Rating: 
Summary: I've read better memoirs of divorce in my lifetime.
Review: This book's flawed approach lies in the fact Ms. Swallow's sermonic endeavor is aimed towards an audience that frankly does not exist, or if there is such existence of a readership intrigued by the intricacies of a highly dull divorce saga, then said population of readers is not sufficient enough to mandate such a lengthy exposition on a personal odyssey of pain and suffering, most of which is remarkably undeserving of public pity and sympathy. Ms. Swallow's flimsy approach to autobiography reflects her obvious call for the reader's commiseration, and her tone at times dangerously obscures the line between the legitimate and the pathetic. The topic of divorce is a highly energizing issue for today's society in which the marital split is so prevalent, but Ms. Swallow's work fails to capitalize on the great potential that is present in such an engaging and relevant contemporary discourse.
Rating: 
Summary: Forgiving and moving on
Review: This is a great book for anyone who is considering getting a divorce or who is still fussing with their ex-spouse about the kids. Readers will find solace and inspiration as well as subtle advice in how to handle some of their own marital issues. She makes it quite clear that divorce isn't easy, that our unhappiness is our own responsibility, and that it is critical to forgive and move on.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting attempt at sympathy...
Review: Unfortunately for the American society as a whole, as well as each individual cog within that socio-economic structure, divorce has become a common-place fact of life. If one is not, somehow, the product of a divorce along some familial line, surely one has contacted those who are. Ms. Swallow has attempted to show the world the inner-workings of a divorce. In that sense, and on a purely theoretical basis, she has acted nobly. However, there is truly a sense of self-martyrdom that precludes all sensitivity to the subject matter and all anecdotal references that we, the readers, are meant to take as chicken soup for our third party souls. There is indeed an underlying current of the "petty" as Ms. Swallow attempts to submerge the reader in her world of confusion and self loathing. While that may be helpful and even enjoyable to the sadists among us, it doesn't begin to scratch the surface of divorce. Nor does it come within several hundred miles of actually providing a rubric to help victims of or components within a divorce. As heart-wrenching as her descriptions may be, and certainly Ms. Swallow has honed her gift with words throughout her work in print journalism (if I remember the Editor's Review properly), they are no more a help to anyone facing a troublng time than bacon and eggs to someone recently recovered from a coronary. Perhaps Ms. Swallow ought to have stuck to the staccato style of writing used so well in newspapers to dot her book with informative annecdotes from her own life in the hopes of aiding others. Yet, it is plain to anyone with a modicum of English training that Ms. Swallow's drawn-out, self-pitious moans are intended for no other purpous but just that: self-pity. As each individual is different from another, so is every inter-personal relationship differentiated from all others. Thus, it seems rather obvious that reading one person's paranoid account of her marital troubles (all the while splaying her child's pain on a cold, rock slab as a sacrifice to the royalty gods) would be utterly pointless, unless to make a third party feel a little better about their own situation. Personally, I find no comfort in declaring that simply because divorce has minimally touched my life to this point it appears to be less tumultuous. In fact, I'd be willing to wager that it isn't. Everyone has their cross to bear. Ms. Swallow has apparently hoisted hers upon her ex-husband and child for the rest of us to gape at. This is the reason we have professional therapists and psychiatrists. If we could all gain insight into our psyches via 352 page books so shalloly written they can be sped through in "roughly 1.5 hours", society would then mirror the over-simplifications so eloquently demonstrated by Ms. Swallow's banal attempt at self-martyrdom.
Rating:
Summary: I could not put this book down!
Review: Wendy shares her life lessons very well. As a relationship coach, I could empathize with her account of her own divorce and heartache. The path she took offers encouragement and inspiration for others who may be unfortunate enough to experience similar circumstances.
Rating:
Summary: Required reading for parents contemplating divorce
Review: Wendy Swallow chose a very descriptive title for the wrenching story of her divorce. Breaking Apart is a well written, frank account of her marriage, and the factors leading to its disintegration. She writes with sympathy about her ex-husband's breakdown, gives him credit for his devotion to their boys, portraying him as a loving father. With the help of a mediator and counselors,Ms Swallow and her ex-husband worked together to forge a custody arrangement that would preserve the emotional stability of their sons. Both parents were determined that the future of their boys not be tainted by parental discord, an all too common byproduct of divorce. From this candid memoir, those who find themselves in similar marital straits might find possible solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems.
Rating:
Summary: Something to think about
Review: Wendy Swallow provides readers with insight into her marriage, the crumbling of her relationship with her husband, and ultimately their divorce. Ms. Swallow makes no accusations although she delves too deeply into her spouse's problems without his perspective. The key to this non-fiction work is that Ms. Swallow does not wallow in guilt or accusations. Instead she swallowed the divorce as a medicine of life so that the ex-partners move on, but care about their children first. The ultimate message of this book on divorce with children is to stop the selfishness and acrimony and place the welfare and interest of the children before alimony. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A Dance All Its Own
Review: Wendy Swallow's "Breaking Apart: A Memoir of Divorce" seems to have appeared almost at the very moment that I realized that I needed to hear from an individual of keen perception and compassion to guide me as I revisit my own divorce. It took place more than ten years ago. I had finished the first draft of a memoir about a recovery from neurological injury, and my test readers were pointing out that I had given little attention to my divorce (the health crisis was one of many stressors). They suggested that I contact my former spouse and begin thinking things through. I made the call. Two days later, the red-fronted dust cover caught my attention... A week later, my copy of the book is full of marks highlighting the parallels between the author's divorce and my own. Swallow's descriptions helped me begin to understand more fully why my former spouse and I behaved in some ways we did. At times, the author could have been describing either or both of us. How affirming it was to learn that I had not betrayed my gender by cooperating with my wife to insure our teenage son's welfare through and after the proceedings! How soothing it is to be drawn towards the "...old fashioned and sparsely settled ... terrain" of forgiveness with its "healing atmosphere." Other reviewers affirm that divorced and divorcing women will find in this memoir much that is enormously helpful, and I am eager to add that divorced and divorcing men can find a similar liniment in this forthright and sensitive account of "former intimacy ... a dance all its own."
Rating:
Summary: Cry me a river
Review: When a colleague placed this book on my desk after a rather difficult divorce, I opened it cautiously - my recent divorce after 15 years of marriage was certainly not something I'd like to vicariously relive. However, I can honestly say that I would prefer suffering through another 15 years of marriage than reading Wendy Swallow's self-pitying, boring tome. If there are children involved, please do not allow them to read this book - it will only make things more painful. What was painful, I'm afraid, was not thinking about the structure or breakdown of my marriage or the American construct of the family, but rather Swallow's pathetic attempt at shifting the blame for her own mistakes; her shortcomings are incredibly obvious, and she glibly points the finger at anyone but herself. Also, she has little thought for her children - innocents in the crossfire of this egomania of book writing and self-promotion - my children, while clearly affected by my divorce, would never have to suffer through the same humiliation and degredation that Swallow's must have. I can only be grateful that my co-worker lent me her copy; I can think of many other more useful ways to spend my time and money.
Rating:
Summary: Please validate my feelings
Review: While I could see this book becoming a respectable late night Lifetime movie, I would hardly call it a must read. The book chronicles (in agonizing detail) the authors separation and subsequent divorce. The thinly veiled attempt at helping others through this difficult process is frequently overshadowed by seemingly unending pleas for sympathy and desperate attempts for the validation of her feelings. If you are going through a similar situation, I would avoid this book at all costs. Upon finishing this book, you may, as the author did, have a completely distorted perception of your life and the rest of the world. On the other hand, if you would like to wallow in the misery of a failed relationship and convince yourself that a worse fate cannot befall you, order this book immediately.
Rating:
Summary: Please validate my feelings
Review: While I could see this book becoming a respectable late night Lifetime movie, I would hardly call it a must read. The book chronicles (in agonizing detail) the authors separation and subsequent divorce. The thinly veiled attempt at helping others through this difficult process is frequently overshadowed by seemingly unending pleas for sympathy and desperate attempts for the validation of her feelings. If you are going through a similar situation, I would avoid this book at all costs. Upon finishing this book, you may, as the author did, have a completely distorted perception of your life and the rest of the world. On the other hand, if you would like to wallow in the misery of a failed relationship and convince yourself that a worse fate cannot befall you, order this book immediately.
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