Lovebroken

An unmissable read, cathartic, very, very well written, and every page is an invitation to read more. Tears of laughter amidst a serious subject and the most wonderful, honest characterizations.

Finley recounts her chaotic life with deadpan humour and honesty, wryly embracing her colourful lovers and a series of futile attempts to fix her. When a catastrophic encounter in France sends her into meltdown, she winds up receiving daily psychoanalysis on the NHS with a cast of unsettling characters - mainly the therapists. On leaving hospital, Finley stitches her life back together, living for a short time with a Bristol theologian before finding domestic bliss with a transgender civil servant. A cutting-edge approach to mental illness eventually leads her to a key revelation about her past, and she finally understands herself through the lens of her history. Aware at last of what she has survived, she faces an agonising decision about her future

'Lovebroken' was an incredibly insightful, human journey through love, loss, and the process of coming to terms with mental health struggles. From the outset, Finley's narrative voice is a refreshing change from the traditional preachy tome of many works out there that deal with mental health issues and the process of coming to terms with them - in fact, within a few chapters ,the reading experience transforms into a heart-to-heart with a trusted friend.

Despite the heavy subject matter, Finley's humour and wit add just enough levity that the path forward never feels like a chore, and each new page is as enjoyable as the last, and by the end of the book, the reader is left feeling as though they have grown alongside Finley just from reading their experiences.

This is definitely the most raw, thought provoking, refreshing thing I've read all year, and I strongly encourage everyone else to do the same!

In one late sitting I tore through this wild, glorious, horrific, riotous, hilarious, heartbreaking, naughty technicolour romp through relationship trauma, the shocking crapness of mental health treatments, and why lesbians spend so much time in bathrooms.

Beautifully written, De Witt’s prose flows with taut, bouncy, uncompromising fervour with its searing truths, fearless self scrutiny and glorious cast of larger than life characters. I LOVE the bullet titles (“Stopcock” 🤣), middle class Egyptian cotton sheets motif, Sappho the cat, boyfriend Gordon’s rainbow toenails, London’s Butch scene, wild hot oil and ropes bodywork, and ghastly parents. It’s a proper page-turner.

This little gem of a book, packed as it is with explosive information so vital in this time of increasing revelation about sexual abuse, should be right up there on the best seller lists. SOOO many will relate to these stories, and be inspired to know that there IS a way out, that it IS possible to survive, thrive and still see the funny side.

A raw, candid, witty and totally absorbing read.

This memoir covers some pretty heavy subjects treated in an accessible, humorous and light-hearted way. It’s not always an easy read but is very readable and definitely worth it.

It is funny, poignant and occasionally heartbreaking.

It evokes time and place very evocatively, be that the North of England in the 70s and 80s, Oxbridge life as an undergraduate and East London before it was glamorous. The descriptions are so vivid, that it's easy to imagine the book as a movie.

I hope it reaches the wide audience it deserves and can help others struggling with similar issues of childhood trauma and resulting mental health issues.

Brave, honest and often speckled with dry and sarcastic humour.

The focus on Fin's trauma and unresolved issues from the past interfering with their daily life and experiences were clearly evident but what caught my attention just as much is the cultural aspect of British daily life. The author seamlessly threads these quirky specific details into the scenes and stories in order to make them even more vivid and alive. The only thing I could possibly think of throughout the entire reading journey is that a good screenwriter could turn this memoir into a great English indie style movie. Natural, raw and genuine expression of thoughts and emotions.

Finley portrayed something that many would not be able to write about, accept or even face all over again. Lovebroken might help other people come to terms with their own past or present awful circumstances. This part of trauma is universal and the way the author describes their pain, agony, thought process, hesitation or whatever deep emotions they might have been going through applies to all beings regardless of where they come from, live or else.

Possibly self- healing but also helpful to many that may need some courage to dig dip with the right dose of laughter and hope . More love and less broken to follow perhaps.

Written by a psychiatric system survivor turned trauma specialist, this absorbing book charts the journey from a dysfunctional family to ultimate healing with humour, depth and heartbreaking honesty. It covers half a century with swift and unadorned eloquence, dramatising complex relationships, the dangers of ill-informed treatment and the lifelong effects of repressed childhood experiences: 'To realise that mental illness is a protection against unendurable pain, not a pathology, is too radical for most, too countercultural.' Anyone involved in mental health services, as well as anyone who's ever felt shame about their mental health struggles, will find much insight - as well as a kindred spirit - in this brilliant story.

I couldn't put this book down. It's an authentic, poignant account, full of rich detail, of a life on the edge of chaos. Things that made it stand out:
1. The author's searing honesty. They haven't held back any of those embarrassing moments that most of us don't want people to know about.
2. The humour. Lots of laugh-out-loud moments lighten the more painful elements of the story.
3. The skill and craft with which it's been written. The prose is taut, it races along, with lots of contrast and interest.
4. The subject matter: trauma, failed relationships, incompetent mental health professionals. There is so much in here that many will relate to, and alongside the raw and heartbreaking truths, this book also offers a message of hope.
Highly recommended.

This was a real page turner of a book. It was equally gripping and amusing, with brilliantly described appalling scenes that made this reader gasp out loud. It must have been so emotionally draining for the author to write but perhaps therapeutic as well. There is so much insight into trauma here, and its effects on the individual and those around them. What a powerful memoir. Bravo, Finley de Witt!

A queer memoir not to be missed, I read this in two sittings, it is darkly funny, deeply tragic, incredibly beautiful and illuminating, telling a bold and enlightening story of childhood trauma that results in a chaotic adult life. A healing journey, it spans decades of the authors very colourful life. The writer is fierce and hilarious.

Memoir isn't a genre that I would usually choose to pick up, but I was intrigued by the themes of queerness, mental illness and trauma covered in this book. Finley de Witt's journey from a tormented child to an adult who has to deal with the aftermath of this trauma was riveting from the first page. Her ability to touch on such raw and heavy topics with humanity and humour is a special talent, as I read I was equally likely to laugh or to cry on each page. The vulnerability in this novel is so enticing, I felt like I was reading the diary of a very trusting friend. I especially thought her description of her experience with psychosis was incredibly eye-opening, and I hope her words contribute to easing the stigma around this condition and receiving help from mental health hospitals.

As someone who has experienced childhood trauma myself and is currently working with an Internal Family Systems therapist, I'm really glad to read Finley's account of her life. To see someone have to cope with so much, yet to come through that with expertise, a safe relationship and a good sense of humour is truly inspirational. Thank you for sharing!