Deborah Epperson

It was hard for me to figure out how I felt about this book. On the one hand, I was very into it and it was hard to put down. However, so many awful things happen to Becky throughout the book that I felt bad for liking it. Rape, incest, child abuse, mental institutions, abortion...I'm not sure there was an awful topic that wasn't part of Becky's life. But she was a likable character and you just couldn't help rooting for her and hoping that her life would turn around.

I don't want to spoil show more the ending and how things go for Becky, but I definitely recommend Breaking Twig. Just be prepared to weather some seriously disturbing and difficult subjects. I think it's worth it though. show less

We first meet Becky in 1963 Georgia when’s she’s 13 years old and suffering through yet another beating by her Momma, who the town believes to be the picture of beauty and grace. The only bright spot in her life is Johnny, the son of her housekeeper. They’ve known each other their whole lives but, because he’s Mexican, her mother hates him and forbids them to see each other.

With Johnny gone, her stepfather Frank becomes her only friend. He believes in her and loves her and, with his show more help, Becky slowly learns to accept herself. It takes time, but she learns to listen to her heart for the lessons it’s been trying to teach her about her life.

As I read about the constant beatings and abuse Becky suffered over the years from her mother and stepbrother all I could think was “how could anyone not have noticed?” Unfortunately that was the reality of the times, but knowing this doesn’t make reading about it any easier.

I was upset about the abuse, but I was really upset that she seemed to sit back and accept it as the norm, even as an adult, because the years of abuse had rendered her pliant. It seemed as if the author wanted her stripped down to having nothing left to live for before she was allowed to make a decision of her own.

At the risk of giving out too many Spoilers, let me just say I think Becky should have been allowed to come to her senses long before she lost everything she held dear. She should have been allowed her time with Johnny, and not endured everything the author piled upon her, including the time she spent with Frank.

Recommended, with some misgivings, for Adults.

Blog review link: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/breaking-twig-deborah-eppers... show less

Rebecca "Twig", "Becky" or whatever anyone called the little red haired girl, it didn't matter to her. She just knew that her life was hell and everyone in it made it hell except for her stepdaddy Frank and her best friend Johnny. But Johnny would be taken away and Frank was married to Twig's worst enemy, her own mother. Twig's life was deep rooted in honor to her father's legacy, but she was thwarted by the constant beatings and beratings of her mother. As she grew into womanhood, Twig show more learned the hardway how to avoid both hands and fists, words and lies. She learned how to manipulate just like her mother, but she only did it for good.
I enjoyed this book. It was tough to read at times because of the abuse that Becky took at the hands of her mother and her stepbrother. I cannot fathom a mother not loving her own child, but I guess maybe Helen did love Becky in her own way. The love story between Becky and Frank was tragic and stirring, but also a little unsettling. Lots of work here for a good shrink. All in all, a good read. show less

Breaking Twig. Deborah Epperson. 2011. Twig is the narrator of this Southern family drama. Her mother is every bit as mean as the mother in Merle Miller’s A Gay and Melancholy Sound. It is difficult to believe that people can be this cruel. As Twig tells the story of her horrible childhood and adolescence which includes a rape, beatings, and constant verbal abuse, she hints at events in her mother’s past that may explain her mother’s actions. I began to think, “Oh, Lord, what show more next?” as I read this book. The ending was disappointing. show less