The Heartbreak Diet: A Story of Family, Fidelity, and Starting Over

by Thorina Rose and Xio Axelrod

Thorina Rose's funny, beautifully illustrated memoir charts the unexpected dissolution of her marriage and the strugglesand adventures of starting over. After marrying young, living in New York, and settling in San Francisco, Rose and herhusband start a family. When he begins an affair with his "running partner," Rose must find a way to rebuild her life with her two young sons, navigating her own inner doubts, the chorus of advice from well-meaning...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811860574
• ISBN13: 9780811860574
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Great Place to Start for Anyone Interested in Graphic Novels

The Heartbreak Diet is the memoir of a woman who's husband begins an affair that eventually separates them. They also have two children together. It is told in the format of a graphic novel. You'd think due to the subject matter this would be depressing. In fact, what sold me on reading this was the format. I love graphic novels but usually try to avoid this sort of subject matter, it just makes me sad. I'm very glad I decided to read it. Rose has a great sense of humor about her life. She goes back and tells the story of how she and her husband met and formed a family. She also takes us through her healing process and the fun times with her children. I loved this book. Throughout the book are "Words of Wise Women" with great illustrations of famous women. The graphic novel format is relatively quick to get through but I love how she broke her story up into different sections, like by day of the week or coping mechanism. Her illustrations are beautiful as well. There is a great amount of detail in them. I have a very large respect for cartoonists. It looks like she draws with an ink brush of some sort. If you mess up you have to start over! That is very tedious! I think this book would be great for anyone that is the least bit curious about graphic novels. There are no superheros, zombies, or talking animals. It's a story we can all identify with and would be a great introduction into the genre. I will definitely be reading this over and over again. Rose mixes real life situations with a great humor for life.

Wonderful graphic novel for non-graphic novel readers.

Thorina is a loving mother of two boys living in San Francisco, California. Her husband, a photographer, has recently taken up running, a hobby Thorina supports until she finds out he's running straight into the arms of another woman! Heartbroken, Thorina tries everything she can think of to make the marriage work, but to no avail. Her husband leaves and Thorina must put the shattered pieces of her life back together. At first this may seem like a story oft-told, but Thorina makes her story new by utilizing the graphic novel format. Her loose and free-flowing sketches illustrate her story without rigid panels, and the handwritten captions and dialogue give it the feel of a diary. Emotions are perfectly captured in black and white: tear-stained faces, a mother's love for her children, and the guilt of the "other woman." Interspersed with revenge fantasies and struggles in counseling are quotes and portraits from famous women as varied as Coco Chanel, Eleanor Roosevelt and Ella Fitzgerald. Tagged as "a story of family, fidelity, and starting over" The Heartbreak Diet delivers on that promise with gentle humor and obvious affection. For Thorina Rose, this graphic novel may have been quite therapeutic as well as a work of love. Her story may not be unique, but it is empowering to hold the end result of her experiences in your hands and know that she made it through her bad time with her head held high. It's a highly effective graphic novel and would be an excellent introduction for someone unfamiliar or unused to the format.

Relating to a heartbreak.

This refreshing, honest, funny and heartwrenching book is a must read for any woman or man working through a "heartbreak"; and/or for anyone that's been through a heartbreak and looking to experience a lot of empathy. Thorina's writing style in combination with her expressive illustrations is just perfect. She has mastered a distinct way of making you feel you're there with her as she's going through this turbulent time, cheering for her (NOT him), the entire way. I will be buying this book as a gift for any friend that needs a little perspective and a little inspiration during a tough time, as well as my friends looking for a good laugh...

When it Rains it Pours

Thorina Rose's honesty, humor and heartbreak make her very personal journey a universal story for anyone who is going through or who knows someone who is going through (who doesn't?) a breakup. I found myself completely engrossed in Rose's ups and downs as she dealt with the surprise dissolution of her marriage and learned how to parent alone while also dealing with the pain and then, more and more, surprising moments of joy as she negotiated life as a single person. A shoulder is a great thing to offer a friend who's in need, but I think Rose's book would be a great gift as well. It shows that no matter how hard, life's worst moments can lead to wonderful new beginnings. I wish this book had been around when one of my close friends had gone through a terrible break-up.

Nice Read

This is a great insight into what goes wrong with our relationships, over the context of our societal values and the context of the personal feelings of the participants. Some of the images and situations are absolute cliches. It seems like this book is a total illustration with both the text and the images having been drawn by the hand of the artist. No word processor or Photshop to subtract from the raw power and personal connection of this work. It is an original and unique book. A comic for adults. Pretty cool where the title comes from.