Falling Apart in One Piece: One Optimist's Journey Through the Hell of Divorce [Hardcover]

Falling Apart in One Piece is one of the most beautifully written, immanently readable books I have come across in years. The fact that it's a memoir brought the story to life for me. As I read, I marveled that the author not only survived the divorce with aplomb, but also managed to put pen to paper to write such an elegant, articulate, thoughtful memoir.

The writing is crisp yet powerful. I felt like I was there, living her experiences, even though I know after reading what this family went through that there is no way for one to feel like they were there. But Morrison brings the experience to life in a way that lulled me into thinking I lived it.

Not only is the story moving, but her observations -- about marriage, divorce, our reactions to them -- are spot on. I'm fascinated that one person could process everything that happened, and, at the same time, make sound social observations. The fact that Morrison can do both -- relay her personal experience, and bubble them up to a broader social context -- sets the book apart.

I've read other reviews where people say they couldn't connect with such an accomplished, financially-independent narrator as a "single mother", but it didn't bother me. The author is telling her story, and it's obvious that she earned her career successes and the accompanying spoils. The fact that she could afford a nanny or had parents who were able to loan her money does not detract from her story or the pain of her divorce. If anything, hearing such stark admissions of where her marriage failed from someone so accomplished reminds the reader that the grass is not always greener, and everyone's pain is their pain.

I'm already looking forward to her next book.

When I first got this book and skimmed through it, I had some doubts about the positive reviews I had read about it. My first impression was there there would be long, wordy passages that seemed almost to be more like a journal where the author is working out her feelings for her own benefit rather than a memoir meant for other people's eyes.

I'm happy to say that I was completely wrong. I really enjoyed this read. Morrison takes us through the years surrounding her divorce - from the time her husband announces that he is leaving, through the months that they're still together, supposedly trying to work on their relationship, the date her husband moves out, and the difficulties in being the one left behind with a child to raise. Meanwhile, she is still recovering from being fired from one job and obtaining a new, high-pressure one, a house that is falling apart in some respects, injuries to her child, and a disaster during the beach vacation she tries to take.

What really struck me most about this memoir is how Morrison managed to be completely honest about her feelings and situation with consistently falling into a "poor me" role. I felt like I could really understand how she must feel to be suddenly single in a group of marrieds, to be so anxious about the house, and in other emotionally-charged situations, but since she always takes action to address those problems, I always felt like she was making a huge effort to move forward. I also appreciated seeing how her relationship with her husband evolved and how she was finally able to look past the pain and admit to certain unworkable aspects of the marriage. At the end of the story, I felt like she offered hope, but still didn't sugarcoat how the divorce would continue to affect her.

One last thing - I don't think you need to be divorced, or married and worrying about divorce, to appreciate this book. I think Morrison's story would ring true with anyone that has gone through any kind of major life change that leaves a scar and forever changes you. I would highly recommend this read to anyone experiencing that kind of change.

I am always in awe of people who live through difficulties in their lives and are able to share their pain, hope and experiences. This is one of the reasons I love memoirs so much.

In Falling Apart in One Piece, an Optimist's Journey through the hell of Divorce, author Morrison details for us, what she has gone through in living a divorce that has basically changed her life as well as the life of her children forever.

First of all, Morrison is not really like anybody I know. Yes, she has gone through a divorce and although she is a "single"parent now, she is hardly alone. Fortunately, for Morrison, she is financially capable of taking care of herself and her children (read: nanny) and therefore, this is one aspect of the divorce that she need not worry about - unlike many other single mothers out there!

Unfortunately, this did remove from the credibility of this memoir for me. Because I come from a home where my parents separated and my mother had to struggly financially, I had a difficult time connecting with the author and her pain.

Having said that, the part of this story that I did connect with was the pain Morrison felt as a woman - facing her reality that her marriage was over and that the man she loved was no longer there (or rather) was no longer the same man she had known. From this point of view, Morrison's financial status made absolutely no difference and if anything goes to show that money or no money - divorce and betrayal can happen!

The tone of this memoir is both optimistic, sad and a little bit of "poor me" which is okay when you are talking about divorce.

I did enjoy this book because I admire Morrison for writing it - it takes guts to "put it out there" for everyone to see.