Patchwork Of Me [Paperback]

Gregory G. Allen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2012

2012 International Book Awards Winner in Women's Lit

2012 New York Book Festival Award Winner in General Fiction

2012 Readers Favorite Awards in Fiction: Intrigue  

A product of the foster care system, Sara Butler spends her early thirties hiding from her past while striving for a normal life with her small group of quirky friends in Arizona. Seeking treatment for an invisible rash and abnormal dreams, her therapist helps her unlock a heinous past that she is unsure she wants to open. To patch her life back together, she realizes she must travel across country to Maine to confront that past in order to plan for a future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Allen weaves an intricate tapestry of characters, successfully transporting the reader into his world...a compelling read." -Joanne Huspek Blogcritics

"A page-turning, thought provoking, and addictive tale. Allen's vivid characters are rich and real and thoroughly enjoyable." - Spencer Seidel Author of Dead of Wynter

"It's Allen's wisdom and insight - the hopeful message that it is up to us to shape our life and our future - that truly makes this book special. With Patchwork of Me, Greg Allen has made my short list of favorite authors!" - Terri Giuliano Long Author of In Leah's Wake

"It's a kaleidoscope of unexpected twists and turns, emotional and psychological. It's soul-searching; self-discovering, humorous and romantic!" - Arthur Wooten Author of Leftovers

"This book is for anyone who treasures friendship, asks big questions, looks for the truth, or simply enjoys a great story." - Pamela Milam, MA, LPC Author & Columnist

From the Author

I love to tell stories and believe it should allow characters into different places and genres. I've always said my platform was sharing stories of adversity & diversity that cause a reader to stop and think about their own lives. Hopefully Sara Butler's journey can help to point out something from your own 'road trip' in life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 326 pages
• Publisher: ASD Publishing (April 15, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0983604940
• ISBN-13: 978-0983604945
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,463,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gregory G. Allen is the award-winning author of PATCHWORK OF ME, COOL SIDE OF THE PILLOW, WELL WITH MY SOUL, PROUD PANTS: AN UNCONVENTIONAL MEMOIR, and CHICKEN BOY: THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF A SUPER HERO WITH AUTISM. He has had short stories and poetry published in: New Town Writers' anthology Off The Rocks 14, Loch Raven Review, Muscadine Lines: A Southern Journal, The Oddville Press, Word Catalyst Magazine, Rancor'd Type, Home & Holidays and is a contributor of articles and blogs to several online sites. Allen has been in the entertainment business for over twenty years as an actor, director, writer, and producer and is an award-winning musical theater writer with over ten original musicals produced. Allen currently manages an arts center on the campus of a college in northern New Jersey.
www.gregory-g-allen.com
www.facebook.com/author.gregory.g.allen

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Emotional Journey June 29, 2012

By Andrea Kurian

Format:Kindle Edition

I believe it was Richard Bach who said "The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change."

And so it goes for Sara too. This book is about Sara's journey as she discovers her past and tries to deal with her present but more importantly this book focuses of the patches of emotions we each sometimes feel and how it all weaves together in the end.

There is the sentiment of love which Sara craves for, the strength she must have to survive mentally and physically and then there is the most important attribute of all, trust. But whom, what and where?

When I first got this book, I was a bit doubtful that a male writer would be able to understand emotions. Well, I was wrong. This was a touching, heartfelt read that I would definitely recommend.

Overall assessment:
Content: 5/5
Editing: 4.5/5
Formatting: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Offensive content?: I would rate it PG13.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author through Orangeberry Book Tours. I did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obligated to write a positive one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A memorable read telling an equally memorable lesson of self-discovery April 3, 2012

By A. Oswald

Format:Paperback

Patchwork of Me brought to mind Dolly Parton's "A Coat of Many Colors," a song which tells a story from Parton's childhood about her mother patching together a coat from different rags, explaining the biblical significance of the coat--wearing it helps the daughter discover who she really is and what is important in her life.

The heroine in Gregory G. Allen's new novel also has the chance to discover what's important in her life and, with that, her full identity. Proving, once more, that he's a writer of many talents, Allen flawlessly patches together his main character's life and, with that, the lives of a diverse range of characters whose journeys of self-discovery invite us, the audience, to tag along. In return, we get a lifetime opportunity to peer into our own life experiences and the patchwork defining them. As a result, we earn the chance to come to terms with our own truths and accept who we are, as individuals.

Allen's Patchwork of Me is a daring story not only of self-discovery, but also of survival, a tale of love and trust, of friendship, mystery, and also hope. As we've learned to expect from this author, we also anticipate a hint of darkness, of unconventional and maybe even taboo elements. And Allen does not disappoint. He's once again fearless in choosing his characters and their stories in order to tackle unsafe topics and territories. In that sense Patchwork of Me tells the entangled and controversial story of Sara Butler as she tries to patch together the complex, multilayered structure defining her life, with a little help from her devoted friends, straight and gay.

Allen's new novel offers yet another outstanding read from a favorite author.... Patchwork of Me is a personal, intimate story, capturing a reflection of its characters' reality and, with it, a possible peek into our own. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Triumph April 8, 2012

By Carey Parrish

Format:Paperback

At some point in our lives, we all confront the need to find ourselves and the journey we take will define us from that point forward. Novelist Gregory G. Allen, author of the acclaimed "Well With My Soul" and "Proud Pants," has returned with a new story that is just as heart wrenching, touching, and ultimately timeless as his previous works.

"Patchwork of Me" is the tale of Sara Butler. Raised by child services, she faces adulthood with no solid foundation in her past. Working with a therapist, Sara tries to rid herself of maladies thrust upon her by the tortured life she lived in foster care. Finding herself among the devastation of her youth, Sara will travel cross country to Maine to confront the components of the existence she left behind; but she discovers that her departure was only physical. Deep inside she is still a prisoner of her own memories, hurts, and unhealed wounds.

"Patchwork of Me" gives the reader a story which he can lose himself within as Sara's journey wends its way toward an emotional conclusion. Powerfully human, told with a deftly skilled hand, this is a book that will resonate with readers for years to come.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant read August 7, 2012

By JudyH

Format:Kindle Edition

I couldn't put this book down. It is very well written - fresh and original - and emotional without being slushy. It was a privilege to be on Sara's road trip with her. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredibly Touching Read July 14, 2012

By Jodi Hanson

Format:Paperback

Patchwork Of Me

Gregory Allen's `Patchwork of Me' (Winner of the 2012 International Book Awards in Women's Lit and 2012 New York Book Festival in General Fiction), is one of those novels that will change you. Allen successfully draws you into the lives of four friends who are each damaged in their own way, and dealing with personal demons.

The story centres on Sara Butler; a child shuffled through foster care until her late teens. Sara has had haunting dreams and an invisible rash that have found her on the couch of a psychiatrist; process that she isn't fully engaged with due to her inner dialogue and the need to keep her past safely hidden. Once she opens herself to the journey she pieces together glimpses of a past and sets out on a cross country road trip to once and for all find out who the real Sara Butler is.

I felt myself identifying with the hopelessness of Sara's feeling disengaged from her past. Her character is so well written with glimpses into the deepest recesses of her troubled mind that I lived her darkest memories and her smallest triumphs. Crying with her, giggling with her humorous attempts to keep the pain at bay and finding love in the most unlikely of circumstances.

I read this novel in a span of eight hours, unable to put it down. When you pick up this book make sure you've scheduled the afternoon off, because you won't want to let it leave your hands. The story will leave you touched in so many ways you've never imagined.