And Resilience - Beauty in the Broken Places - A Memoir of Love

I LOVED this book. It was a beautiful (and terrifying at the same time) story. Allison Pataki is an excellent writer and easy to read. I find her descriptions put me right in her place and I can feel her feelings. I have read one of her historical fiction books and plan to read more - even though that is not my favorite genre. I would be very interested in reading a sequel to this book. I want to know more as things continue to unfold for her family in the future.

Grateful for Alli sharing her experiences with us so openly and vulnerably. We're about the same age and I can relate to a lot of her examples. A great reminder to be grateful for our everyday experiences. Yes, there is a lot of underlying wealth and privilege in their story. It makes me wonder what we can do to help others share their life experiences who do not have the opportunity to write for a wide audience. If you liked this one, I recommend Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. I received a free copy of this book and am thankful for the opportunity to review it!

I was worried about reading this memoir after loving Allison Pataki's fiction so much. Would it be as good as her fiction books? I did not need to worry. This is a fabulous book on the issues her family had to deal with after her husband had a stroke. This book is an exceptional read and I enjoyed it very much. Allison did not hold back on all of the feelings that she went through during this time, even the not so good ones. She really opened up her heart and her lives to us and it has made me hold my family just a little bit tighter. What an inspiration that her family was able to stay together through everything that they went through. 5+ stars.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

At turns heartbreaking and utterly hopeful, BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES recounts the journey to new life after the massive stroke of author Allison Pataki’s husband. Makes one count each day of health as a blessing, as life can turn dark in a strangled heartbeat. 5/5

Grateful to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group — Random House for the early read. Opinions are honestly mine.

#BeautyInTheBrokenPlaces #NetGalley

This book resonated with me as a still fairly-newlywed and as someone who went through a medical scare with my husband early on in our marriage. This book made me grapple with the what-if of my own situation, while cheering on Allison in living out her promise of "for better or for worse". Her honesty about the hard moments spelled out the choice that love is, and something we aren't always reminded of in love stories. Allison and Dave's story gives the reader a picture of true, faithful, steady love.

The last few chapters felt rushed and there were less details about settling into their new normal than in other parts of the story. The every other chapter organization of telling their courtship story and the stroke story was nice way of presenting it, so as time went on you grew to understand their history together, and Allison and Dave more and more. Overall, a good read from a favorite author of mine.

Such an inspiring memoir that reminds us how life can change in the blink of an eye! Just months before the birth of their first child, the author's husband suffered a major stroke on a flight to their babymoon in Hawaii. Suddenly Alli and her husband Dave were facing a new normal. The memoir alternates passages about their life "before" and life "after". I was continuously amazed with the amount of progress Dave made towards recovery during a relatively short amount of time. Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read and review this memoir.

Five stars to author Allison Pataki for opening up a window into the life of her family after a devastating and unexpected stroke befell her young husband. I know from experience that things we think we might have to face when we're older come as a great surprise when they happen many decades earlier. I was moved by her faith and the strength of her family, but also her honesty about the times she felt like giving up. A sure winner, Pataki's book will resonate with anyone who has struggled - that is, anyone who is human.

Beauty in the Broken Places is a compelling, heartfelt memoir...I applaud Allison Pataki’s honesty and insight into a harrowing time of her life. The journey that Allison and her husband Dave embarked on was scary and life-changing, fraught with fear and despair and the unknown....there were times that their love was tested almost to the point of breaking. This candid book shows readers all the sides of this story; the emotions, the struggles, the desperation and the love of this family fill the pages of this book.

Inspiring Read

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.
—Helen Keller

And so you have the story...this amazingly raw, thoughtful and honest story of overcoming the unthinkable. The unthinkable being while on their way to a Hawaiian vacation, Allison's young, healthy husband suffers a devastating stroke while they are on the plane. The plane diverts its route from Hawaii and makes an emergency landing in Fargo, North Dakota.

This is the story of a family's life diverted. And the afters: the struggles, the choices and the dawning.

My favorite quote from the book is not the Hemingway quote that is on the page before the forward, although it is great and true, "The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places." My favorite comes towards the end when her mom quietly asks her this question, "What happened to your faith?"

That's the question. When tragedy hits, what happens to our faith? This is Allison's story and I'm so thankful she wrote it down.

"For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health..".These are the classic wedding vows. In truth no one expects or anticipates the worse, poorer or sickness. n affluent young couple's charmed life is disrupted when the husband suffers a stroke on a plane. This story recounts their love affair, the stroke, recovery and rebuilding a marriage changed and challenged.

Frankly this would have been more effective as an article in woman';s magazine. It has the depth of a Lifetime movie. The author alternates time periods, sharing the story of their romances and the subsequent recovery. While they seems like nice, bright people their early life together is rather routine. The reader is kept at arms length for the story of the stroke and recovery. This may have been done out of desire to protect privacy and feelings. Or perhaps it is to keep the veneer of near perfection. although I was struck at how helpful it is to have both money and connections, I don't doubt for a minute that this was a harrowing experience. Even though the thought of a "babymoon" makes me gag, I give the author credit for her perseverance and reliance on faith.

This book is so beautiful! Allison Pataki writes so raw and exquisitely her heart, her fears, her faith and her love. The one thing that kept me totally on edge is that I did not know how Dr. Levy improved or not. I avoided all articles and blogs. I wanted to find out through Allison's incredible telling of their story! This is one of the best faith filled books that I have read in a very long time!

This was such a wonderful book! Our dear friend recently had a stroke in his 40s and I originally bought this book for them. I started reading a page or two before I gave it to them and couldn’t put it down! I ended up buying a second copy for our dear friends as I know boththe husband and wife will get so much out of this inspiring story of love and faith. This book will make you look at life with a different perspective.

Allison Pataki has written a readable memoir about her husband's battle to recover from a stroke and her walk beside him in process. We see the supportive family and community support they enjoyed in the process. Interspersed in this story is the account of their lives before the stroke. The book includes how her faith sustained her, but it is not a religious book. I think this book would be both an encouragement and a reality check for someone dealing with a brain-injured family member.

Here is the thing that keeps is from being 5 stars. Pataki is so positive, that when she is struggling, though she is obviously in a difficult spot, we haven't engaged with the negatives sufficiently to feel empathy and engagement in her struggles. I think we need to see more of the "uglies" and the thoughts and doubts she faced in order to more fully engage in the book--to be gripped by the book. So it is good, but I had trouble making it through the whole thing as I just wasn't that engaged.

A Beautiful and Relentless Love

Beauty in Broken Places is a captivating read. Allison Pataki in this memoir provides a descriptive and insightful journey of her loving relationship with her husband Dave and the unexpected turn of events that would change their lives.
Interwoven memories of the early start of their relationship deepen the understanding of the core strength of what held their family together at its most difficult point.
This compelling love story takes a twist as 5 months pregnant Allison and Dave are traveling to take a -much -needed baby-moon when Dave has a rare stroke. The trajectories of their lives become forever changed. The beauty of relentless love produced from the pain sparked the growth of a fresh new perspective on love, hope, the caring of a loved one with medical needs, and the strength to prevail.

Almost everyone knows a time in their life when it seems that their physical or emotional pain will never end. In Allison Pataki’s new release, Beauty in the Broken Places, she expresses her feelings and most personal thoughts after her young husband’s sudden and unimaginable stroke which left her feeling alone, fearful and vulnerable. Just before Dave’s illness she speaks of the guilt of her life being “too lucky” and during his difficult and challenging recovery her memories of their life before made her
even more acutely aware of how special their life had been. Her faith, resilience, and will to fight eventually takes her in a positive direction. This is a book full of hope, love and inspiration.

This book was yet another amazing accomplishmentl by Alison Pataki. This book was beautiful and made me pause and reflect on my own relationships. At the same time it was a personal connection to an author, which I love getting to know the person behind the books that I love. I can't wait for her next project! She is just an amazing author!!

Beauty In The Broken Places by Alison Pataki is a raw and real account of the author’s struggles to rehabilitate her husband and pull their life back together after he suffers a very rare stroke. Traumatic Brain Injury is so hard on a patient, but exponentially so on their families. I had an advantage reading this because of my own medical training, but it really struck home as I reflected on delivering our children during my husband’s days as an Orthopedic Resident. This story is heart-wrenchingly honest and very well written. I recommend it highly to anyone, medical or not. I recieved an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

This book is an amazing and beautiful story of Allison and her husband's journey through traumatic brain injury. It is a beautiful reminder of what love truly means and that each day we have is so very precious. I highly recommend this book - you will laugh, you will cry, you will be inspired and you will remember what having faith means.

I enjoyed the book for a while, it seemed promising. By the end I was almost disgusted with her constant "Poor Me" and "Lucky Me" in endless variations and repetitions. Of course it's hard when a tragedy or medical emergency strikes, especially with an unknown outcome. I have sympathy for that. However, for most people, not as privileged as her, this might be a lot harder, and she makes sure to lay out all her good fortunes and privileges for us. In the end this book really doesn't speak to me.

Thoughtful and beautifully written, this is Pataki's love letter to her husband and children. She doesn't spare the reader emotion or reality. What set this apart for me is that Dave was so young when he had his stroke. These two happily have a lot more life to live and I wish them well. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a wonderful book; a very easy, but inspiring, read. Having watched my mother die of lung cancer and helping as her caregiver, there were so many parts of the story I could relate to. I understand the emotional roller coaster that Allison was on and how it was so hard to keep the faith somedays. Things that we are dealt in life are not always fair but we have no choice but to take it day by day, just as Allison did. This is a wonderful story of living your marriage vows; in sickness and health.

Allison Pataki's Beauty in the Broken Places drew me in from the moment their plane took off! My favorite memoirs are those that make me feel like the author is talking to me. - telling ME their most intimate thoughts/feelings. Within pages, the reader will feel they are apart of this young couple's fairy tale gone wrong. I have read Allison's other novels - where the focus is on a strong woman "behind the man" In her memoir, she is the reluctant heroine who bravely expresses to the world intimate moments of doubt and weakness followed by true faith and family strength that all can pause and absorb. "Through hottest fire is forged the strongest steel." All who read this memoir will be stronger for it!

Reading this novel felt like a coffee filled chat with a dear friend. Allison writes from a place of raw honesty that helps the reader walk the TBI/stroke recovery process with them. She is candid and real, while weaving in her and Dave's story. In the midst of unspeakable challenges and pain in this season of my life, I found grace and strength in Allison's words. Thank you is inadequate, but it is all I have. So, thank you.

All. The. Feels. Honestly I had not heard about this book of the circumstances surrounding the book. Now I feel like I'm part of the family. Beautiful openness thru the author's words. I would recommend this book to anyone. Served with a side of kleenex.

I just finished Allison Pataki's latest book, "Beauty in Broken Places: A Memoir of Love".
Allison is such a beautiful writer you feel like you are right there with her going through her
terrible hardships after her husband's sudden stroke. Allison made his road to recovery an
ordeal that with diligence it could be done. It was a hard book to put down.

Truly inspiring real-life story of how Allison and Dave went through hell and back. Learning to fully trust in God and his timing, adjusting to a new normal and dying to what might have been. I cried, grieved, laughed and rejoiced with their family through it all. Plus, in addition to a great story, Allison has a gift for words and her skill in capturing them on paper makes for a beautiful read.

Allison Pataki's Beauty in the Broken Places is a memoir of love, faith and resilience. A beautifully written memoir of the strength of the human spirit and a loving relationship. 5 stars all the way. Put this one on your #TBR list. It will inspire you and move you to tears.

Deeply moving, honest, and raw. Allison’s memoir is a story of love, dedication, resilience, and loyalty. The love for her husband, her marriage, her family, and herself is felt on every page. Her story is one to encourage those who have encountered the unexpected, unforeseen events in life that wreck us at the core. Her story is one of rising above, and it encourages readers to do the same. A must read!

My eyes aren’t leaking. I promise. That’s just some drool coming out of my tear ducts.

Seriously, though. This memoir is so beautifully written, and I’m so glad that the author chose to share her family’s journey.

This story captivates you from the first chapter. Allison Pataki weaves the story of her husband's life changing stroke into their story of how they met and became the loves of each other's life. Her way with words draws the reader in and carries you from Chicago to Fargo and back again. All their hopes and dreams become your hopes and dreams for them. This is a wonderful story of faith, but also a real look at the everyday hard things of dealing with recovery from a life changing medical event.

Touching story of a love that weathers the test of all time. Allison has a remarkable way with words as she connects you on their journey as a couple and woven throughout the love story is the strength and endurance needed to triumph over a major health setback. It was hard to set this heartwarming book down.

In this beautifully written memoir, the author shares her experience of a devastating diagnosis that changes everything she knew of her life. Her husband is near death and she must suddenly find the strength and courage to endure what lies ahead. It is a story of unconditional love, faith and resilience of the spirit. I highly recommend this memoir.

Reading this novel felt like a coffee filled chat with a dear friend. Allison writes from a place of raw honesty that helps the reader walk the TBI/stroke recovery process with them. She is candid and real, while weaving in her and Dave's story. In the midst of unspeakable challenges and pain in this season of my life, I found grace and strength in Allison's words. Thank you is inadequate, but it is all I have. So, thank you.

All. The. Feels. Honestly I had not heard about this book of the circumstances surrounding the book. Now I feel like I'm part of the family. Beautiful openness thru the author's words. I would recommend this book to anyone. Served with a side of kleenex.

I just finished Allison Pataki's latest book, "Beauty in Broken Places: A Memoir of Love".
Allison is such a beautiful writer you feel like you are right there with her going through her
terrible hardships after her husband's sudden stroke. Allison made his road to recovery an
ordeal that with diligence it could be done. It was a hard book to put down.

Truly inspiring real-life story of how Allison and Dave went through hell and back. Learning to fully trust in God and his timing, adjusting to a new normal and dying to what might have been. I cried, grieved, laughed and rejoiced with their family through it all. Plus, in addition to a great story, Allison has a gift for words and her skill in capturing them on paper makes for a beautiful read.

Allison Pataki's Beauty in the Broken Places is a memoir of love, faith and resilience. A beautifully written memoir of the strength of the human spirit and a loving relationship. 5 stars all the way. Put this one on your #TBR list. It will inspire you and move you to tears.

Deeply moving, honest, and raw. Allison’s memoir is a story of love, dedication, resilience, and loyalty. The love for her husband, her marriage, her family, and herself is felt on every page. Her story is one to encourage those who have encountered the unexpected, unforeseen events in life that wreck us at the core. Her story is one of rising above, and it encourages readers to do the same. A must read!

My eyes aren’t leaking. I promise. That’s just some drool coming out of my tear ducts.

Seriously, though. This memoir is so beautifully written, and I’m so glad that the author chose to share her family’s journey.

This story captivates you from the first chapter. Allison Pataki weaves the story of her husband's life changing stroke into their story of how they met and became the loves of each other's life. Her way with words draws the reader in and carries you from Chicago to Fargo and back again. All their hopes and dreams become your hopes and dreams for them. This is a wonderful story of faith, but also a real look at the everyday hard things of dealing with recovery from a life changing medical event.

Touching story of a love that weathers the test of all time. Allison has a remarkable way with words as she connects you on their journey as a couple and woven throughout the love story is the strength and endurance needed to triumph over a major health setback. It was hard to set this heartwarming book down.

This book communicates such a powerful message so exquisitely and believably! So many of us wonder from time to time that we're just so, so lucky, what could possibly happen? Beauty in the Broken Places describes one such scenario--extreme but very real--and offers a path for overcoming despair. We have four weddings and four baby showers this spring and summer--and each couple will receive a copy of this book. It's a gift!

I can’t say enough great things about Beauty in the Broken Places! Allison shares her heart wrenching journey and it is a journey of hope, love, tenacity and fortitude. Her and Dave’s experience is one we won’t soon forget and makes you feel closer to those you love.

What an inspiring book! Allison and her husband Dave were hit with huge life threatening obstacles and with love, faith, and support from family and friends they get back to a happy life with a new daughter and careers. This book was so well written!

Such a beautiful book - well written and brutally honest. Allison shows the struggles as well as her incredible strength in overcoming the stroke of her husband. The book made me aware of how precious life is and how much we need to be grateful for each day we have with our loved ones.

A very honest and inspiring book about a young couple's journey of love, Faith and strength when an unexpected life-threatening stroke turns their world upside down. Happy to pass the word that this book is available May 1! #mustread #beautyinthebrokenplaces

I was really looking forward to reading the rest of the story after reading the book summary. By the last page I felt no closer to the subjects as humans than I do after watching an episode of Dateline.

Do not walk, RUN to buy this moving, beautifully-written, beautifully-expressed, story of a young couple's journey through love, tragedy, compassion, faith, healing.....and full-circle to survival. You will find yourself deeply emerged in this emotional account of a young woman's strength of character and love, proof that love and faith can conquer and heal.

Doreen Prentiss Gabriellini's review Feb 18, 2018 · edit
it was amazing

Beauty in the Broken Places A Memoir of Love, Faith, and Resilience by Allison Pataki
is a beautifully written piece of literature. While this is the first novel by Ms. Pataki that I have read, I can assure you it won’t be my last. Ms. Pataki has a wonderful command of the English Language and her words are thoughtful, remarkable and heartfelt.

Having lived in New York State, I was familiar with the Governor and his family. I had heard that his daughter had written a few novels but I never got around to reading them. Off the cuff one might think: “Oh this is the Governor’s daughter” and assume she had a leg up on the rest of the writers who were trying to be published. Let me assure you now that line of thinking is wrong. Ms. Pataki was an English Major in college. She was not published because she was some politicians daughter. She was published because she is an extraordinary writer.

While I do not give spoilers, I will say that this memoir had to be heartbreaking to write. To recount the worst time in your life is not an easy thing to do. To be pregnant with your first child while you are going through the worst time in your life is not an easy thing to do. To wonder whether you will be a widow and single parent during the worst time in your life is horrendous.

Ms. Pataki shares with her readers, the depth of family love not only in her immediate family but to her wider family and friends. I will say having understood that depth of love is amazing. Ms. Pataki makes you understand what her family means to her in the good and horrific times.

The book is about Faith. Her faithfulness that her belief in God would see her and her loved ones through their darkest days. Naturally faith is never constant and Ms. Pataki shows her faith waivering when things get bad. She shares her immense effort to hold on to her present, left go of her past and look forward to an uncertain future. The future she had not written for herself.

Resilience is a reoccuring theme throughout the book. From her husband’s, to hers, to her family’s the resilience is remarkable. As I neared the end of the book I was wondering if she would tell us how her family is now. Ms. Pataki gave us a glorious resolve to the ending. I wasn’t expecting it but I am grateful for how it summed up the memoir.

This is a must read for anyone who has taken care of a loved one. It is also a must read for those whose path was not what they had written. This book affirms that you are not alone in this journey and your journey will change course. The book is joyful and sad, terrifying and ecstatic, boundless and loving.

This is a wonderful book. Allison Pataki has written a touching memoir about her husband's unexpected stroke as a young adult. The beauty in the broken places is a trip through love, laughter, anxiety, fear, medical unknowns, friendship, and faith in God.

You will travel an amazing road as Allison walks you through the nightmare of David's stroke and recovery. The way she blends the present experience with their past history of meeting and falling in love is seamless. You will grow to appreciate their individuality as well as their relationship as a couple.

There are days when dealing with the future is almost overwhelming. But faith, family, and friends help them navigate this difficult voyage. I am in awe of the story Allison has shared with the reader. Hopefully awareness of traumatic brain injury will increase and both the individual who has suffered such a devastating medical diagnosis and their families will know they are not alone.

Thank you to the author, Allison Pataki, for a free copy of this book for my unbiased opinion.

BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES by Allison Pataki is a beautifully-written and deeply moving memoir of how the author and her family coped with the aftermath of her 30-year-old husband Dave suffering a sudden and life-threatening stroke while they were on a plane heading to a much-needed vacation in Hawaii. Five months pregnant with their first child, she is suddenly faced with making life-changing decisions and with the uncertainty of the future for her husband and new family. With honesty and courage, Pataki opens her heart to her readers and reveals both her fears and her faith during this extremely difficult time. Both heart-wrenching and uplifting, this memoir reveals the devastating effects of traumatic brain injury and the challenging journey of recovery. BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES is an emotional and intimate tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of faith and love in the face of an unexpected tragic event. I highly recommend this heartfelt memoir with its message of hope and gratitude for what we have.

This is a beautifully well written memoir by Allison Pataki. At 30 years old and 5 months pregnant, she and her husband were on their way to Hawaii for a few days of rest and relaxation. Her husband, Dave, was a surgical resident who worked long hours and they both needed a few days away to relax before the baby changed their lives completely. Little did they know when they boarded the airplane, that their lives would be drastically changed before they landed. Dave had a stroke during the flight -an almost unknown occurrence for a young healthy person - and when they made an emergency landing, they weren't sure if he would live or die. Both families went to Fargo, ND. where the plane landed to help with the situation. What follows is such a beautiful story of family and love, friendship and faith that it brought me to tears.

When Allison finds out that Dave has no memory at all and can't retain information, she writes to him every day so that when/if he regains his memory, he will be able to read what happened every day and about her concerns about their lives in the future.

This is a beautiful book that is full of inspiration and love. I am so glad that I read it and highly recommend it.

I read an advance copy of this book.

In “Beauty in the Broken Places”, Allison Pataki shares the very personal journey she unexpectedly found herself on when her 30-year-old husband suddenly has a stroke.

Allison and Dave really were living a dream life. Allison was following her bliss as a successful published author. Dave was a third-year medical resident. They were young and deeply in love and about to add to their family, when Dave was stricken by a stroke. It was the type of stroke you would expect to have happen to someone much older or in terrible health, not to an athletic 30-year-old, the picture of good health. But, life will sometimes throw you a curveball, and how you choose to respond to it will reveal what you are made of.

This book made me laugh one minute and burst into tears the next. Allison details the whirlwind of Dave’s stroke, the immediate aftermath, and the long journey back to some semblance of normal, interspersed with the story of their courtship and marriage. There were parts that I could completely relate to, and other parts that made me so thankful that I have never had to deal with. If the phrase “God never gives you more than what you can deal with” is true, He must have known what a tremendous support system Allison and Dave would have around them when he dealt them these cards. Fabulous book! I cannot possibly recommend it highly enough.

I received an advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. I wish that I could give this book more than five stars because from beginning to end you are completely invested in their story. You want to wrap your arms around them and comfort them as much as you can. Keep the Kleenex handy because you will absolutely need them. Don't read this book in public because you will be sniffling at certain times and people are going to ask you what's wrong. Definitely pick up this gem of a book now and look forward to being amazed by this wonderful book.

May we always remember...

I cannot put into words how beautiful this memoir is. It is heartbreakingly wonderful. The love between Allison and Dave is so pure, so easy to see. I could never imagine how I would be in this situation, but I would hope I would be as strong as Allison. Her words are true. They are moving and descriptive and they invite you in. She gives you a window into Dave's stroke, their long lasting relationship, and how it all intertwines. I could not recommend this memoir enough.

Allison Pataki’s new book beauty in the broken places, a memoir of love, faith, and resilience is a realistic and honest account of the days following a loved one’s health scare. Two beautiful, young, and motivated people are busy building careers and looking forward to their first baby, when they must suddenly shift their focus, and deal with one of life’s curveballs. If you ever think you are alone in calamity, think again, as fate often works in capricious ways. This book shows how to navigate the inevitable ups and downs following illness and disappointment, and to still come out on top, renewed and ready to take it on, and live a fuller, more beautiful life. We are reminded that in many ways, we are all in the same boat in this thing called life; and, in fact, we cannot and should not go it alone. Beauty in the Broken Places will inspire you to keep going, with vigor, and optimism, despite what we are forced to face in life. Thank you Allison Pataki for writing this poignant book, and for letting us share in your journey. Keep writing.

In this beautifully written memoir, the author shares her experience of a devastating diagnosis that changes everything she knew of her life. Her husband is near death and she must suddenly find the strength and courage to endure what lies ahead. It is a story of unconditional love, faith and resilience of the spirit. I highly recommend this memoir.

"Beauty In Broken Places" is a remarkable book about a difficult journey that was met with love, determination and strength. It is beautifully written, as are all of Allison Pataki's books. You can feel her feelings and envision what this amazing couple went through. This is a story that will remain in your mind and heart.