Kintsugi

by Marie O'Rourke

All her life, Marie O'Rourke has been a Good Girl, a perfectionist, using words to apply golden seams to an imperfect life in an attempt to make something beautiful out of things that are flawed or broken. A volatile father, the death of a sister far too young, a faltering marriage, the ghosts of lovers these are just some of the fragments that Marie puts together again in these essays that explore her closest relationships as a daughter, sister, mother, wife and lover.

With exquisite prose, Marie reflects on the beauty of brokenness and the ways in which time can transform our understanding of truth, forgiveness, and healing. These essays are a poignant reminder that some things cannot be fixed but can still hold immense beauty and meaning. Whether you've experienced similar struggles, or are seeking a deeper understanding of the human experience, Marie's collection will leave you moved and inspired.

How many of us feel our family life is not picture perfect? This book will resonate with those who are interested in exploring the human condition through universal themes of love and loss, forgiveness and redemption.

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2024

Reviews

[Liz Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was particularly effective in recollecting what it was like to grow up in the 1970’s/80’s in Western Australia. Memories of growing up in an imperfect family that are both painful and precious in equal measure. Glimpses of the past bind together, slowly addressing the cracks and damage to a person, for them only to emerge resilient and more beautiful for the pain. A moving story of a life with so much more to live.

[Anne Bonser · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Kintsugi” is a profoundly moving, courageous and accomplished collection of personal essays. The raw honesty in the author’s search for self through writing is evocative but never self-indulgent. There is space for the reader to contemplate resonances in their own realm. In “Kintsugi” the perfectionist embraces the worth of life’s inevitable imperfections.

[Kanako Okiron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the way she writes.

[Jane Laugharne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It takes courage and great skill to expose both the beauty and brutality of familial relationships without veering into sensationalism or sentimentality, but Marie O’Rourke treads this fine line flawlessly. This is a series of clever and impactful essays that bravely pick apart difficult memories, re-weaving them with writing that is so wonderfully well-crafted you savour every word and are, ultimately, left with a lingering taste of hope.

[Mmusham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! An honest and genuine look into the life of the author. Her writing is brilliant often drawing the reader in to self reflect on their own memories and experiences. A group of emotive essays with feelings of despair and brokeness make way for beautiful hints of repair, love and consolidation.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts on this wonderful book are many! But some of them can be found here: https://fremantlepress.com.au/2024/02...

😊

[Tina McLennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of essays that thread together memories, both familiar and tragic. A poignant reminder of the importance of family and how our earliest experiences can affect our life choices and shape our identity. One of those books you can’t put down.

[Germaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful, vulnerable story. The poetic fine detail that Marie expresses transports us back to the sights and smells she has experienced. A stunning collection of essays.

[Andy Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kintsugi is a moving, skillfully written collection that explores memory, identity, and the way we piece ourselves together over time. Marie O’Rourke writes with honesty and clarity, bringing nuance to experiences that are often hard to name, let alone narrate.
The shifting nature of memory—how the stories we tell about our past are never quite fixed, always influenced by time, perspective, and what we’re ready to face.

It’s a thoughtful, raw, but ultimately generous book. It stayed with me long after I finished it.