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Broken Whole
At the age of thirty-five, desperate to salvage a self that has been suffocating for years—and to save her two-year-old son from witnessing a miserable relationship between his parents—Jane Binns leaves her husband of twelve years. She has no plan or intention but to leave, however, and therein begins the misadventures lying in wait for her.
Over the years that follow, Binns falls in love with Steve, a man eighteen years her senior who has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since his return from military service in Vietnam forty years prior, and who has a talent for making her feel heard. Despite his inability to provide anything more than a spurious connection, run on a mercurial and erratic schedule, and despite his repeated rejections of her love, she continues to pursue him. During their off periods, she dates other men—but she inevitably compares each new suitor to Steve, and all of them fall short. Ultimately, it takes the loss of her father in the summer of 2014, followed by the death of her ex-husband five months later, for her to finally let go of Steve—and, in the process, fully unearth the self she’s been chasing all along.
Over the years that follow, Binns falls in love with Steve, a man eighteen years her senior who has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since his return from military service in Vietnam forty years prior, and who has a talent for making her feel heard. Despite his inability to provide anything more than a spurious connection, run on a mercurial and erratic schedule, and despite his repeated rejections of her love, she continues to pursue him. During their off periods, she dates other men—but she inevitably compares each new suitor to Steve, and all of them fall short. Ultimately, it takes the loss of her father in the summer of 2014, followed by the death of her ex-husband five months later, for her to finally let go of Steve—and, in the process, fully unearth the self she’s been chasing all along.
- GenresMemoir
288 pages, Paperback
Published November 13, 2018
2 people are currently reading
1120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 11, 2018
Jane is a regular woman who is on a hunt for love- for herself as well as for another person. When she finds herself middle-aged and divorced with a toddler she sets out on a seemingly impossible trek in search of self acceptance. Time after time Binns ends up involved with the absolute wrong kind of man, and time after time she ends up frustrated and alone. As she struggles to find a healthy balance in her relationship with her ex-husband for her son's sake, and she struggles to find a healthy balance in her relationship with her parents as their health fails, she puts one foot in front of the other like a boss and leads her life her way as unapologetically as can be. As we watch Jane cycle through relationships, continuously coming back to a non-committal attachment, we also watch Jane grow from a self-deprecating woman to a woman to be admired. This isn't a feel good memoir, but it sure does feel good witness Jane's evolution.
This is one of those memoirs that left me exhilarated, drained, and thinking, "Wow!" First of all, the respect I have for Jane for putting such vulnerable moments and thoughts onto paper for the world to read is huge. Secondly, the tenacity she shows throughout her life to find love- both within herself and for another person- is commendable. And finally, the compassion she shows for those that continuously let her down is saint-like. I have nothing but praises to sing for Binns and her story. There were so many times as I was reading this novel that I thought to myself, "Oh yeah, I can relate to that," which means so many women will feel the same. This is a story about a journey for love that doesn't have a fairytale ending, but does have a bad-ass woman ending. Kudos to Jane.
This is one of those memoirs that left me exhilarated, drained, and thinking, "Wow!" First of all, the respect I have for Jane for putting such vulnerable moments and thoughts onto paper for the world to read is huge. Secondly, the tenacity she shows throughout her life to find love- both within herself and for another person- is commendable. And finally, the compassion she shows for those that continuously let her down is saint-like. I have nothing but praises to sing for Binns and her story. There were so many times as I was reading this novel that I thought to myself, "Oh yeah, I can relate to that," which means so many women will feel the same. This is a story about a journey for love that doesn't have a fairytale ending, but does have a bad-ass woman ending. Kudos to Jane.
January 26, 2019
Broken Whole was an eye opener for me. Having been happily married for 40 years, it was hard for me to identify with Jane’s life style. I was so hoping that she would move away and fall in love with the “right” man for her. As a former teacher that has had far too many students confused about the revolving door of “uncles” at their homes, I appreciate the way Jane kept her son apart from most of her dates. I feel lucky to have met and fallen in love with my husband.
Thank you to Jane Binns and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you to Jane Binns and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this book.
November 25, 2018
Didn't like. Didn't really finish.
November 23, 2018
To be honest, I'm not even certain how I discovered the book, Broken Whole by Jane Binns. I am a book blogger with NetGalley, and I've also participated in several BookSparks book tours, but I don't recall the specifics of how I came upon this one.
I can't say it would be one of my typical reads. In fact, if I had read the back cover of this book at the store, I probably would have passed. That being said, I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't the kind of book I dig right into. I found myself ready to be finished with this book within the first third of the book, but kept reading anyway.
After 12 years of marriage, 35-year old Jane Binns leaves her husband and takes her two-year old son. The book then goes into her search for meaningful relationships, but the results each time were disappointing. Binns repeatedly ends up involved with the wrong kind of guy, and each time she ends up alone and frustrated.
Readers follow Jane plow through various relationships, while always coming back to her non-committal attachment with Steve. As Ms. Binns grows in her relationships, we also watch her grow and evolve into a woman with courage and self-appreciation. This book isn't one with a "happily ever after" ending, but instead, is the journey of one woman in search of love.
I was provided with a complimentary electronic advanced reader copy through Net Galley in exchange for my post. I was not required to post a positive review. Thank you!
I can't say it would be one of my typical reads. In fact, if I had read the back cover of this book at the store, I probably would have passed. That being said, I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't the kind of book I dig right into. I found myself ready to be finished with this book within the first third of the book, but kept reading anyway.
After 12 years of marriage, 35-year old Jane Binns leaves her husband and takes her two-year old son. The book then goes into her search for meaningful relationships, but the results each time were disappointing. Binns repeatedly ends up involved with the wrong kind of guy, and each time she ends up alone and frustrated.
Readers follow Jane plow through various relationships, while always coming back to her non-committal attachment with Steve. As Ms. Binns grows in her relationships, we also watch her grow and evolve into a woman with courage and self-appreciation. This book isn't one with a "happily ever after" ending, but instead, is the journey of one woman in search of love.
I was provided with a complimentary electronic advanced reader copy through Net Galley in exchange for my post. I was not required to post a positive review. Thank you!
November 14, 2018
I really wanted to like this book based on the blurb, but when it came down to it, the book wasn't what I was expecting and I found myself disappointed. There were times that the timeline in the book jumped around which was confusing and then other times a story about a man or a date started but didn't go anywhere. Chapters were also started in the middle of a thought and then would go back to tell us who the author was talking about which I found odd.
The last 10% of the book, in which she is talking about her ex-husband's illness, was for me, the best part of the entire book. She got real about her feelings with him and she actually made her son a priority in the story (this is *not* to say her son was not a priority in her life, but the book focuses on her relationships). But to feel a connection to the story when I was so close to the end was a letdown. It really just wasn't a book for me.
The last 10% of the book, in which she is talking about her ex-husband's illness, was for me, the best part of the entire book. She got real about her feelings with him and she actually made her son a priority in the story (this is *not* to say her son was not a priority in her life, but the book focuses on her relationships). But to feel a connection to the story when I was so close to the end was a letdown. It really just wasn't a book for me.
September 29, 2018
I don’t know that I’ve ever read a more candidly open and vulnerable book as Broken Whole. Binns recounts her struggle to manage her life as a single parent, maintaining her relationships with her young son, her ex-husband, and her aging parents while continuing to persevere to find love for herself. The many mis-steps along the way are ones with which many women will relate. Jane’s determination was beyond anything I could ever have sustained. I was rooting for her to find “the one,” but her story ends with a much more realistic and authentic outcome. A courageous and thought provoking book.
January 15, 2020
Leaving a marriage is never easy, but leaving one after twelve years of closeness provided its own challenged for Jane Binns. Following her release from what she felt was a suffocating union, she finds herself entangled with a man with whom she can neither establish an ongoing daily connection nor leave entirely. In her search for herself Binns nurses her ailing ex-husband, father to her son, through his terminal illness and reels from the loss of her own beloved father. She finds the strength she needs ultimately to let go of the intermittent love and learn to love herself.
October 11, 2018
Broken Whole is the author's story of searching for meaningful relationships. She was estranged from her father for years, then reconnected. She walked out of a twelve year marriage and then jumped from relationship to relationship that never panned out. She spent years waiting for a man she loved to be emotionally available, only to realize he would always be elusive. It's a depressing read and sad. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
January 13, 2019
Jane Binns tells it like it is. Those of us who have changed our lives in mid life will know exactly what she’s going through as she tries to navigate the new dating world. The book is both funny and sad, honest and heartfelt from beginning to end.
November 9, 2018
I felt that this collection was very open and honest, yet I still felt disconnected from Jane. And maybe that's part of the point.
April 2, 2019
This book is raw, funny, and tells the sometimes heartbreaking story of a woman coming of age in the midst of treacherous dating waters. Bravely written, Binns manages to find a great balance between the "tell-all" and her quest for love. She made me want her to find that most important love - for herself. Impressive.
November 27, 2018
Well, I have to thank my lucky stars that I am not in the dating world these days. I must also ask, "Under what rock did the the author find these men?" Face palms all around. Even my husband was asking, "What loser is she dating now?"
I don't say that to be mean; in fact, I give this book four stars because not a single page was boring. The author has such a gift for characterization, and I could picture those men and their pouting, their egos, their facial expressions, and their manipulations. Her attention to detail is superb: belly paunches, jagged teeth, filthy toilets and all!
I'm hoping that the awakening and growth at the end are real. She deserves so much better than what she allowed herself to endure.
I don't say that to be mean; in fact, I give this book four stars because not a single page was boring. The author has such a gift for characterization, and I could picture those men and their pouting, their egos, their facial expressions, and their manipulations. Her attention to detail is superb: belly paunches, jagged teeth, filthy toilets and all!
I'm hoping that the awakening and growth at the end are real. She deserves so much better than what she allowed herself to endure.
November 7, 2018
Broken Whole by Jane Binn
Jumping in quickly and head first, we follow Jane Binn through her years of struggles to find Mr. Right. Ignoring all kinds of red flags in her relationships, Jane manages to leap from one mediocre-to-bad involvement to the next.
While each man takes time to show himself to Jane as a questionable suitor, any reader can see immediately the pitfalls she will soon face. Bad choices abound.
Jane’s story flows nicely and the readers will find themselves cheering her on and being entertained in spite of her poor judgement. Every man she meets, and there are many, is determined to be or not to be husband material shortly after “hello.”
While Jane is acutely aware of her needs and insecurities at every possible moment, she is equally cognizant of every slight by her at-the-moment partner. Whew! I’m exhausted trying to keep up with her relationship demands, which are many. She is a high maintenance woman.
While many readers may share in one or two of Jane’s relationship disasters, her story makes us grateful to have avoided the bulk of her experiences.
Jumping in quickly and head first, we follow Jane Binn through her years of struggles to find Mr. Right. Ignoring all kinds of red flags in her relationships, Jane manages to leap from one mediocre-to-bad involvement to the next.
While each man takes time to show himself to Jane as a questionable suitor, any reader can see immediately the pitfalls she will soon face. Bad choices abound.
Jane’s story flows nicely and the readers will find themselves cheering her on and being entertained in spite of her poor judgement. Every man she meets, and there are many, is determined to be or not to be husband material shortly after “hello.”
While Jane is acutely aware of her needs and insecurities at every possible moment, she is equally cognizant of every slight by her at-the-moment partner. Whew! I’m exhausted trying to keep up with her relationship demands, which are many. She is a high maintenance woman.
While many readers may share in one or two of Jane’s relationship disasters, her story makes us grateful to have avoided the bulk of her experiences.
November 9, 2018
Well, I have to thank my lucky stars that I am not in the dating world these days. I must also ask, "Under what rock did the the author find these men?" Face palms all around. Even my husband was asking, "What loser is she dating now?"
I don't say that to be mean; in fact, I give this book four stars because not a single page was boring. The author has such a gift for characterization, and I could picture those men and their pouting, their egos, their facial expressions, and their manipulations. Her attention to detail is superb: belly paunches, jagged teeth, filthy toilets and all!
I'm hoping that the awakening and growth at the end are real. She deserves so much better than what she allowed herself to endure.
I don't say that to be mean; in fact, I give this book four stars because not a single page was boring. The author has such a gift for characterization, and I could picture those men and their pouting, their egos, their facial expressions, and their manipulations. Her attention to detail is superb: belly paunches, jagged teeth, filthy toilets and all!
I'm hoping that the awakening and growth at the end are real. She deserves so much better than what she allowed herself to endure.
Want to read
November 14, 2018I enjoyed reading this book. It talked about the search for a meaningful relationship and reconnecting with her estranged father before his death. It focused on leaving her husband and finding a man 18 years her senior and starting a new relationship. I would recommend.
November 26, 2018
After 12 years of a rocky marriage, 35-year old Jane Binns leaves her husband and takes with her, their two-year old son. The book then goes into her search for meaningful relationships, but the results each time are disappointing. Binns repeatedly ends up with Mr. Wrong, and each time she ends up alone and frustrated. Sounds like most of our lives.
Readers follow Jane through many various relationships, while always coming back to her non-committal attachment with Steve. This book isn't one with a "happily ever after" ending, but instead, is a woman on a journey of her quest for a good relationship. The author writes some raw feelings that many will be able to relate to.
I would like to thank Net Galley and the publisher for the complementary copy in exchange for an honest review. I would give this three stars. If you are looking for this type of book, it’s well written and worth checking out.
Readers follow Jane through many various relationships, while always coming back to her non-committal attachment with Steve. This book isn't one with a "happily ever after" ending, but instead, is a woman on a journey of her quest for a good relationship. The author writes some raw feelings that many will be able to relate to.
I would like to thank Net Galley and the publisher for the complementary copy in exchange for an honest review. I would give this three stars. If you are looking for this type of book, it’s well written and worth checking out.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews