Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines by Adrienne Caldwell is a deeply moving, horrific memoir of one woman’s dysfunctional childhood marred by neglect, physical, mental, and sexual abuse by the very people who were supposed to care for her. After constant abuse her entire life, the author decided for one last time to commit suicide. Like her previous attempts, it failed. As she reflects on her terrible childhood, she comes to the inescapable conclusion that God or the Universe does not want her gone just yet, and that she still has some purpose left on this earth. This is finally the point at which she decides she must not only go on, but have a successful, meaningful life, and make a difference in the world. Raw, powerful, and real, this memoir will awaken readers to the idea that the human spirit is indeed indomitable and that even after a childhood of abuse and neglect, we can remain unbroken; we can still carry on.

Unbroken is one of the most moving and yet deeply satisfying memoirs I have read in a long time. Adrienne Caldwell has the courage and clarity to be open, honest, and brutally real about what she has survived and come through unbroken. Her prose is tough, hard, and uncompromising; she certainly does not pull any punches, and readers, especially those easily triggered, should bear that in mind. I appreciated that although she was often treated by others as a quiet, simple girl, her intellect and ability to rationalize behaviors and actions were well developed. Her relationship as a teenager with a much older man was a classic case of grooming, but for a young girl seeking someone to love her, it was a predictable course. What I truly loved was her ability to understand that although she didn’t always deserve the extreme physical abuse inflicted by her mother, she frequently played a role in provoking that abuse, and realized her mother’s deteriorating mental health was a major factor in the abuse. What one will take away from this tale is that even when the abuse is constant, systematic, and incredibly painful, there is hope, a light at the end of the tunnel, and the possibility of remaining unbroken. For anyone who feels lost, alone, and in need of comfort, this raw and powerful story will give hope and possibility. This is a superb read, and although tough going at times, it is well worth the journey. I highly recommend this extremely thought-provoking memoir.