Falling Apart in One Piece: One Optimist's Journey Through the Hell of Divorce

by Stacy Morrison

Book Overview

The emotionally charged story of a divorce that brought the surprising gift of grace Just when Stacy Morrison thought everything in her life had come together, her husband of ten years announced that he wanted a divorce. She was left alone with a new house that needed a lot of work, a new baby who needed a lot of attention, and a new job in the high-pressure world of New York magazine publishing. Morrison had never been one to believe in fairy tales...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416595570
• ISBN13: 9781416595571
• Release Date: March 2011
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Back To Life

I had to put this book down and come back to it a few times during the course of reading. Why? No, not because the book was bad--just the opposite in fact--but because it really resonated with me. Having just this week marked the one year point in my own divorce process. I almost felt like Stacy (the author) was writing my personal story, as if she had somehow been privy to the last year of my life. The blindsided implosion of 16 years, the subsequent emotional wreckage, the agony, the grieving and mourning, and finally--surprisingly--the rebirth, my own personal evolution. This book essentially documents the unexpected, turbulent, and heartrending journey back to Life. Honestly, I don't know if I could have read the book a year ago. The devastation left me feeling Unmoored and Adrift. Everything was just too tender, too sensitive and too painful back then. I just felt so Raw and Vulnerable. Twelve months later, and I can positively attest for those of you still in the beginning stages of this struggle--that there is truly Life after Divorce. Not only can you make it to the other side, but you may well find that you like yourself better once you get there! That's it. This divorce helped me find myself again. Like Myself, Love Myself again. Here is to whatever new things Life has to bring me!! I'm game.

Reads like a great novel!

This compelling book reads much more like a classic novel than most of today's quickly forgotten "memoirs." There were many times that the pain was so palpable that that I literally had to look away from the page for a while before continuing. But there was also joy in many parts--especially the joy that Morrison obviously feels in finally realizing that she is her own person--for better and for worse, but really so much more for the better--an awesome and talented person who has now added "great mom" and "great writer" to the top of her resume!

Beautiful, Raw and Honest

Even if you are in a happy marriage, this is a must read for all women. Stacy Morrison, editor-in-chief of Redbook magazine, tells the story of her personal journey through her unexpected divorce; how one day her husband of 10 years walks in and decides for the both of them that it's over. He decides he's done with the house, the marriage, and their baby. Stacy is left to pick up the pieces and figure it all out on her own, and she does this with a kind of grace I don't know many women would have. I certainly wouldn't. She has a sense of calm in her writing and never places blame on her ex, which again, I don't know if I could be that kind of woman. Through her ordeal, a broken home (literally and figuratively), floods, fire, tears and self-doubt obstruct Stacy from finding peace; and she is also in charge of doing most of the difficult and thankless parenting duties on her own. Stacy manages to keep it together, and she and her ex maintain a beautiful parenting relationship for the good of their son. She learns more about herself, and in the end, prevails, making Falling Apart in One Piece a beautiful love story to whom it matters most, her son, Zack.

A special book

This is the book I would give to any woman friend - and gosh, there are so many - facing the end of a marriage or a long relationship. It is beautifully written. It is full of humor. I particularly enjoyed the running count of "reasons" why her mate may have opted to leave. Eye-opening observations appear on each page. I particularly appreciated the author's realization that when her husband announced he wanted out, it was the end of the conversation, whereas she took it as the beginning, an opportunity to discuss and perhaps dissuade. The author's generosity of spirit is absolutely unusual and will, I predict, stand her in good stead in all her endeavors throughout her life. She is not a victim; she is a victor. And if reading her book helps one more soon-to-be-single mom know she will be fine, that she will not only survive but can thrive, that would be wonderful.

Beautifully written, immanently readable

Falling Apart in One Piece is one of the most beautifully written, immanently readable books I have come across in years. The fact that it's a memoir brought the story to life for me. As I read, I marveled that the author not only survived the divorce with aplomb, but also managed to put pen to paper to write such an elegant, articulate, thoughtful memoir. The writing is crisp yet powerful. I felt like I was there, living her experiences, even though I know after reading what this family went through that there is no way for one to feel like they were there. But Morrison brings the experience to life in a way that lulled me into thinking I lived it. Not only is the story moving, but her observations -- about marriage, divorce, our reactions to them -- are spot on. I'm fascinated that one person could process everything that happened, and, at the same time, make sound social observations. The fact that Morrison can do both -- relay her personal experience, and bubble them up to a broader social context -- sets the book apart. I've read other reviews where people say they couldn't connect with such an accomplished, financially-independent narrator as a "single mother", but it didn't bother me. The author is telling her story, and it's obvious that she earned her career successes and the accompanying spoils. The fact that she could afford a nanny or had parents who were able to loan her money does not detract from her story or the pain of her divorce. If anything, hearing such stark admissions of where her marriage failed from someone so accomplished reminds the reader that the grass is not always greener, and everyone's pain is their pain. I'm already looking forward to her next book.