Beautifully written account of an absolutely heartbreaking and difficult time in the author's life. Very inspirational and compelling. This book is a departure from her usual historical fiction but equally excellent.

This was an emotional read. It is a memoir telling the heartbreaking story of recovery from a stroke. Dave Levy, a thirty year old orthopedic resident suffers a catostrophic brain injury. The author, Alison Patacki is pregnant and walks every step of the way with her husband through rehabilitation. Love and faith. Family and friends. Doctors and specialists. The letters Alison wrote through out the trying days of recovery show the strength and resilience of this love story. #beautyinthebrokenplaces #alisonpataki

What a true love story ! Allison and Dave are on their way to a babymoon, when Dave gets a stroke on the airplane ! Their lives change forever in that split second !
During his recovery Allison writes letters to Dave not only to help with his rehabilitation but to document their love for her and her unborn child as well!
There is so much love and inspiration in all of the pages of this book. This book was so powerful and took so much courage and strength to share their story . A must read !

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House and Allison Pataki for the opportunity to read this moving memoir.

Alli, 5 months pregnant, and Dave, a surgical resident, were on a flight to their babymoon where they were looking forward to some much-needed downtime. Mid-flight, Dave turned to Alli and said that he couldn't see out of one of his eyes - Alli noticed that the pupil was very dilated. Then he collapsed. The plane had to make an emergency stop in Fargo, ND, where doctors tried to save his life. It turned out to be a rare form of stroke - especially in someone who was only 30.

In order to make sense of her world and to show Dave when he recovered, Alli started a series of letters to Dave, outlining his medical journey and their new lives which became this book. We also get alternating chapters of the story of Alli and Dave's relationship with each other and their families.

This is one of those books that makes you grateful to be alive. While our bodies are amazingly resilient they are also very fragile. Alli and Dave were lucky in that money was not a real object and they had incredible family support and guidance - including Dave's dad who was a neurosurgeon. However, Alli's faith was so incredibly moving to me as well as her honesty in documenting her "new normal" life.

Highly recommended - this book will stay with me for a long time.

Such an emotional, heartbreaking, uplifting and inspiration memoir about unrelenting love!! I cried with sadness and joy throughout this book. Allison Pataki takes you to the core of her journey through her husband's memory loss and it captures your heart. It's one of those stories that will stick with me for life.
Thank you to Random House Publishing, Allison Pataki and NetGalley for the ARC of this amazing memoir.

In an airplane, on the way to their “babymoon”, Allison Pataki’s husband, a surgical resident, begins acting strangely and asks her to look at his eyes and tell him what she sees. When he hears that one eye is dilated, and the other isn’t, he knows that something is seriously wrong with his brain and that he will die without immediate medical care. The plane makes an emergency landing and he is hospitalized, alive, but in a semi conscious state with severe memory deficits. Five months pregnant, and facing this horrifyingly experience, Pataki struggles to cope with all that is happening.
Her husband’s difficult and heartbreaking journey back to health challenges her to love him even more deeply as she cares for him throughout his recovery.
It may sound depressing, but this is actually a positive and inspirational portrayal of a marriage, not only surviving, but growing deeper and stronger. I can’t tell you how it ends, but I think you will enjoy reading this, and, in the end, will be encouraged by this example of the power of love to transform even the worst situations.
Recommended.

Note: I received an advance copy of the ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

One of the most beautiful, heart breaking and inspiring memoirs. fully about the unrelenting love between a husband and a wife. a wife's steadfast commitment. a family, faith and growing together. still have a headache from the tears but loved it

Allison and her husband David were flying to Hawaii on what was to be their last vacation before their daughter was born. When he told her on the plane that he couldn’t see out of one eye, the plane made an emergency landing in Fargo, ND to get him the medical care he needed. No one could believe that a healthy 30 year old man had just suffered a stroke. The road back was difficult—Allison writes of the difficulties of not only taking care of a newborn and an adult with a traumatic brain injury, but also chauffeuring him to appointments, handling insurance claims, and keeping up with day to day tasks. I was puzzled that she never mentions hiring anyone to help, which I assume was possible financially, since she is a bestselling author, her father is a prominent attorney and former governor of NY, and David’s father is a well-known neurosurgeon.

Allison Pataki writes like she lives. After the John us of a relationship that was magical, the discovery of pregnancy to have your life shaken beyond belief. Her faith kept her strong and ahe tells us the fear, the frustrations but most not all the undying will to move forward.

“When Dave woke up from a near fatal stroke, age thirty, beautiful, seemingly strong and outwardly intact, he couldn’t carry memories from hour to hour, much less from one day to the next.”

I had enjoyed Pataki’s novel Where the Light Falls, so I was curious about her memoir concerning her husband’s stroke when she was five months pregnant. She spends a large portion of the beginning of the book bringing us up to date on how they arrived as this point. Their meeting, courtship, early marriage. They didn’t have it easy, but she still gives it too much of a fairy tale tint to it. I get that these were two people very much in love. But this is the weakest part of the book. The back and forth is used to impress on the reader how everything changed in the (literally) blink of an eye. Most of us who marry will recite the traditional marriage vows. But most of us, like Alli, don’t expect the “in sickness” part to rear its ugly head until well into our later years. The scariest/saddest part of the book for me was when their dog did not recognize the altered, post stroke Dave.

She gives us enough medical explanation, especially concerning executive functioning, so that we understand what they’re experiencing.

There are some lovely passages on faith here and I found myself highlighting whole pages. This is an inspiring book that serves as a wonderful reminder to all of us that life cannot be taken for granted.

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book! I couldn't wait to get back to reading it when I had to put it down. I'm grateful for Allison's bravery and honesty in writing this experience down for others to read. With the exception of one word, that I feel could've been left out but it wasn't. That being said I"m glad for the rawness that leaving that one word in the text gave. I'm sure in the moment of the events that she was writing about, that the word is justified. So for those that don't like that one word...get over it! Thank you Allison!

Allison Pataki has written a stunning, heartbreaking, intimate, raw, and ultimately uplifting memoir. Her willingness to share the horror of the unexpected massive stroke that befell her young husband (30 years old, and an orthopedic surgical resident) while she was six months pregnant with their first child, is most impressive, and is written so beautifully, and so honestly. There is no sugar-coating of things here.

Life for any of us can change in one horrible moment, as Allison Pataki and her family learned. The life we had dreamed is no more, the future a dark unknown. We are in shock, and our world in rubble, but life moves incessantly on with decisions to be made and routines (new and old) to be followed. How do we handle such times? How do we rebuild our lives in a meaningful way? How do we find our way out of the darkness?

Allison Pataki, in sharing the story of her family's tragedy, has also shared the lessons that she learned. Lee Woodruff, wife of former ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff, shared this with Allison "I know you can't possibly see it right now, because it's so new and horrible and it's so scary, but I can promise you two things. Number one, it will be different. Life has changed, life will forever be different. But here's number two: even though it will be different, it will be OK,' Lee said. I promise you, somehow, it will be OK." And Allison, reminds herself every morning "Today is not forever. I just have to make it through another day."

Allison and her husband Dave are now building a life different from the one they planned, but no less sweet, no less meaningful. I applaud the courage and resilience of them both, and wish them (and the rest of us) what they wished themselves on their wedding day "May we always remember how lucky we are."

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Random House for sending me an ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES by Allison Pataki is my favorite book of the year so far. And when you realize that it is the story of Pataki's youthful, athletic husband having a major debilitating stroke at age 30, you may wonder why. It's because Pataki has written a moving, inspirational book, as she says, "a Memoir of Love, Faith, and Resilience." Expecting a baby in Fall 2015, the couple left O'Hare on June 9th for a "babymoon" in Hawaii. Instead, Dave Levy's in-flight stroke precipitated an emergency landing and trip to a hospital in Fargo, North Dakota. There, Levy (then a third-year resident in orthopedic surgery at Rush) regained consciousness, but a totally new journey had begun for them.

Pataki continues the story over the next year, discussing a range of emotions – fear, frustration and joy – as Dave begins the recovery process and daughter Lilly is born. Pataki shares "Dear Dave" letters which she began to record daily events and progress, alternating those sections with chapters about their life together in college, their wedding and early career years. The couple have a strong, caring relationship and supportive network of friends and family, providing a solid past from which to fight for their future together, but it was still an extremely difficult process as Pataki points out.

I found the faith and frankness that Pataki expressed to be very moving. In addition, I liked the local connections to Rush and RIC (Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, now called Shirley Ryan AbilityLab). There are numerous reviews online (like these from NPR and The Today Show), plus you can greet Allison Pataki in person since she is coming to The Bookstall on May 15 at 6:30pm. I am really looking forward to meeting her – in part to talk about this book and in part to learn what exciting new projects she plans to pursue.

Links in live post:
http://www.thebookstall.com/event/allison-pataki-beauty-broken-places
https://www.npr.org/2018/05/06/608942115/author-finds-resilience-love-and-beauty-in-the-broken-places and https://www.today.com/video/how-author-allison-pataki-s-life-was-changed-by-her-husband-s-stroke-1222314563954

Life can change in a split second, in the blink of an eye, as it is recounted in Allison Pataki's new book, Beauty in the Broken Places. Allison vividly writes about her journey after her husband, Dave, suffers a devastating stroke at the young age of 30 years.

She found healing and strength while writing letters to her husband, she bared her soul and was honest in the struggles both physically and mentally. Strokes are such a scary thing and having experienced it in my family I was sympathetic towards this family before I even started this book. It's a slow process of recovery and a strong support system is necessary, which (thankfully) this family had.

Allison recounts who Dave was before the stroke as she writes about their meeting, courtship and anticipation of their first child. Her fears of the future is only natural and she talks how her faith sustained her.

This is a lovely memoir and one I highly recommend.

Thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advance copy in exchange for honest review.

This book was really good and the fact that this terrible thing actually happened to someone is crazy. I feel really bad for the author but I'm glad that she found the courage to write about her experience and hopefully this doesn't happen to anyone else. The book is all about a woman telling her history of how she met and fell
in love with her husband. When her husband suddenly fainted one evening everything changed he woke up but was a completely different person. He didn't remember any of their history or anything about them at all. Now she is left caring for her sick husband and new baby. Trying her best to make things work she starts writing letters to her husband telling him all about their story and their relationship from the beginning. It was amazing and endearing to see all of the struggle that they went through and I liked how the author described the emotion behind it and showed their passion as a couple. And the wife's fight to hold onto everything she held dear was a really powerful message even when he had forgotten there was anything there to fight
for. This was a wonderful story about how powerful true love really is in the face of adversity. Very touching read.

5 poignant and brave stars to Beauty in the Broken Places! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I have been a fan of Allison Pataki’s books because she writes in my favorite genre, historical fiction. In Beauty in the Broken Places, she bares her extraordinary heart in a personal memoir. When she was five months pregnant, her young husband had a stroke while on a flight to their babymoon. Their lives were forever changed, but Allison easily found the silver lining and highlighted it in this book.

During his recovery, Allison wrote letters to her husband every day. She made an effort to include things that happened that he would not remember on his own. The letters are at the heart of this memorable book.

Bottom line, Beauty in the Broken Places is filled with stunning writing, heartbreakingly beautiful emotion, and abundant inspiration. Like Allison says, “May we always remember.”

Thank you to Allison Pataki, Random House, and Netgalley for the ARC. Beauty in the Broke Places is available now!

This and other reviews are available on my shiny new blog! www.jennifertarheelreader.com

Allison Pataki's moving memoir Beauty in the Broken Places opens with a foreward by Lee Woodruff, a writer whose journalist husband Bob Woodruff suffered a traumatic brain injury covering the Iraq War. Woodruff has experienced what Pataki is about to recount in her book- her life changing in an instant.



Dave and Allison are heading out for a lovely Hawaiian vacation four months before Allison is set to give birth to their baby. Dave has a grueling schedule as a third year resident, and Alli is preparing for the publication of her new historical novel.



While in flight, Dave turns to Allison and says he can't see out of his right eye. She sees that his pupil is severely dialated, and Dave has a stroke right there on the plane. Three medical professionals assist Dave, and the pilot lands the plane in Fargo, ND where Dave is rushed to a hospital.



Allison takes us on the frightening whirlwind of calling his parents, brothers and then her family. She spends the night alone watching as her strong, vibrant husband lies hooked up to machines keeping him alive, praying he will live.



Dave has suffered a severe stroke, and his road to recovery will be long and difficult. In addition to his physical impairments (she has to feed him, shave him, he has to learn to walk), he has short term memory loss.



He goes from a long stay at the hospital to a rehabilitation home, and finally home to the new apartment they had rented for when the baby came. Allison's family and friends were there for her, unpacking for her, shopping, and most importantly, praying for and with her, but most of the responsibility for helping Dave rests on her shoulders.



Allison's strong faith, a touchstone for her since childhood, plays a large role in the book. Her faith guides her, and when she sends out an email asking people to pray for her, she can feel the strength that those prayers gave her and Dave.



She also wrote a series of letters titled "Dear Dave" to her husband, detailing everything that was happening and everything that she was feeling. As a writer, this was how she coped.



When their baby Lilly is born, now Allison has to take care of Lilly and Dave. The strain is incredible, and Allison takes the reader along with her on this difficult journey. Her feelings of being overwhelmed leap off the page.



Allison also takes the reader through her and Dave's courtship in college, and they were only married for eighteen months when they were tested by Dave's stroke. It takes a strong, loving relationship to make it through such a trial.



One thing that I found particularly relatable- Allison said she always felt so lucky in her life, that she was waiting for the shoe to drop. I think many people probably feel that way.



I read Beauty in the Broken Places through teary eyes for much of the first few chapters. It is hard not to feel her fear and pain. Pataki is a wonderful writer, and after reading this emotional story of the resilience of the human spirit, I will be looking to read h

This is a wonderful book. Allison Pataki has written a touching memoir about her husband's unexpected stroke as a young adult. The beauty in the broken places is a trip through love, laughter, anxiety, fear, medical unknowns, friendship, and faith in God.

You will travel an amazing road as Allison walks you through the nightmare of David's stroke and recovery. The way she blends the present experience with their past history of meeting and falling in love is seamless. You will grow to appreciate their individuality as well as their relationship as a couple.

There are days when dealing with the future is almost overwhelming. But faith, family, and friends help them navigate this difficult voyage. I am in awe of the story Allison has shared with the reader. Hopefully awareness of traumatic brain injury will increase and both the individual who has suffered such a devastating medical diagnosis and their families will know they are not alone.

Thank you to the author, Allison Pataki, for a free copy of this book for my unbiased opinion.

It is refreshing to read this beautiful story in a world where so many people walk away from relationships at the first sign of hardship. Allison Pataki has written a beautiful memoir detailing the difficult road that she and her husband, Dave, have traveled following his disabling stroke on June 9, 2015.

Who expects your 30-year-old husband, seemingly in good health, to lose consciousness on a flight en route to your babymoon? Yes, Allison and Dave were expecting their first child, and had planned a vacation to celebrate their eagerly anticipated family member. Their flight had to make an emergency landing so that he could receive immediate medical attention.

Allison learns that Dave has suffered a stroke, one from which many do not significantly recover – if they even survive. However, Dave’s doctors offer encouragement and tell her that they expect him to make a full recovery. Allison decides to write about their journey in a daily journal so that Dave can go back later and see how far he has come since that terrible day.

Allison does not hold back from admitting how hard it was for her at times and gives her friends and family credit for helping her along the way. But it is her faith and commitment to their marriage and child that is the real glue that keeps their marriage from crumbling.

Thank you to Allison Pataki for sharing your journey. I hope that others going down a similar path will read this and find inspiration and hope to fight the good fight.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and any opinion here is strictly my own.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RKH49SFI4O39Q/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B077LSZVXP

So many feelings in this one.. As someone who has had a family member (mother) have a stroke hits so close to home. The truth and the love, heartbreak and so many feelings are felt so strongly in this book.
Couldn't put it down.


Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early release of this book