Split : Stories from a Generation Raised on Divorce [Paperback]

Ava Chin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2002

Today's hottest Gen X writers share their personal reflections on growing up as children of divorce

An anthology of intimate personal accounts by hip young journalists and writers in their 20s and 30s, Split will be a source of insight, comfort, and healing for all those who were children of divorce. High-profile Gen X writers who have contributed to this volume include Paula Gilovich, Jill Priluck, Ayana Byrd, Matt Briggs, and Jen Robinson. Like a support group between the covers of a book, this collection of 15 stories articulates some of the most difficult emotional aspects of growing up in a broken home, while providing hope for the future.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Growing up in a broken home has its challenges, one of the most difficult being that many children of divorce are given no choice but to adapt silently to dramatic domestic changes over which they have no control. Many adults in their twenties and thirties were raised on divorce, and this brave and insightful collection of essays gives them a long-awaited platform. Each essay is unique in its tone and setting, but many common themes run throughout the book: the family's inability to talk openly about the divorce, the shuffling back and forth between parents' homes, and frustrations of living with stepparents. Many of the essays are quite well written; James Browning's "Mac" stunningly shows the complexity of stepfather and stepson relationships, and in "Wherever You Want," Douglas Goetsch's stark and disconnected style amplifies the loneliness of growing up with emotionally unavailable parents. Those who grew up in broken homes will find themselves nodding and discovering familiar scenes, feelings, and disjointed family dynamics. Michelle Kaske
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Growing up in a broken home has its challenges, one of the most difficult being that many children of divorce are given no choice but to adapt silently to dramatic domestic changes over which they have no control. Many adults in their twenties and thirties were raised on divorce, and this brave and insightful collection of essays gives them a long-awaited platform. Each essay is unique in its tone and setting, but many common themes run throughout the book: the family's inability to talk openly about the divorce, the shuffling back and forth between parents' homes, and frustrations of living with stepparents. Many of the essays are quite well written; James Browning's "Mac" stunningly shows the complexity of stepfather and stepson relationships, and in "Wherever You Want," Douglas Goetsch's stark and disconnected style amplifies the loneliness of growing up with emotionally unavailable parents. Those who grew up in broken homes will find themselves nodding and discovering familiar scenes, feelings, and disjointed family dynamics." -Booklist (Booklist )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (June 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071391061
• ISBN-13: 978-0071391061
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,762,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Insight, August 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Split : Stories from a Generation Raised on Divorce (Paperback)

A friend picked this book up in a bookstore and handed it to me. I took one look at it and thought, "no thanks," but I did read a couple of pages of one of the essays and it really drew me in. I bought it and kept reading. I was surprised to find how compelling all the stories were and how different. Matt Brigg's may be my favorite and the editor Ava Chin's is great, too, but all of the pieces had something original in them, something I found very true. My parents are still married, but a lot of my friends come from divorced families and I think this book gave me insight into their lives like never before. The writing is terrific and the stories are sad -- and funny, too. Well worth it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Anyone Wha Has Been Through It., August 27, 2002

By 

O. Palacio "Tiafunny" (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Split : Stories from a Generation Raised on Divorce (Paperback)

Why wasn't this book written before?
What an insightful, honest and heart-wrenching book. As a child of divorced parents I found that many of the essays echoed the same feelings I felt and still feel. The essays speak from the heart and I reccomend it to any child of divorce. This is not only for Generation Xers but for anyone who has lived through the breakup of their parents.
Thanks to Ms. Chin for bringing such a diverse group together to share their stories.

5.0 out of 5 stars Get it for Mac, August 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Split : Stories from a Generation Raised on Divorce (Paperback)

This book is wonderful. The stories in it are superb. I expecially liked the story by James Browning called Mac. I really brought out what it must be like to be divorced. A must have for anyone who has or is just into this subject.