Normal Broken - by Kelly Cervantes (Paperback)

About the Book

"Normal Broken was born out of a desire to meet people where they are in their grief journeys, to lend a hand, or maybe to just sit in the dark with them. To acknowledge your brokenness and to feel broken together--never pressured to 'move on' or 'think positive'"--

Book Synopsis

USA Today Bestseller

None of us make it through life without experiencing loss that leaves us feeling broken. That's what makes grief so normal.

In Normal Broken, Kelly Cervantes isn't trying to tell you what to do, how to feel, or the right way to heal. She's also not flinging sunny thoughts, vibes, and prayers at you. After losing her daughter to epilepsy, she knows that grief is many things. It's weird. It sucks. It's all-encompassing. Something everyone will have to deal with. But never linear. Just as what we are grieving varies, so do our journeys to process it.

Normal Broken was born out of this desire to meet people where they are in their grief journeys, to lend a hand, or maybe to just sit in the dark with them. To acknowledge your brokenness and to feel broken together--never pressured to "move on" or "think positive."

With chapters that can be read in any order, Normal Broken is divided into "moments" of grief that will allow you to choose what you need at any given time--such as:

• When you're not sure if you want to heal
• When your greatest fear is socializing
• When you're facing anniversaries and other meaningful dates
• When you're ready to be okay

  Kelly also shares stories from her ongoing journey, along with advice she wishes someone had given her, and simple exercises to help you reflect on where you are. Normal Broken is designed to serve as a companion through your own grief journey, whether you are mourning the loss of a child, a friend, a family member, or anyone special in your life.

Review Quotes

"Normal Broken is the rare book about grief that tells the whole truth without empty platitudes and welcomes readers at any stage of grieving."
--Christie Tate, New York Times bestselling author of Group and BFF

"Kelly Cervantes gently leads us through our own unique grief journey with compassion, empathy, and heart. Feeling broken together is what binds us in this human experience, and Normal Broken shows us beautifully how to do that for each other and ourselves."
--Meredith Ethington, author of The Mother Load

"More than a poignant memoir, Normal Broken is avalidating friend for anyone laden with grief.Whether we are in the acute, early days of loss or dreading yet another chronic milestone, this book offers support and solidarity without judgment or agenda."
--Stephanie Sarazin, author of Soulbroken

"Stunning. Heartbreaking. Beautiful. Thank you, Kelly, for helping us heal."
--Leslie Means, founder of Her View From Home and author of Wall Street Journal bestselling So God Made a Mother

"Normal Broken is so much more than a mother's journey toward healing. It's a survivor's guide for the scariest, twistiest valley of the human experience--loss. Unafraid of her own grief (or a delightfully dark joke), Cervantes writes with the Band-Aid off and shows us the process of healing. Part breathtaking, part heartbreaking, and 100 percent full of hope."
--Mary Katherine Backstrom, author of Crazy Joy and Holy Hot Mess

"Harrowingly transparent, Kelly Cervantes's soul-baring Normal Broken is a dear companion for those who are suffering, a glimmer of hope when all seems lost, and a poignantly delivered reminder that even when mired in the chaos of grief, we are not alone. It is essential reading for those who are struggling to endure the unimaginable."
--Daniel Lerner, coauthor of U Thrive

About the Author

Kelly Cervantes is an award-winning writer, speaker, and advocate best known for her blog Inchstones and USA Today bestselling book, Normal Broken: The Grief Companion for When It's Time to Heal But You're Not Sure You Want To. She has been published in the Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune as well as featured by MSNBC, New York Times, and CNN. She sits on the boards of CURE Epilepsy and The Undiagnosed Diseases Network Foundation and hosts CURE Epilepsy's podcast, Seizing Life. Born and raised in the Midwest, Kelly resides in Maplewood, NJ, with her family.