Heartbreak

A masterful blend of investigative reporting and personal narrative, chock-full of fascinating insights, gorgeous nature writing and an ample helping of compassion (some of which Williams deservedly reserves for herself).--Alexis Burling San Francisco Chronicle Edifying and entertaining... [A] fascinating, memorable quest to survive and thrive in an often-heartbreaking world.-- BookPage (starred review) Fascinating.-- People Magazine This innovative book will have you rooting for Williams to understand her own body's pain--and, by extension, all of ours.--Zibby Owens Katie Couric Media [A] show-stopping, offbeat story about the science of heartbreak... Unflagging research--[Williams] even flies to London to interview Britain's first 'minister of loneliness'--and the author's vulnerability make for an impressive and moving survey. This is a courageous, whirlwind tale of healing and self-discovery.-- Publishers Weekly (starred review) This surprisingly frank and funny book is what happens when a formidable science journalist turns her powers of observation and inquiry on her own broken heart.--Bonnie Tsui, author of Why We Swim Heartbreak by Florence Williams is a graceful account of losing a marriage and finding another way of being. With vulnerability and veracity, Williams seeks various modes of understanding the physicality of loss. Whoever has felt the blistering heat of a broken heart will thank Florence Williams for a clear moving river of discoveries--Terry Tempest Williams, author of Erosion Complex and thoughtfully researched, [Heartbreak] appealingly chronicles healing from emotional loss and offers fascinating scientific insights into the mechanics and impacts of romantic grief. A provocative and rewarding reading experience.-- Kirkus Reviews I tore through this book, unable to do anything else. Even sleep. Florence Williams has taken the most common form of psychic pain--heartbreak, her heartbreak--and transformed it into a meditative masterwork on what it means to live a good life, with biological and genetic markers and dozens of scientific studies to back up her claims. Awe: remember this word. You will feel it at the end of this book, and it could save your life.--Deborah Copaken, author of Ladyparts What a powerful book. Williams captures the heartache of divorce and the crooked road back to living. Colorful, imaginative and poignant--Heartbreak tells a gripping story of courage, sex, and adventure packed with all the newest hard science on romance and attachment. I've studied love for over 40 years and I was taking notes. It's a magnificent, wise, and remarkable read!--Helen Fisher, author of The Anatomy of Love