Creative Cuts - Cleaved

HT writer Gay Liddington shares her book review on Cleaved by Jane Cafarella. 

This is a compelling story told with courage and compassion. The author shares, “I once read that in ancient times, amputated limbs were buried so the owner and the limb could be reunited in the afterlife. Our family is like those limbs, buried, but still not whole.”

This memoir is a heart-rending account of two sisters, separated by their parents’ divisive ways and robbed of the opportunity to grow together as sisters. It’s about betrayal, resilience and forgiveness.

Amidst the family dramas, the author tells of growing up with a rare form of congenital lymphedema, a condition that was mostly ignored, leaving her to deal with bullying, pain and the emotions of having an abnormal leg.

Cafarella’s masterful style drew me in. I became part of the journey and prayed for a positive outcome. This is a book I couldn’t put down.

The print version is available from all the usual outlets, or a digital version from Jane’s website as a PDF download or directly from jane.cafarella@gmail.com. A percentage from each sale will go to the Lymphatic Education and Research Network.