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Dancing on Broken Glass [Paperback]

Ka Hancock
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)

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Book Description

March 13, 2012
A powerfully written debut novel offering an intimate look at one couple's unconventional marriage that survives against all odds.

Lucy Houston and Mickey Chandler probably shouldn’t have fallen in love, let alone gotten married. They’re both plagued with faulty genes—he has bipolar disorder, and she has a ravaging family history of breast cancer. But when their paths cross on the night of Lucy’s twenty-first birthday, sparks fly, and there’s no denying their chemistry. 

Cautious every step of the way, they are determined to make their relationship work—and they put it all in writing.  Mickey promises to take his medication. Lucy promises not to blame him for what is beyond his control. He promises honesty. She promises patience. Like any marriage, they have good days and bad days—and some very bad days. In dealing with their unique challenges, they make the heartbreaking decision not to have children. But when Lucy shows up for a routine physical just shy of their eleventh anniversary, she gets an impossible surprise that changes everything. Everything. Suddenly, all their rules are thrown out the window, and the two of them must redefine what love really is.

An unvarnished portrait of a marriage that is both ordinary and extraordinary, Dancing on Broken Glass takes readers on an unforgettable journey of the heart.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hancock’s debut is an authentic tearjerker—an intimate and touching story that will remain in readers’ hearts."

Publishers Weekly

"In a world of Nicholas Sparks wannabes, there are an infinite number of ways to get a tear-jerking romance wrong. Ka Hancock’s lovely, heartbreaking debut novel, Dancing On Broken Glass, shows off one great way to get it right. ... She grounds her emotionally wrenching situations in beautifully detailed characters—including the amazing interplay between Lucy and her two sisters—and uses her background in nursing to provide compelling texture for the medical dramas. As those characters struggle to understand the connection between love and mortality, Hancock fills her pages with a rich, optimistic spirituality that never feels oppressive. Get ready for a good, cleansing cry built on real, tangled humanity rather than forced tragedy."

—Salt Lake City Weekly

About the Author

Ka Hancock has two nursing degrees and has spent most of her career working with psychiatric and substance abuse patients. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband and has four children. This is her first novel. 

Product Details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (March 13, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1451637373
  • ISBN-13: 978-1451637373
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ka was born and raised in Utah in the shadow of the most spectacular mountains on earth. A lifelong learner with two degrees in nursing, her expertise is in the field of mental health. Somewhere between raising her family, going to school, working and getting the laundry done, she managed to write a novel that takes an unvarnished look at imperfect love, loss, and bipolar disorder. Her underlying faith in the resiliency of the human spirit shines through in her debut Dancing on Broken Glass. Read it.


Customer Reviews

The story is so well written and the characters took on their own lives. Cheryl C.  |  19 reviewers made a similar statement
Seeing the kind of true love that sticks it out. M. Schemanski  |  14 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I hope I never forget this story. April 4, 2012
Format:Paperback
I think this is the best book I've read in a really long time.

Let's start with a critical analysis and break down the text: First, the writing was really good. Like, Dianne Dixon good, or JK Rowling good. It was filled with flowing and descriptive prose and beautiful metaphors. I could probably write a ten-page paper on some of the literary themes in this novel. It wasn't just fiction for the sake of the story: There was so much beauty about the meaning of life and love and commitment and... well, I'll let you read it.

The pacing was excellent. The very first sentence caught me by the hair and dragged me the whole way through the book. I read most of it in one setting, stopping only to readjust the pillow behind my back.

Now for the really important stuff:

The characters in Dancing on Broken Glass were so epic that I truly didn't want this book to end. They were so wonderful, but so terribly and humanly flawed, just like real people are, that I feel like if I saw Mickey or Lily on the street, I'd recognize them right away.

And boy did I relate to some of these characters!

The ending was just superb. It was heartbreaking, but I knew it was destined from the moment I started reading. It was so perfect and fulfilling that it was worth all the emotional turmoil the rest of the novel put me through.

On that note, it wasn't one of those books that are so hard to read that you can only take it in small doses or that it makes you cry, or extremely emotional readers can't handle it. Nor did it have any offensive language or sex scenes (okay there was some mention of sex, but it wasn't explicit in any way). In fact, it was one of the least offensive novels I've read in a very long time. We're talking years.

The romance was better than anything I've read in any teen novel. The relationships were true and realistic to the core. The flawed characters were just as real to me as I am to myself. The message of hope and grief and dedication and sacrifice will stay with me forever. I hope I never forget this story.

Dancing on Broken Glass was an absolutely beautiful novel. Ka Hancock is going on my Author Watch, and this novel is staying on my "re-read" bookshelf. I recommend it to absolutely anyone willing to hear a really good story.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Read- Amazing Prose April 24, 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
After reading a slew of chick-lit and books targeted towards women that have been extremely disappointing, picking up this book was refreshing. From the prose that was both thoughtfully and beautifully written, to the emotional backdrop of this story, I was engaged from beginning to end. I can't recommend this book enough- however, I will admit that I felt sad and introspective at the end of this book- this can only be the result of a well written book.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars True love, despite flawed nature April 16, 2012
Format:Paperback
Dancing on Broken Glass
Ka Hancock
On occasion a novel comes along that shows strong depth of love, a boundless love that in this throwaway society, stands firm. The kind of relationship we all long for in our souls, but would be willing to count the cost for it?
Lucy and Mickey attempt to beat the odds in their lives to pledge their undying love to one another. Lucy, whose family lineage is gone from breast cancer and has overcome herself. Mickey who is bi-polar and has a personality that can go from deeply depressed to mania. The love each other despite these obstacles and make a vow to make it work, accepting the things they cannot change.
It isn't easy. Dealing with Mickey in and out of the hospital over the years to get his meds regulated again. Lucy dealing with cancer and the fear of dying like her own mother did at a young age. Their list of `rules' for living, framed by their bedside helps them to focus. The last rule on the list is that they will not have any children to pass on these diseases to. Lucy who has had her tubes tied several years ago finds out she is pregnant. How can they raise a child with all that they deal with in their unique situation?
Ka Hancock uses her experience in the nursing and psychiatric field to paint a picture of bi-polar and the affects it has not only on the person with it, but those who love him. She does an excellent job of utilizing Mickey's own words in a journal type format, while Lucy deals with all she does in loving Mickey. We meet up with Lucy and Mickey as they fall in love, and shift to the present and back. Catching up on their story as they deal with the here and now.
This is a heart wrenching novel, reading as if watching a movie unfold in front of you. Seeing the kind of true love that sticks it out. I love the fact that Lucy didn't just abandon Mickey, and knew what she was getting in to prior to marrying him, or so she thought. With divorce being so prevalent in our society it is nice to have a novel where the couple despite the odds, works to stay together and in love.
Outstanding debut novel from Ka Hancock. I look forward to reading more of her works!!
I appreciate Ka providing me with a book in exchange for an honest review.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Read for book group
I read this for my book group, it was a very depressing story. I would not reccommend it, unless you like feeling bad after a book.
Published 3 days ago by Bonnie G.
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites of the year
What an amazing story! The writing is lovely, the characters deeply defined and compelling. I love books that make me think a little differently about the world, and this book did... Read more
Published 6 days ago by Jenny P
5.0 out of 5 stars Dancing on Broken Glass
The book deals with difficult subjects and handles them well. There will obviously be many more sad situations in the future, but that is part of real life too. Read more
Published 23 days ago by Grapefruit lover
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It!
I loved this book. Very well written, kept your interest, couldn't wait to turn the next page! Cried in many places and could certainly see this happening in real life!
Published 1 month ago by Sandy Sperline
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
I thought this book depicted the subject in a compassionate and realistic light. It is a great read for someone to understand BiPolar and it's ramifications.
Published 1 month ago by E. Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo!
I don't write a lot of reviews, but this book blew me out of the water, so I have to mention it. Lyrical, gorgeous writing, with characters that are flawed, deep, and absolutely... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Annette Lyon
2.0 out of 5 stars It's a romance novel
I don't know how the author managed to write a romance novel about a guy with bipolar disorder and a woman with terminal cancer, but she did. Nothing in the novel rang true.
Published 2 months ago by Susan Dillenbeck
5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ
AH, WHAT TO SAY WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH TO SAY. Can't write all that, so, it made me cry; the depth of love and commitment, the beginning of a treasured new life, the joy, the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by S. S. Radimer Collectibles
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Wonderful book! Page turner and difficult to put it down. Author has an excellent writing style! The reader becomes attached to this family from the start and walks through each... Read more
Published 2 months ago by cheri a paladino
1.0 out of 5 stars An interesting, fun read.
Having been through cancer myself, I found this book a delightful, fun read. Such strong sick and crazy characters proving life does go on, no matter what your challenges.
Published 2 months ago by Nancy A. Pontious
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