All the Lovely Pieces Book Review – J.M. Winchester
All the Lovely Pieces is the intensely gripping story of Drew Baker. Desperate and terrified, Drew snatches her baby and flees from her abusive husband. Drew was beaten by Adam. That fateful night was not the first time.
Adam is a serial abuser and his form of abuse knows no bounds. But Adam is also a powerful billionaire business man. I would go so far as to say that Adam “takes no prisoners,” but that wouldn’t be true. In fact, Adam is holding his pregnant wife prisoner at home.
As soon as Drew gives birth, Adam seizes the baby from her. He takes the baby down the hall and places him in the nanny’s arms. The nanny, Catherine, understands that Adam expects her to take care of the baby because Drew is mentally disturbed. Adam tells anyone who comes into his home the same thing. As a powerful billionaire, it seems that no one is willing to question his words. And no one believes Drew needs to be rescued.
Desolate and bewildered, Drew remains a prisoner locked in her room. There are no words to describe the desperation and emotional state of this battered, imprisoned mother who isn’t even allowed to bond with her baby. Nearly anything and everything Drew says to Adam earns her another battering.
As soon as Drew gives birth, Adam seizes the baby from her. He takes the baby down the hall and places him in the nanny’s arms. The nanny, Catherine, understands that Adam expects her to take care of the baby because Drew is mentally disturbed. Adam tells anyone who comes into his home the same thing. As a powerful billionaire, it seems that no one is willing to question his words. And no one believes Drew needs to be rescued.
Desolate and bewildered, Drew remains a prisoner locked in her room. There are no words to describe the desperation and emotional state of this battered, imprisoned mother who isn’t even allowed to bond with her baby. Nearly anything and everything Drew says to Adam earns her another battering.
Finally, when an opportunity presents itself, Drew seizes the moment and escapes with her baby. Her escape isn’t pretty…and it isn’t without violence. Drew’s memory of that fateful day is blurred beyond recollection. Now Drew is on the run as a murderer and a kidnapper. She believes she must have committed murder during her escape. With the belief that Adam will never stop searching for her and his son, Drew is living life on the run with Michael. She moves them frequently, afraid to stay anywhere for too long.
After nine years of running, Drew moves her and Michael to the small town of Liberty. The townspeople in Liberty are friendly. Drew finds herself almost ready to believe that she and Michael actually have friends, yet she continues to live her life consumed with fear. Drew is determined that once she accomplishes what she believes she needs to do in Liberty, she and Michael will once again move on. Drew lives an anxiety-filled life with little hope for a better future.
All the Lovely Pieces is told from the viewpoints of Drew, Catherine, and Michael. It does not bother me one bit that we are not privy to Adam’s viewpoint—his actions speak loud and clear. We begin to put the pieces of the past together primarily through the viewpoints of Drew and Catherine. While Michael’s viewpoint contributions are brief, we learn enough to be concerned for him. Drew has kept all the terrible details of the past from Michael. She told him his father passed away. But as Michael gets older, he has more questions in his mind about why they are on the run. And he wants to know more about his father.
All the Lovely Pieces propels us through the story on an intense, unstoppable and emotional roller coaster ride. It’s impossible to want to put this all-consuming story down. I know there are women who have never suffered violently abusive attacks at the hands of a loved one. Therefore, I understand that there are some very fortunate folks out there who may not want to entertain the thought that such horrors actually happen. Nevertheless, I hope that they will open their hearts and minds to understand less fortunate women. I hope they will accept the nightmarish things that happen in All the Lovely Pieces are, in fact, quite possible.
Of course, an author must go above and beyond to write an exciting and powerful story of fiction. However, I believe women who have suffered horrendous physical, mental and/or emotional abuse will surely recognize themselves in Drew. My heart goes out to women who have been victims of similar horrifying events. I know those women and their children have been traumatized beyond belief.
As we know, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not something from which only traumatized soldiers suffer. In All the Lovely Pieces, there is no doubt in my mind that Drew is suffering from PTSD. And what about Michael? What is he suffering? Has Michael inherited any negative genes from Adam? Will Michael be okay? Regardless of whether this story ends on a negative or positive note, will Drew and Michael ever really be okay?
All the Lovely pieces is a great read. I literally did not want to stop turning the pages. But, sometimes I just needed to stop, close my eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. J.M. Winchester has delivered a thrilling and darkly fascinating story. I highly recommend All the Lovely Pieces as your next psychological-thriller read.
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