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The Heartbreak Diet: A Story of Family, Fidelity, and Starting Over | 
 enlarge | Author: Thorina Rose
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $3.00
You Save: $16.95 (85%)
New (32) Used (17) from $3.00
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 764749
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 176
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.8 x 6.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0811860574
Dewey Decimal Number: 741
EAN: 9780811860574
ASIN: 0811860574
Publication Date: April 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Thorina Rose's funny, beautifully illustrated memoir charts the unexpected dissolution of her marriage and the struggles and adventures of starting over. After marrying young, living in New York, and settling in San Francisco, Rose and her husband 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 friends, and coping mechanisms close at hand: retail therapy and pet adoption (not so useful); leaning on friends and travels with gay men (very useful). With humor and insight, The Heartbreak Diet is a moving and entertaining meditation on fidelity, family, and finding one's way.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 The truth hurts, but there is no escaping it. January 6, 2009
Mark Arinsberg (San Francisco, CA)
I was blessed enough to receive this book directly from Thorina, the author and illustrator, shortly after I separated from my wife after 25 years of marriage. Her heartfelt words and pictures actually made me appreciate how good I have it and how it takes two to do it in a civil and emotionally mature manner. The situations and high level emotions portrayed in the book are real and identifiable. Thorina is a brave soul to take the cathartic route and tell it like it is/was through real-life language and fantastic illustrations. This is not a story. It is happening as you read and see it unfold. Bravo Thorina! I look forward to the potential of you sharing your next life adventure.
An honest, funny, lovely little gem September 9, 2008
Nik (San Francisco, CA)
I think that Heartbreak Diet tells the story of the author's divorce (and subsequent rebirth into singledom) with refreshing honesty and humor. The story doesn't shy away from the eyebrow-raising details and the drawings are lovely. One minute your jaw drops at the audaciousness of the situations she faces, in the next you're laughing as her "greek chorus" of friends chime in with commentary and reality checks. Though divorce is a sad and messy business, the book's message is ultimately hopeful as the author seeks to accept her fate and find joy in her new life (and newly slim figure).
I don't know anyone that's gone through a divorce recently, but if I did, I'd send them this book.
 A woman's graphic novel September 1, 2008
Barbara Hudgins (New Jersey, USA)
Really, I thought graphic novels were just comic books with hard covers and a longer story--and were basically just for men. Or little boys who never grew up.
This is a woman's story of infidelity and divorce but told through pictures as well as words. What would have taken half-a-day to read as of novel is finished in an hour or two. And yet it is as emotional as if it the most polished prose had taken us through this journey.
I particularly liked the humor--the friends who come up with their various formulas for getting over a heart-breaking trauma. "I never liked him anyway" or "this is the time for you to grow". The yoga classes, the new boyfriend who cools off, the new dog who turns out to be a biter--they are all funny and all so sad.
The husband's face is never seen and all he does is grunt and since everything in this memoir is true, I assume he has no grounds for a lawsuit. This is a good "girlfriend" book. Nicely done.
Great Place to Start for Anyone Interested in Graphic Novels August 11, 2008
Mint910 (USA)
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.
 graphic novel autobiography August 1, 2008
Bethany L. Canfield (Corvallis, OR,USA.)
A book about life, about changes and making the best of what comes our way even when we wish it wouldn't. The Heartbreak Diet is all about moving on. I really wanted to enjoy it, it is a graphic novel autobiography....doesn't that sound great!? I guess I was hoping for more, I think it ended before I felt like she got her pride back again, or before her husband got what he deserved, but I need to not give away any more than that. It is very hard to know what to say about someone's life, you can't criticize content.
Besides that, it is a good read, a super quick read....it only took one of my little boys' nap time to finish it, maybe an hour or so? I enjoyed it, and I thought the format of an autobiography in graphic novel form was really neat!
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