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sgbrux's review against another edition
5.0
I always knew that Jewel was unlike other artists in that she came from humble beginnings (Alaskan homestead living, homelessness, daily hustling), but I didn't realize the extent to which she had to hold tight to her integrity and values—her very soul—as she skyrocketed to stardom. Holy shit.
This woman has experienced physical and psychological abuse, betrayal, chronic illness, abandonment, criticism of her appearance, repeated propositioning as a minor and as an adult, loss, heartache, bankruptcy and massive debt, divorce, challenges around motherhood... the list goes on and on, yet Jewel still managed to discover and keep close her own sense of morality, her integrity and wisdom, and her unbreakable optimistic outlook on people and life.
It's strange how the universe strings together different role models and works during this particular phase of my life, all somehow connected as if they're echoes of one another (Voltaire, David Foster Wallace, the Before Sunrise films, Hobo Johnson, and so many other musicians and public figures I won't name here), and I get to watch their movies or read their books or listen to their lyrics, all of them resonating so deeply with me.
Never Broken was exactly the kind of memoir I needed right now.
Searching for happiness? If you're doing a bit of soul-searching or going through an otherwise difficult time, I recommend reading Never Broken. Jewel shares so many raw experiences from childhood to full-blown womanhood, and how she was able to navigate those trials, while sprinkling in several of the tactics taught in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Jewel was a sad but wise child, and she gladly, humbly, shares her wisdom with any who wish to change the tough circumstances of their lives and just be... happy.
I notated and highlighted so many passages that spoke to me, things I want to work on, works I want to read to help gain a better understanding of who I am and how I want to live my life. Who I want to be.
She's such an interesting person. The book is filled with life lessons, her own poetry and lyrics, personal anecdotes that involve everyone from Bob Dylan to Tupac to Sean Penn. She has lived quite the life.
It's funny—I've started revisiting all of her old albums, and my god—the lyrics all hit so differently now. She has a voice that completely disarms you and makes you feel vulnerable. Most definitely one of her superpowers.
I wasn't really a Jewel superfan before, but I recently learned she's touring with Train, so I've already purchased my ticket and will be seeing them both next month. I can't wait. I wish we could be friends.
Here is just a smattering of the treasure trove that comprises this autobiography:
What I had going for me, however, was that at a fairly young age I figured out what I wanted. Happiness. You have to know what you want to ever be able to have it.
Our essential self cannot be erased no matter what we endure.
The truth is that no one can keep you captive. No one can keep you unhappy. No one can keep you abused. Our lives rise to the level we accept.
We cannot always control or avoid what happens to us, but we can control what it does to our spirit. And the quality of our spirit becomes the filter through which we see life.
No one outran their suffering; they only piled new pain upon their original pain.
Something my life has taught me is not to see things in black and white. People are neither all good nor all bad.
The emotional language we speak most fluently as adults is the one we learned as children.
If you can see yourself do something, if you can witness your behavior, that means you are something other than your behavior.
Reading philosophy felt like the first breath of oxygen I’d had in a long time. I was drowning in my life, and here were these amazing minds reaching through time, speaking to me.
I knew I didn’t want to be a human full of holes. I wanted to be a whole human.
Under extreme duress, especially as a child, I would disassociate, just shut down and become robotic when the stress or emotions were too overwhelming. It was a dangerous habit...our feelings are our best defense system; if prolonged trauma becomes the norm, you become desensitized to pain, and cut off your ability to perceive danger as well. We learn to tolerate the intolerable..."
Many parents want to support their kids’ talents and dreams, but it is up to the kids to have the drive and curiosity to discover their own way.
Happiness does not rely on what you have or who you are. It relies on what you think.
True cynics all kill themselves.
I figured love is a garden, and if you want something else besides daisies to grow, you need to tend to the roses.
I could tolerate the intolerable, as many children of abuse learn to do.
People often confuse forgiveness with condonation. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you condone or approve of what they did. Forgiveness is an act of self-love.
I am worthy of love just for being alive, whether I am perfect or not. I am saying this at age forty.
When we move away from love we become shells walking through a life that should be rich and fertile. I choose love. I choose an open heart.
This woman has experienced physical and psychological abuse, betrayal, chronic illness, abandonment, criticism of her appearance, repeated propositioning as a minor and as an adult, loss, heartache, bankruptcy and massive debt, divorce, challenges around motherhood... the list goes on and on, yet Jewel still managed to discover and keep close her own sense of morality, her integrity and wisdom, and her unbreakable optimistic outlook on people and life.
It's strange how the universe strings together different role models and works during this particular phase of my life, all somehow connected as if they're echoes of one another (Voltaire, David Foster Wallace, the Before Sunrise films, Hobo Johnson, and so many other musicians and public figures I won't name here), and I get to watch their movies or read their books or listen to their lyrics, all of them resonating so deeply with me.
Never Broken was exactly the kind of memoir I needed right now.
Searching for happiness? If you're doing a bit of soul-searching or going through an otherwise difficult time, I recommend reading Never Broken. Jewel shares so many raw experiences from childhood to full-blown womanhood, and how she was able to navigate those trials, while sprinkling in several of the tactics taught in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Jewel was a sad but wise child, and she gladly, humbly, shares her wisdom with any who wish to change the tough circumstances of their lives and just be... happy.
I notated and highlighted so many passages that spoke to me, things I want to work on, works I want to read to help gain a better understanding of who I am and how I want to live my life. Who I want to be.
She's such an interesting person. The book is filled with life lessons, her own poetry and lyrics, personal anecdotes that involve everyone from Bob Dylan to Tupac to Sean Penn. She has lived quite the life.
It's funny—I've started revisiting all of her old albums, and my god—the lyrics all hit so differently now. She has a voice that completely disarms you and makes you feel vulnerable. Most definitely one of her superpowers.
I wasn't really a Jewel superfan before, but I recently learned she's touring with Train, so I've already purchased my ticket and will be seeing them both next month. I can't wait. I wish we could be friends.
Here is just a smattering of the treasure trove that comprises this autobiography:
What I had going for me, however, was that at a fairly young age I figured out what I wanted. Happiness. You have to know what you want to ever be able to have it.
Our essential self cannot be erased no matter what we endure.
The truth is that no one can keep you captive. No one can keep you unhappy. No one can keep you abused. Our lives rise to the level we accept.
We cannot always control or avoid what happens to us, but we can control what it does to our spirit. And the quality of our spirit becomes the filter through which we see life.
No one outran their suffering; they only piled new pain upon their original pain.
Something my life has taught me is not to see things in black and white. People are neither all good nor all bad.
The emotional language we speak most fluently as adults is the one we learned as children.
If you can see yourself do something, if you can witness your behavior, that means you are something other than your behavior.
Reading philosophy felt like the first breath of oxygen I’d had in a long time. I was drowning in my life, and here were these amazing minds reaching through time, speaking to me.
I knew I didn’t want to be a human full of holes. I wanted to be a whole human.
Under extreme duress, especially as a child, I would disassociate, just shut down and become robotic when the stress or emotions were too overwhelming. It was a dangerous habit...our feelings are our best defense system; if prolonged trauma becomes the norm, you become desensitized to pain, and cut off your ability to perceive danger as well. We learn to tolerate the intolerable..."
Many parents want to support their kids’ talents and dreams, but it is up to the kids to have the drive and curiosity to discover their own way.
Happiness does not rely on what you have or who you are. It relies on what you think.
True cynics all kill themselves.
I figured love is a garden, and if you want something else besides daisies to grow, you need to tend to the roses.
I could tolerate the intolerable, as many children of abuse learn to do.
People often confuse forgiveness with condonation. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you condone or approve of what they did. Forgiveness is an act of self-love.
I am worthy of love just for being alive, whether I am perfect or not. I am saying this at age forty.
When we move away from love we become shells walking through a life that should be rich and fertile. I choose love. I choose an open heart.
surlaroute's review
5.0
"We are not in the business of fighting darkness. We are farmers of light."
This is quite simply one of the greatest books I have ever read (or listened to, in this case, as I usually do these days with non-fiction if it's read by the author). I was looking forward to it as I do anything Jewel puts out but I feel almost ashamed now to admit that I wasn't expecting anything earth shattering. But the opening simply blew my head open and the feeling never let up for the whole 10hrs+. What a life - what a mind. Jewel turns autobiography into poetry, covering the history of her family, her rise in the music industry and the events that have seen her disappear somewhat from the limelight in fascinating detail. I had no idea about so much of this and haven't been the heaviest of fans when it comes to her music - it's always just been nice to see that she has something new out and there's usually at least a song or two per album that really hits home for me - but reading this (and then revisiting her catalogue afterwards, as I've just begun - I can't believe how long it's been since I listened to Pieces of You…) I felt like the guy in that story about Jesus on the beach and the footprints in the sand… it's like Jewel's been there for me all my adult life, feeding me all this wisdom, teaching me how to feel, often speaking my mind before I knew it myself, and quite often I didn't even know it, and the book just clarified so much about those years and made me feel like I have always been on the right path. I just know that this book is going to help so many people.
This is quite simply one of the greatest books I have ever read (or listened to, in this case, as I usually do these days with non-fiction if it's read by the author). I was looking forward to it as I do anything Jewel puts out but I feel almost ashamed now to admit that I wasn't expecting anything earth shattering. But the opening simply blew my head open and the feeling never let up for the whole 10hrs+. What a life - what a mind. Jewel turns autobiography into poetry, covering the history of her family, her rise in the music industry and the events that have seen her disappear somewhat from the limelight in fascinating detail. I had no idea about so much of this and haven't been the heaviest of fans when it comes to her music - it's always just been nice to see that she has something new out and there's usually at least a song or two per album that really hits home for me - but reading this (and then revisiting her catalogue afterwards, as I've just begun - I can't believe how long it's been since I listened to Pieces of You…) I felt like the guy in that story about Jesus on the beach and the footprints in the sand… it's like Jewel's been there for me all my adult life, feeding me all this wisdom, teaching me how to feel, often speaking my mind before I knew it myself, and quite often I didn't even know it, and the book just clarified so much about those years and made me feel like I have always been on the right path. I just know that this book is going to help so many people.
jaggedrocks's review against another edition
3.0
I found her story interesting. However, I disagree with some of her advice and feel that it wouldn't work for everyone.
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