Official Review: Sarah: Breaking Cycles by Desiree Paul

[mmm17]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sarah: Breaking Cycles" by Desiree Paul.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

In Sarah: Breaking Cycles, written by Desiree Paul, readers follow the life story of a determined woman named Sarah, who survived abuse. At the beginning of this first-person account, Sarah tells us that she’s 93 years old and that her daughter, Patricia, encouraged her to talk about her childhood memories.

As a child, Sarah lived with her mother, Rachel, whom she characterizes as a cruel woman. They lived in Georgetown, in the country of British Guiana, in the first half of the twentieth century. Rachel frequently abused her children verbally and physically, beating them “with anything that was closest to her hand.” She practically forced Sarah to stop attending school to help her at home; Sarah and her sister Anna had to take care of their baby siblings and do the housework.

I liked a couple of aspects of this memoir. For starters, I appreciated how Sarah explores the social structure of British Guiana and its various social and cultural classes. She also examines the ostracizing of persons by a society full of oppressive social norms, and I believe a lot of readers will relate to this.

Above all, I liked the message of hope and resilience that underlies Sarah’s narrative. This aspect was what I enjoyed the most. I particularly liked reading about how Sarah and her sister Anna stuck together to cope with their terrible mother, and their religious beliefs helped them. My heart went out to Sarah as she overcame each awful situation she had to face, which included an unwanted pregnancy and getting kicked out of her home. But I won’t give away any spoilers!

On the other hand, I felt that some parts of the book were overly detailed. For instance, Sarah recounts how British Guiana gained its independence from Britain in 1966. Interesting as this may be, I felt that this portion of the story had too many unnecessary details and could have been more concise. This aspect was what I disliked the most.

In closing, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. It needs another round of editing, for it has more than ten errors, but they’re not egregious (erroneous capitalizations, mostly). For this reason and also for the overly detailed parts, I’m taking a star from the rating. Sarah’s faith is an important aspect of the story but not enough to alienate non-Christian readers. This book is a brave account of a woman’s journey to find peace despite a childhood of vulnerability and abuse. Thus, I would recommend it to those who enjoy memoirs, especially women in vulnerable situations. Due to its adult themes, though, I wouldn’t recommend it to teenagers.

******
Sarah: Breaking Cycles
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Awesomeliker]

I'm glad that Sarah decided to talk about her life. It's really interesting and it would be a shame to be hidden forever. With some more editing it could be a perfect book. Thanks for the amazing review!

[Toluwanime]

Abuse mostly starts from the home. And it’s a very psychological thing. When your parent or sibling abuse you, there are tendencies that one starts to think less of themselves even in the larger community. I’m glad Sarah shared her story. It’s inspiring

[Star_and_Buck]

Really emotional book for me. I think this book should be recommended to parents so that they may get better.
Good review!

[jerimiahsebastian]

I love memoirs because they are usually about people come back story and how they thrived. This surely sounds like a perfect one. Nice review

[Doziesixtus]

I'm not a fan of memoirs, I'll pass on this. Thanks for the review btw.

[LuciusM]

Books written from first-person narrative are so engaging. I might want to read this book. Your review is great.

[Kola+wole]

Sarah's memoir shows that we don't have to perpetuate what we went through on others. Thanks for the review.

[Pluma]

Sounds like an encouraging and uplifting read; it's always inspiring when survivors choose to tell their story. Thanks for your great review!

[Magnify3]

Sounds like a book worth reading even if it may not leave me dry eyed. Thanks for this review.

[equilibrium_01]

After reading this review, I am too inspired to read this book. Books about having a glimmer of hope have a unique feel to me! Though, I would say older teens could most likely handle the mature themes rather than shy away from it, as it could give a great insight into the world they may experience in a few years.

[CarlytheReader]

Sarah sounds like a brave woman. And it sounds like she has had a hard life. That is a very powerful thing to have a message of hope despite the struggles. Thanks for the review; I will give this book a read!

[TCG]

Those who were abused usually abuse others, that's what Sarah's character portrays. I really don't like reading about abused women, I get sentimental about it. Great review.

[Ify_Reviewer]

We need more messages of hope today than ever. Thanks for the review.

[Drado_27]

To talk about your dark past takes a lot of courage, but it can help others in same situations. Great review!