Read reviews for A Shattered Life

“This is an intriguing and heartbreaking story that deals with loss and grief. Although the theme of the story is about coping with grief, it also focuses on family history and how a split decision can change the course of your journey.

This story follows Kim, a psychotherapist and her husband Mark as they cope with their grief from losing their son. Kim and Mark tried to move on with their lives but it feels like they are just going through the motion and have never fully talked about how they feel. Kim thought she had everything under control until she received a cancer diagnosis, which forced her to confront her unhealed pain. She started on a journey to explore why this had happened to her by looking through her ancestor tree and discovered a family heirloom: a coin. What stories lie behind this coin and how does it relate to what Kim is going through? As Kim work through her chemo sessions and understanding her family history, her relationship with Mark improved and they begin to open up about their pain and grief.

I really enjoyed the process of Kim researching if her cancer runs in the family. From there, she learnt so much more about her family and how her family heirloom came about. Some parts of this were quite sad as she discovered how greed and anger tore her family apart in the beginning. I love how the coin had been passed down from generation to generation and the significant meaning it held for them.

I also really feel for Kim as she finally confronts her true feelings about losing her son. She had swept her feelings under the rug for so long that it has taken a toll on her relationship with Mark. I am glad they finally opened up to each other and provided an opportunity to heal together.”

— YiWen Sim, NetGalley