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    • Nov 13, 2020

Indie Feature Friday: BROKEN THINGS by A.L. Garcia

Welcome to another installation of my Indie Feature Friday series! Today I’ve got something a little different for you. I usually review SF&F books on this blog, but I’m going to shake things up with a memoir. Today, I bring you <a href="http://<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08G8X3M4Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B08G8X3M4Y&linkCode=as2&tag=scjensen03-20&linkId=c41f01caf092f8cb485db3363830bf24">Broken Things</a>

Broken Things by A.L. Garcia.

Indie Book Review with Sarah Does Sci-Fi

A.L. Garcia is a poet I discovered on Instagram, and she is US Veteran and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Garcia is using her platform to spread awareness of a pervasive issue which society prefers to ignore, and also to bring hope and inspiration for other survivors and to encourage them to tell their own stories.

Broken Things is an emotionally difficult read about a subject that makes most people shut down and tune out because it’s so awful to think about. It’s not something you want to read, but something which is important to read anyway–if you can–in order to better understand the problem and hopefully to help future children.

Broken Things by A.L. Garcia

Broken Things by A.L. Garcia is a gut-wrenching story about surviving childhood sexual abuse. I read a wide variety of both fiction and non-fiction, and it has been a very long time since I’ve read anything that has upset and shaken me as much as this book.

As a parent of young children, it is particularly hard to read because Garcia’s story really highlights the way children are let down by the people they should be able to trust more than anyone. Garcia suffered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of her father while her mother turned a blind eye. It’s heartbreaking to imagine, and the ripples such trauma has across the life of a child doesn’t end when they escape their abuser or become an adult.

While parts of Broken Things are very raw and unfiltered and painful to read, her story is not one of hopelessness. Garcia’s simple, straight-forward prose is filled with little flashes of beautiful imagery and joyful memories, too. An early love of literature informs much of Garcia’s understanding of the world in her younger years, and moments of quiet reflection on her circumstances add depth to her experience beyond the pain of abuse.

Most powerfully, Garcia’s story is a direct naming and calling out of her father, who is still alive and possibly still abusing children. He has never faced charges or served jailtime, and Garcia has reason to believe she is not the only one who has suffered at his hands.

If you are hesitant to read this book, I completely understand. I only braved it after speaking with Garcia and understanding her mission to spread awareness about this issues. Having read it now, I can say I am glad that I did. It ends on a note of hope, leaving off where Garcia and her siblings manage to escape their broken home. Finishing this book feels like a weight being lifted of one’s shoulders as we see Alma grabbing her future and setting herself free.

Alma is an absolutely wonderful writer, friend, and supporter. She encourages other survivors to contact her, to share the burden of their experiences, and to find their own paths to healing. Even if you can’t bring yourself to read Broken Things, I ask that you please share this review in the hopes that other survivors might find it and reach out for support.

Discussion

I won’t be posting a formal review for this book as I can’t really get the emotional distance from the work to critique it. As an “own story” memoir, I don’t think critique is the point of the reading experience, though it is exceptionally well written and powerful.

What is the most powerful memoir you’ve ever read?

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