Synopsis (taken from Amazon)
When Things Collapse: A Memoir of Love, Loss, Survival, and Strength
In 2014, while grocery shopping with her two young children, Emma Jean receives a life-altering phone call: her estranged ex-husband has become an active shooter. His subsequent incarceration causes her to confront the painful past she hoped she had long buried, forcing a reckoning with the way their shared history collides with the fragile peace she has spent years building.
Emma Jean’s journey with Alek begins as a charmed romance, one many people only dream of. But after the birth of their children, Alek’s mental health deteriorates, spiraling into a terrifying transformation from successful professional to disheveled conspiracy theorist and doomsday prepper. Trapped in a relentless cycle of fear and emotional abuse, Emma Jean struggles to keep herself and her children safe under the cloud of Alek’s mental illness.
When he begins indoctrinating their son with a dangerous, warped worldview and a loaded gun ends up in the hands of their 5-year-old, Emma Jean finds herself faced with an impossible decision, grappling with whether to sever her children’s relationship with the man she had once chosen for them to love.
In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Emma Jean sheds light on the complex emotional ties that often blind us to the dangers lurking in our relationships. When Things Collapse reveals how our own misplaced empathy and our children’s unconditional love for the abuser can bind us to toxic, destructive cycles, making it harder to escape. With its shocking twists and psychological depth, this memoir will captivate both true crime enthusiasts and readers drawn to compelling, real-life stories of survival.
Review
I was not expecting to be sucked into the book on the first page, but I was and didn’t want to put it down. This powerful book shows the actual ups and downs of the author’s lived experience. We often wonder why people stay in these relationships. There is no one easy answer, but author Emma Jean discusses this in her interview on the Write or Die Show.
The author does a great job early on describing how, growing up, it was about what the outside world saw. So long as the outside thought they were a good couple, everything was fine. Her description of a common truth was spot on, making it easy to understand how it progressed from love-bombing to desperation.
I was not expecting the twists and jaw-dropping moments. I can not imagine the strength it took to live through it and share it with the world in a raw and powerful book.
If you enjoy non-fiction, this is a fantastic book.
Get your copy here (affiliate link – thank you for your support).
