Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir by Michele Harper

9 reviews

sofipitch's review

dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Harper bears witness and gives voice to how societies failure often brings patients to her as an ER doctor. This book was not only surprisingly hopeful but after everything Harper herself has gone through and then seen you really end up hopeful yourself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Police brutality

Moderate: Racism, Physical abuse, Cancer, Gun violence, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Addiction, Abortion, and Alcoholism

readbycarina's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, Medical content, Rape, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, and Racism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, and Addiction

poppyseedromance's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

riona_y's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Medical content

Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, and Death

Minor: Drug abuse and Alcoholism

alisiakae's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

ekmook's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault

Moderate: Gun violence and Murder

claudiamacpherson's review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

2.5

I read this for my university’s virtual book club because I am trying to branch out in the types of books that I read. I typically don’t read nonfiction or memoirs, but after loving Becoming earlier this year I thought I might like another autobiography… but this one did not do it for me. I enjoyed some of the stories, but the book overall felt very preachy and holier-than-thou. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Violence

jourdanicus's review

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

5.0

I came to this book after reading a few other medical memoirs and boy was I not prepared for it (in the best way). Dr. Harper recalls stories of patients who have affected her and draws connections between their experiences, the lessons she learned from them, her own experiences as a Black woman/survivor of abuse, and to top it all off brings in discussion of systemic and institutional racism/sexism/violence. Just... incredible. It was both refreshing and challenging (in a growth way) to read a memoir by someone who is so mentally and spiritually well, and has truly done the work to get to that point. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone, I think we all have a lot to learn from it. Much respect and appreciation to Dr. Harper for sharing parts of her life and perspective in the form of this book.

*And yes, there are a lot of potential triggers discussed in this book but Dr. Harper handles each topic with such sensitivity and grace that, while this may be a challenging read for some, it is not carelessly or blatantly triggering. I hope the content warnings don't drive away any potential readers.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism

Minor: Blood, Abortion, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Rape

alexdicanio's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

This is a beautiful memoir filled with so much emotion, yet so much hope. The author discusses a lot of issues including; racism, sexism, misogyny, white supremacy, fragile/toxic masculinity, bigotry, sexual assault, domestic violence, and bureaucratic/administrative setbacks and inefficiencies. Not only does Harper have a gift for medicine and healing, but also writing. I felt the book had a nice flow and pace. 

I would truly love to read more from her in the future, and I hope she does continue writing. 

As this is a memoir, I am not giving it a star rating. I do highly recommend for people to read this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Suicide, Sexism, Sexual assault, Racism, Physical abuse, Drug use, and Rape

Minor: Abortion and Alcoholism