cover image Unbroken: A Memoir

Unbroken: A Memoir

Tracy Elliott, . . Thomas Nelson, $22.99 (212pp) ISBN 978-0-7852-2167-8

Elliott is, undoubtedly, a survivor. Orphaned by age six and sent to live with a grandmother who was still keeping a nest full of grown, unemployed alcoholic sons, Elliott endured virtually every abuse imaginable. Unsurprisingly, her days as a cheerleader and beauty pageant contestant gave way to a whirlwind of alcohol, drugs and demeaning behavior until the day she met her husband Now a mother, successful businesswoman and winner of the Mrs. Texas pageant, she wants to offer a message of hope and ardent religious faith. The understandably tattered strands of memory, emotion and chronology make for an uneven tapestry at times. Though fairly raw, she's taken care to keep her story from becoming R-rated and to keep the small Southern towns of her youth anonymous. In the brief month she spent at rehab, Elliot, like many recovering addicts, found a way that works for her and is eager to share her newfound faith in God with others. Her dedication to proselytizing is matched only by her staunch belief in tithing, two traditions that may not appeal to all readers. (Apr. 10)