!' journey into a woman's psyche. I learned more from `Broken Pieces' about how women `tick' than from anything else I have read before. `Broken Pieces' is a book that defies description because words such as `amazing', `revealing', `fascinating' and `troubling' are a shadow of what this book represents. Quite simply, it should be in every eBook device where the written word and recorded human experience and courage are valued.
Roderick Craig Low. Author of several novels, including 'Rewards and Dilemmas' and 'Promises of Love and Good Behaviour'
February 17, 2013
Powerful autobiographies have been born out of the need to write to find healing. With the immediacy of the author the trauma is able to resituate itself and provide welcome therapy. In her latest prose collection, Broken Pieces, Rachel Thompson lays bare the “broken pieces” that make up a whole person—flawed, complex, and above all, real—proving that hope and growth ultimately triumph over tragedy and trauma.
“We fold our stories inside ourselves. We unwrap them when nobody is looking,” says Thompson in the essay “Rooms.” But Thompson isn’t afraid to share her stories with the world, full of raw emotion, expertly crafted and revealed. A departure from her signature humor, Broken Pieces nevertheless reaches readers through Thompson’s deeply insightful and courageous look at relationships, love, loss, and the intimate events of one woman’s life. However, Broken Pieces appeals not only to women, but also to men, and to anyone interested in the broad range of the human experience.
Thompson poetry and essays stimulate the healing process and are effective in promoting personal growth. Trauma survivors will clearly remain tortured as bodily wounds may heal, but the wounded psyche bears witness to years of reconstruction. Finding the language to express trauma is a challenge within itself. Her work might be that of bearing witness and how the traumatized psyche heals.
Throughout the book, readers are invited to find entry points into these short pieces that take the form of both memoir and essay. These snapshots of a complex life—including accounts of abuse, date rape, grief, suicide, love, and loss—are rendered poetic, yet accessible to a wide audience. Broken Pieces will appeal especially to those craving an authentic voice that is at the same time unique and universal.
Thompson’s writing is a mechanism for healing. But how do we, as readers, receive it? What and where is the language of trauma? Does it even exist? Alicia Ostriker says in her poem “The Class”: “Perhaps it is not the [writer] who is healed, but someone else, years later.”
Loren Kleinman
Author, Flamenco Sketches
Founder, LK Editorial
“We fold our stories inside ourselves. We unwrap them when nobody is looking,” says Thompson in the essay “Rooms.” But Thompson isn’t afraid to share her stories with the world, full of raw emotion, expertly crafted and revealed. A departure from her signature humor, Broken Pieces nevertheless reaches readers through Thompson’s deeply insightful and courageous look at relationships, love, loss, and the intimate events of one woman’s life. However, Broken Pieces appeals not only to women, but also to men, and to anyone interested in the broad range of the human experience.
Thompson poetry and essays stimulate the healing process and are effective in promoting personal growth. Trauma survivors will clearly remain tortured as bodily wounds may heal, but the wounded psyche bears witness to years of reconstruction. Finding the language to express trauma is a challenge within itself. Her work might be that of bearing witness and how the traumatized psyche heals.
Throughout the book, readers are invited to find entry points into these short pieces that take the form of both memoir and essay. These snapshots of a complex life—including accounts of abuse, date rape, grief, suicide, love, and loss—are rendered poetic, yet accessible to a wide audience. Broken Pieces will appeal especially to those craving an authentic voice that is at the same time unique and universal.
Thompson’s writing is a mechanism for healing. But how do we, as readers, receive it? What and where is the language of trauma? Does it even exist? Alicia Ostriker says in her poem “The Class”: “Perhaps it is not the [writer] who is healed, but someone else, years later.”
Loren Kleinman
Author, Flamenco Sketches
Founder, LK Editorial
February 28, 2013
Do you know that feeling when you read something so emotionally powerful that you’re lost for words afterwards?
That feeling is what you get after reading Broken Pieces.
Broken Pieces is an emotional, raw memoir from Rachel Thompson. As soon as you are a few vignettes through, you’ll understand the poetic meaning of the title, which is just as powerful as the vignettes.
If you’re on Twitter, you probably know Rachel Thompson (@BadRedheadMedia or @RachelInTheOC). You’re accustomed to her snarky sense of humor and love of Nutella. What you’re not used to is being exposed directly to her raw soul, to her struggles, to her pain – to her.
Each story is a little vignette – a little glimpse at a particular piece of Rachel and how it broke away from her.
It’s always a special thing when someone hands you their soul on a platter, and that’s precisely what Broken Pieces brings you.
I cried during a couple vignettes. During a couple more, I wished that I could have shared them with former versions of myself. Throughout all of them, I thought how brave Rachel was – and is. I only share pieces of my soul through fiction. It’s easier to hide truths within the lies.
That said, these pieces aren’t for everyone. They’re lyrical vignettes, akin to poetry – beautiful words describing not always so beautiful moments. These pieces are about finding courage to move on, the ability to look back and learn, and reflect on everything from rebounds, and broken hearts to the more sensitive subjects that need a trigger warning: molestation, domestic abuse, stalking, and implied rape. While nothing is described graphically, the trigger warning still needs to be made.
That feeling is what you get after reading Broken Pieces.
Broken Pieces is an emotional, raw memoir from Rachel Thompson. As soon as you are a few vignettes through, you’ll understand the poetic meaning of the title, which is just as powerful as the vignettes.
If you’re on Twitter, you probably know Rachel Thompson (@BadRedheadMedia or @RachelInTheOC). You’re accustomed to her snarky sense of humor and love of Nutella. What you’re not used to is being exposed directly to her raw soul, to her struggles, to her pain – to her.
Each story is a little vignette – a little glimpse at a particular piece of Rachel and how it broke away from her.
It’s always a special thing when someone hands you their soul on a platter, and that’s precisely what Broken Pieces brings you.
I cried during a couple vignettes. During a couple more, I wished that I could have shared them with former versions of myself. Throughout all of them, I thought how brave Rachel was – and is. I only share pieces of my soul through fiction. It’s easier to hide truths within the lies.
That said, these pieces aren’t for everyone. They’re lyrical vignettes, akin to poetry – beautiful words describing not always so beautiful moments. These pieces are about finding courage to move on, the ability to look back and learn, and reflect on everything from rebounds, and broken hearts to the more sensitive subjects that need a trigger warning: molestation, domestic abuse, stalking, and implied rape. While nothing is described graphically, the trigger warning still needs to be made.
January 31, 2013
Broken Pieces
by Rachel Thompson
Kindle ASIN B00AR0T74S, $4.99
It is rare when a writer puts so much of him or herself on the paper that you can see them bleed, but Rachel Thompson boldly steps out of the shadows and puts herself in the light that shows her wounds, her flaws, her heart and you can’t help but be moved.
This book was extremely hard for me to read, even though it is written in short, succinct bits. There is poetry mixed in with short stories that reveals for the entire world to really see just who Rachel Thompson is and all that she has battled, overcome, or made peace with to become the vibrant, confident, successful woman she is today.
Rachel is willing to put herself out there so we can see that even the worst kinds of pain can be overcome. That the human spirit really is indomitable, that while we can be hurt we are tough enough to disable the things that seek to destroy us and use them instead to recreate the person we will be in the future.
Broken Pieces left me in tears. It left me raw – the wounds still chafe, but it left me astounded at the courage Rachel Thompson had shown in writing this book, in breaking taboos, in speaking out and in refusing to use her pain and hurt as excuses to hide behind for the rest of her life.
This is a book about rising above; about becoming more than you can possibly believe you ever will be at those terribly low points of your life. It is about surviving, thriving and living and I recommend it more than any other book I have read.
by Rachel Thompson
Kindle ASIN B00AR0T74S, $4.99
It is rare when a writer puts so much of him or herself on the paper that you can see them bleed, but Rachel Thompson boldly steps out of the shadows and puts herself in the light that shows her wounds, her flaws, her heart and you can’t help but be moved.
This book was extremely hard for me to read, even though it is written in short, succinct bits. There is poetry mixed in with short stories that reveals for the entire world to really see just who Rachel Thompson is and all that she has battled, overcome, or made peace with to become the vibrant, confident, successful woman she is today.
Rachel is willing to put herself out there so we can see that even the worst kinds of pain can be overcome. That the human spirit really is indomitable, that while we can be hurt we are tough enough to disable the things that seek to destroy us and use them instead to recreate the person we will be in the future.
Broken Pieces left me in tears. It left me raw – the wounds still chafe, but it left me astounded at the courage Rachel Thompson had shown in writing this book, in breaking taboos, in speaking out and in refusing to use her pain and hurt as excuses to hide behind for the rest of her life.
This is a book about rising above; about becoming more than you can possibly believe you ever will be at those terribly low points of your life. It is about surviving, thriving and living and I recommend it more than any other book I have read.
January 8, 2013
Rachel Thompson makes a courageous leap from her normal fare to offer us Broken Pieces, a very intimate collection of essays that explore the darker crevices of her life. Themes of codependency, suicide, abuse, and what it took to not only deal but also rise above it and find joy in the present will have readers undoubtedly exploring and confronting a range of their own emotions along the way.
I read and reread Broken Pieces. Guiltily, I felt as though I was flipping through the pages of a diary. Some of the essays were so moving that I had to stop, take a breath and absorb before I could continue. It was just so emotionally raw. Like most guys, I repress emotion expertly. Kudos to Rachel for having none of it and running me through the emotional ringer. There are a few ladies out there who'd high-five you for accomplishing such a feat.
I wasn't expecting this after having read Mancode Exposed and Walk in the Snark, and it's not often that a successful author in one genre will make a leap to something so drastically different. With Broken Pieces, Rachel Thompson does exactly that and does it well. This is a very well written book that I'd highly recommend.
Jim Moorman
Author of Jamaican Flowers
I read and reread Broken Pieces. Guiltily, I felt as though I was flipping through the pages of a diary. Some of the essays were so moving that I had to stop, take a breath and absorb before I could continue. It was just so emotionally raw. Like most guys, I repress emotion expertly. Kudos to Rachel for having none of it and running me through the emotional ringer. There are a few ladies out there who'd high-five you for accomplishing such a feat.
I wasn't expecting this after having read Mancode Exposed and Walk in the Snark, and it's not often that a successful author in one genre will make a leap to something so drastically different. With Broken Pieces, Rachel Thompson does exactly that and does it well. This is a very well written book that I'd highly recommend.
Jim Moorman
Author of Jamaican Flowers
February 21, 2013
I want to preface this review by saying there may be some material in it that parents may feel is inappropriate. I do think there are valuable lessons, so if you have a teenager, you may want to look it over yourself and see if you are comfortable with sharing it. It could be a great teaching tool.
Rachel isn't new to publishing. She's mostly known for snark-filled collections dealing with the differences between men and women and other such topics. This time, she changed things up, delivering some serious essays and poetry dealing with everything from childhood abuse to loss.
This was a very emotional read that really touched me. Rachel opens her life up to her readers, exposing her pain along with her strength and determination to persevere, no matter what life has thrown at her. I'm sure everyone reading this book would be able to relate to something Rachel talks about and come away with a feeling they're not alone.
I recommend this book for anyone who is into biographies in particular. If you were already a fan of Thompson's other work, read with an open mind. There's none of her trademark humor, but there is some great writing.
Rachel isn't new to publishing. She's mostly known for snark-filled collections dealing with the differences between men and women and other such topics. This time, she changed things up, delivering some serious essays and poetry dealing with everything from childhood abuse to loss.
This was a very emotional read that really touched me. Rachel opens her life up to her readers, exposing her pain along with her strength and determination to persevere, no matter what life has thrown at her. I'm sure everyone reading this book would be able to relate to something Rachel talks about and come away with a feeling they're not alone.
I recommend this book for anyone who is into biographies in particular. If you were already a fan of Thompson's other work, read with an open mind. There's none of her trademark humor, but there is some great writing.
June 5, 2013
Broken Pieces is a series of short passages, each no more than one or two pages long. You can read them all in one sitting or spread them out one by one. Some are written in first person and some in third. Some resemble a short story while others are more like poems. Although Broken Pieces is not your typical memoir, I felt personally connected to the author through her honest recounts of her past.
Rachel Thompson was molested by a friend’s father as a child, date raped in college, verbally abused by one of her lovers, stalked, and cheated on by a man she loved who later committed suicide. Then, there was the boyfriend who came home one day and told her he was dealing meth.
Yet, she refuses to be the victim.
I appreciated her willingness to share her experiences. Her writing comes from her soul were the hurt is raw but her strength is steadfast.
My favorite lines:
“I own my fear, but my fear does not own me.”
“A good heart takes responsibility for what your brain cannot.”
“ . . . I reached a point where I wanted to take me back. I didn’t want to belong to anyone but myself.”
Rachel Thompson was molested by a friend’s father as a child, date raped in college, verbally abused by one of her lovers, stalked, and cheated on by a man she loved who later committed suicide. Then, there was the boyfriend who came home one day and told her he was dealing meth.
Yet, she refuses to be the victim.
I appreciated her willingness to share her experiences. Her writing comes from her soul were the hurt is raw but her strength is steadfast.
My favorite lines:
“I own my fear, but my fear does not own me.”
“A good heart takes responsibility for what your brain cannot.”
“ . . . I reached a point where I wanted to take me back. I didn’t want to belong to anyone but myself.”
October 31, 2013
Some books you read and it stays with you long afterward because it is so well written. Sometimes it sticks because the story is so moving. And sometimes, a story stays because what you're reading is that fucked up. Well, Broken Pieces is all three and if you haven't read it, you're missing out on a new classic.
Rachel Thompson, author of The Mancode: Exposed and A Walk in the Snark. If you've read those and hope for more witty essays... well, maybe this one is not so much for you. Unlike her previous offering, Broken Pieces is a collection of the painful parts of her fractured soul. While there are a few parts reminiscent of the man v woman confusion she is known for, most of the essays within this one concern with childhood abuse and a past lover's suicide. Heavy stuff, this is, but so worth the ride.
And have I mentioned the anger? At the ex (for reasons you'll need to read to know) and at the abuser (that one's a bit of a duh). Oh my, can she spit some honey-flavored venom. And that right there was enough to get me loving this book but, in the end, it was the courage and honesty that made this one the fantastic creation that it is.
So go buy it, like, yesterday.
Rachel Thompson, author of The Mancode: Exposed and A Walk in the Snark. If you've read those and hope for more witty essays... well, maybe this one is not so much for you. Unlike her previous offering, Broken Pieces is a collection of the painful parts of her fractured soul. While there are a few parts reminiscent of the man v woman confusion she is known for, most of the essays within this one concern with childhood abuse and a past lover's suicide. Heavy stuff, this is, but so worth the ride.
And have I mentioned the anger? At the ex (for reasons you'll need to read to know) and at the abuser (that one's a bit of a duh). Oh my, can she spit some honey-flavored venom. And that right there was enough to get me loving this book but, in the end, it was the courage and honesty that made this one the fantastic creation that it is.
So go buy it, like, yesterday.
June 21, 2013
I read Broken Pieces because the author wasn't afraid to speak out and be herself in response to an idiotic blog. I read it because of its description, and because I'm following a personal thread. What I didn't know, couldn't have imagined, and never foresaw was a voice and kindred spirit, writing with love. In Broken Pieces, Rachel Thompson laid the wounds bare, poked them with a stick, and stuck her tongue out at the writhing sickness that infects our world, rendering women always at fault, vulnerable, and questioning themselves. This is a must read for all women, a towering triumph over fear, the shackles of femininity, and the hollows in our souls.
As Thompson moved easily between story, essay, and poem, I felt I knew her. Each perspective revealed a different take and offered up a rare whole. Her courage is inspiring and her words are a gift. Thompson does not hide, apologize, or make excuses. Instead, she dances, swooping in for a kiss or taking a bow. She validates the essence of what it means to be a woman today and, in the process, extends a very strong hand to those who would rise with her unafraid.
As Thompson moved easily between story, essay, and poem, I felt I knew her. Each perspective revealed a different take and offered up a rare whole. Her courage is inspiring and her words are a gift. Thompson does not hide, apologize, or make excuses. Instead, she dances, swooping in for a kiss or taking a bow. She validates the essence of what it means to be a woman today and, in the process, extends a very strong hand to those who would rise with her unafraid.
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