Breaking Point

by Suzy Spencer

Book Overview

From the New York Times bestselling author of THE FORTUNE HUNTER Andrea Yates, a suburban Houston mother of five, horrified the nation on June 20, 2001, when she dialed 911 and said, "I killed my... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312983093
• ISBN13: 9780312983093
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Author goes into too much detail.

I enjoyed the book, however the court details were too much. It felt like a copy of the court transcript. I got lost and had to re-read several pages. I also got mixed emotions about Rusty Yates. He is a very odd and definitely did not help her on my opinion.

Breaking Point

It was very good eye opener for mental illness or Baby Blues. I hate to say it but I think her husband Rusty should have seen alot of this before and that he was part of the problem of how she was suppose to live up to what he wanted. I still say bless though poor children hard to read but yet a must and very well written. Diane P.

This woman never had a chance - NONE!

Suzy Spencer did a great job in telling a story that left me furious at the end of the book. I do not know who I want to strangle first: Andrea's self-centered and emotionally distant husband Rusty who kept the poor woman pregnant and isolated; that idiot of a preacher, the sexist (and bedbug crazy) Michael Woroniecki; the DA that was determined to have this obviously insane woman put to death; or the incompetent psychiatrist at Devereux. What IS it with the state of Texas and its zeal for executing women? Darlie Lynn Routier was railroaded onto death row, where she remains to this day. They were all too glad to execute Karla Faye Tucker, even though they had no problem with commuting Henry Lee Lucas' death sentence. Andrea Yates was mentally ill, and yet they wanted to stick a needle in her arm. Appalling. There are some women who should not have children; I think Andrea Pia Kennedy Yates was one of them. The poor woman didn't have a life. There was no "ME time" for her. She was constantly pregnant, even though she suffered postpartum depression from Day One. She had to homeschool her kids and at one point was made to live on a bus! Abuse doesn't have to be physical to be abuse - I believe Andrea Yates was abused by her husband -- and the mental health system let her down. I couldn't believe it when I read how Rusty Yates alienated the women he worked with at NASA, asking them why they were working and why they weren't "at home where they belong"? (I would have asked the domineering Mr. Yates, "And WHY are YOU getting in MY business?" Right before dumping a cup of coffee in his lap.) I also couldn't believe how he stated his "main objective as a parent" was to make his boys "stay quiet for longer periods of time." Excuse me? Children are not automatons or robots! What a control freak! I was beside myself with anger when I heard Rusty Yates now seeks a divorce from Andrea. Excuse me? What's he going to do.....find ANOTHER woman with little or no self-esteem and keep HER pregnant and a virtual prisoner until SHE snaps, too? Good job of story-telling by Suzy Spencer of how far women STILL have to go and how fundamentalist beliefs continue to screw up people's heads and lives!

Great Book!

I don't review alot of books or read alot of books published before the trial,But the shock and horror of Andrea Yates killing those 5 children just stayed with me. I seen the book and bought it. It was a good book about a horrible crime. When I first saw this awful Tradgedy on the news I wanted Andrea Yates Hung from the nearest tree. After reading the book , I see now how very troubled she was.She should be punished , but so should her husband and the mental health community. I am glad Ms. Spencer spared us some of the gory details.The book was very informative and gave me a much better understanding on what was/wasnt going on in Andrea Yates head! ...

An Important Book

It is a very sensational story. A quiet suburbs, a NASA engineer, a stay at home mother,and five small white coffins. Suzy Spencer takes you to this seemingly normal home in a pleasant neighborhood and strips it bare of all its pretenses. Spencer does not flinch from telling the sensational details. But she takes it one step further. She reveals the root cause of the tragedy. She does something few true crime writers dare to do; she shows us why this happened and the answer is simple. We as a society have swept mental health issues under rug. As a result, we ostrasize people with mental illness and the insurance companies are enabled to provide just enough coverage to slap a band-aid on the problem -- never enough to accomplish a cure.By telling the story of Andrea Yates hard fought battle for mental health and her ultimate defeat, Spencer lays bare society's sins.Breaking Point is more than a well-written, page-turning True Crime book. It is also a clarion call to action. Breaking Point is an important read.

Suzy Spencer Tackles A Hard Case

The shocking tragedy of the Yates children is hard to cope with. When this book was released I didn't want to go near it. But something about understanding how a mother could do such a thing drew me near.Yes this is a book that seemed rushed, yes it's about a case no one wants to ADMIT to reading about. But none the less it is a GOOD true crime book. Suzy Spencer puts together a excellent story filled with details, and information on some of the explanations.Although I will never fully understand, I feel I am somewhat more enlightened.It's a tragic book, but then again aren't most true crime books?