Award winning book!
Being Broken
Being Broken is the offical winner of ‘Distinguished Favourite’ for non-fiction at the NYC Big Book Awards!
Another Award!
Second Place Award
Description
A raw, haunting, and deeply personal account of survival, trauma, and truth. Through a series of reflective essays and narratives, Jonas unearths the devastating impact of narcissistic parental abuse on an entire family. The story unfolds with heartbreaking precision—from a sister’s tragic overdose to the unraveling of generational addiction and mental illness. As the surviving son pieces together the past through letters and digital remnants, readers are drawn into a powerful journey of discovery, grief, and healing. This book is not just a testimony of pain but also of resilience and the difficult path toward understanding and recovery. A gripping and courageous read.
● Nonfiction - Health & Wellness - Addiction & Recovery
● Nonfiction - Health & Wellness - Psychology
● Nonfiction - Self-help - Anxiety, Depression & Mental Health
Book details
About the Book
Being Broken: Tales and Essays of Survival and Death from Narcissistic Parental Abuse
A young woman dies alone in a hotel room, her fentanyl-poisoned cocaine still on the desk. She had been missing for nearly 2 weeks. Social Services had been trying to find a place for her to live with her 3-year-old son, whom she had left with her parents. Six months later her father fights for his life in intensive care, but succumbs to his illness because of a lifelong use of alcohol and tobacco. A month after his death her mother is assessed by doctors to be unable to care for herself because of her Alzheimer’s and mental health issues brought on by benzodiazepine and alcohol addiction. Read more
$9.99 CAD
Gold Award
Literary Titan Book Award
Description
We are proud to present you with the Literary Titan Book Award. Following the recent review of your book through our Book Review Service, it was automatically entered into our Literary Book Award competition. Your book deserves extraordinary praise, and we are proud to acknowledge your hard work, dedication, and writing talent. Start telling the world that you're an award-winning author because we will be!
Bronze Award
Being Broken
Description
Being Broken is an unflinching exploration of trauma, addiction, and recovery from narcissistic parental abuse. Geoffrey R. Jonas weaves together memoir and psychological insight to reveal how generational patterns of manipulation, shame, and neglect shape our lives, and how breaking free requires both courage and compassion.
The author invites readers on a raw and unflinching journey through the aftermath of narcissistic parental abuse. What begins as an exploration of family history soon turns into a reckoning with painful truths, revealed through letters, emails, and remembered conversations. As he pieces together the reality of his sister’s suffering and death, the author also confronts the lasting wounds within himself—mental health struggles, addiction, and the heavy toll of growing up under the shadow of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Through vivid storytelling and candid reflection, he brings the disorder to life, showing not only how it manifests in everyday interactions but also how deeply its ripple effects can scar generations.
About the Author
Geoffery R. Jonas
Geoffery is a first-time author. He lives by a lake, spending his time writing, painting, gardening, and woodworking. His recovery is ongoing, and he enjoys his privacy and seclusion.
Table
Table of contents
Get a look at all of the content covered in the book. Everything you need to know is inside.
● Forward
● Prologue – Defining Narcisstic Parental Abuse
● Part 1 – In the beginning…
● What Came Before – Part 1 – Maternal Family History
● What Came Before – Part 2 – Paternal Family History
● Essay: Fault vs. Responsibility and Blame
unforgettable storytelling
Why Readers Love “Being Broken”
Award-Winning Debut
Recognized for its powerful storytelling and emotional depth that lingers long after the final page.
Emotionally Raw Narrative
A deeply human journey through pain, healing, and the quiet strength that keeps us moving forward.
Critically Acclaimed Prose
Praised by reviewers for its lyrical writing and the honesty that cuts straight to the heart.
Universally Relatable Themes
Explores love, loss, and identity in a way that speaks to every reader’s lived experience.
Literary Depth and Detail
Layered symbolism and vivid imagery reveal new meaning with every read.
Available Worldwide
Now listed on Amazon, Goodreads, and major booksellers across the globe.
Goodreads Reviews
Goodreads reviews for Being Broken
Being Broken: Tales and Essays of Survival and Death from Narcissistic Parental Abuse by Geoffrey R. Jonas is a raw and unflinching account of trauma, survival, and self-discovery in the aftermath of narcissistic parental abuse. The author sheds light on the long-term emotional toll of generational dysfunction. The writing is deeply personal and emotionally charged, making it a powerful read for those seeking to understand the lasting effects of family-based trauma. The book offers hope and healing. It’s best suited for readers interested in memoirs, psychology, or trauma recovery narratives.
Momna
The BookViral Review
Amazing Book Viral Review & Blog Post About Being Broken
This review brought tears to my eyes. I really felt the review nailed what the book was about. Addiction and Trauma Literature – BookViral Book Reviews
“Geoffrey R. Jonas’s Being Broken is a harrowing yet deeply reflective memoir that confronts the interwoven realities of family trauma, addiction, and the long shadow of narcissistic parental abuse. Part personal narrative, part psychological analysis, and part meditation on grief, the book is both a chronicle of survival and a testament to resilience.
Recommend for the coveted BookViral Crimson Quill. To make your recommendation simply click on the award badge below..….
The Feathered Quill Review
Another great review from The Feathered Quill!
In Being Broken: Tales and Essays of Survival and Death from Narcissistic Parental Abuse by Geoffrey R. Jonas, readers are taken on a raw and painful roller coaster ride in which the author provides full disclosure of how traumatizing growing up was for his sister and himself. They grew up with such broken lives because their parents and stepfather were abusive in so many ways.
Testimonials
What readers said
Recent Interview with Indie Reader:
Recent Interview
Advice from IR Approved Author Geoffrey R. Jonas: “Follow your heart and say what you want to say. We can’t please everyone.”
Q&A with Geoffrey R. Jonas
Author Q&A at Sandra’s Book Club
What Was The Inspiration For This Book?
How Did You Come Up With The Title For This Book?
Did You Do Any Research For This Book? If So, What?
I did a lot of research for this book. Authors, studies and research, videos, courses: I did more than I could name here. I have studied trauma and SUD for almost 10 years now, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) for more than 3 years. While I do not have an alphabet of diplomas and degrees behind my name, I feel that I did my best to educate myself to the facts and evidence so that they would be well represented in the book.
Please Describe Your Writing Journey For This Book. Tell Us What A Day For You Was Like.
As mentioned above, it really started with the essays. As a man of science and evidence, I needed to understand what happened. I had been writing essays about my own journey with SUD and it evolved into understanding trauma and child abuse.
The writing process for me is about both writing and editing at the same time. While many authors choose to write everything that comes to mind for extended periods and then going back and editing, my process is typically to write and edit at the same time. I will write a sentence or paragraph and then go back and edit it until it is perfect before moving on.
Writing this was difficult though. Writing about your own trauma, and that of my sister, could be very overwhelming. I would tackle a difficult topic, which may only be a couple of paragraphs, and I would have to stop for the rest of the day, or a couple, before I could get back to the keyboard.
How Is Your Book Different Than Any Other Book In This Genre?
I believe that the inclusion of the science alongside the relative experiences sets my book apart. Similar to Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry’s book What Happened To You?, where they take Bruce’s research and apply it to real-life experiences of Oprah, I wanted to show the correlation of my, and my sister’s, experiences with the evidence of the relation of trauma and SUD.
What Criteria Did You Use When Selecting The Cover For Your Book?
I wanted to honour my sister’s love for creating collages with the angst she felt towards what was happening to her. I also wanted to have it reflect the chaos of her life.