Cracked: Recovering After Traumatic Brain Injury [Paperback]

Lynsey Calderwood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 13, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1843100657 | ISBN-13: 978-1843100652 | Edition: 1

At the age of 14, Lynsey Calderwood suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her physically unmarked but destroyed her memory. Thrust back into an apparently nonsensical world of which she had no recollection. Lynsey spiralled downwards into depression and eating disorders as she became socially ostracized. This is the story, in her own words, of Lynsey's quest to discover her identity, and, eventually, to come to terms with her disability. She faces devastating setbacks and her sense of loss, grief and rage is recalled. Courage and perseverance, coupled with her engaging sense of humour, see her through, and her tale should be an inspiration to anyone who has faced similar obstacles.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lynsey Calderwood is a student of creative writing who has had many pieces published. She also has theatrical training and writes performance poetry and scripts for community theatre

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley; 1 edition (November 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843100657
• ISBN-13: 978-1843100652
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,664,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cracked and cracking, March 15, 2003

By 

david manderson (glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cracked: Recovering After Traumatic Brain Injury (Paperback)

Why is this book important? Many reasons - but one is that it's by and about disability, and it proves beyond doubt that people generally considered 'crackers' have much to say, and much to offer.

More than that, it's a cracking story - full of pain, courage sadness, and hilarious moments of comedy.

The author tells her story in broken bits of narrative, fragments of memory, and simple heartfelt poems (that get more complex and sophisticated as time passes) Like Humpty Dumpty she has to pick up the broken pieces of her mind as the kings' horses - psychiatry, education and state 'care' - try to trample her into the ground.

It's an internal and an external journey that should shatter all our beliefs, if we have them, that there's anyone out there to help if the same thing happened to us.

Not just an interesting autobiography, but the first work by a major new author, Cracked will have your brain reeling.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cracked, Well Worth Reading, March 15, 2010

By 

Garry Prowe "Author of Successfully Surviving... (Gainesville Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cracked: Recovering After Traumatic Brain Injury (Paperback)

In 1992, Lynsey Calderwood fell from a chair and banged her head. In a flash, she lost all memory of her short fourteen-year life. Eleven years later, she published this clever, funny, insightful, sometimes cruel, sometimes profane memoir of her struggles to create a new self-image. This was a difficult process as the "new Lynsey" was constantly bumping up against the expectations of her family and friends to be the "old Lynsey." When she returned to school, Calderwood realized the severity of her memory loss and her impaired ability to learn new material. She also struggled socially, constantly fearful of the hostility she sometimes encountered. Things began to improve when Calderwood learned to use stress management and relaxation techniques. But more importantly, Calderwood finally found a purpose in life. She discovered that she wanted to be a writer, a poet, and an actor, just like the "old Lynsey." Learning new material was still a considerable challenge for her, but now she was motivated by a passion. Her confidence and enthusiasm for life began to grow. As we reach the end of Cracked, we find Calderwood busy, "holed up in her bedroom writing poetry and setting goals and limits for herself." By her own account, she still finds it difficult to relax and she "rarely finishes the tasks she begins." She did, however, finish Cracked, and I'm glad she did. The story of her passage from a 14-year-old with a new, but impaired, lease on life to that of a 25-year-old published author is well worth reading.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not so good, July 2, 2007

By 

grady "grady" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cracked: Recovering After Traumatic Brain Injury (Paperback)

This book was difficult to read because it is so disjointed and un-clear. It has some good experience information, but is more like her personal discombobulated diary than a clear story.