Greetings,
How is this possible? How is it that I have been doing this blog for nearly three years and I am only now doing my first book review? Well, I suppose I could use the excuse that, since I spend so much time writing my own books, I have little time to concern myself with the books of others. I do read, though, and when I come across a good book, I like to tell people about it. So my apologies for dragging my heels on this subject. But now that I have decided to finally review a book, I knew I had to pick one that I think is very, very good. And I have. Today, I will be discussing Breaking the Perfect 10 by Tracy Lindsey Melchior.
For those of you who don't know, Tracy Lindsey Melchior is an actress who has gained most of her success on soap operas. I know, I know. A lot of people criticize the acting on soaps, sometimes justifiably so, but remember, some actors and actresses, who eventually became quite acclaimed, had their starts there. And also Josh Duhamel. Well, relax. Tracy is one of the good ones. She was on One Life to Live, the unfortunately short-lived Sunset Beach and, most recently, The Bold and the Beautiful. Now, admittedly, One Life to Live was not a soap that I ever watched, but I did see her on Sunset Beach, and I've made it abundantly clear how much I love my B&B.
Now I don't usually gravitate toward books written by people in the entertainment industry for many reasons. I mean, I have read some of those, and I am rarely, rarely impressed. Whether it's the subject matter or the writing itself, I just don't have any need for most of those books. However, I was aware of some of Tracy's story and background, so I knew that, if anything, what she would write here would be very uplifting. And it was, about a hundredfold.
Breaking the Perfect 10 is Tracy's account of her tumultuous but, ultimately, blessed life. She tells us of her childhood, coming from a broken home and dealing with a load of abandonment issues. All of that leads to her teen years and early adulthood as she struggles to find worth within herself, while suffering through troubled relationships and still coming to terms with the wounds suffered during her youth and from her family. Mixed in with those stories are the ones of Tracy's quest to become an actress and all the problems and pitfalls that went along with it. And while she lived through all of this, she also, admittedly and, hence the title of the book, broke every single one of the ten commandments. Yes, even the sixth one, although,(spoiler alert!) certain people who tend to be in a certain political party would say that she did not. To them I say, if this brave woman has courage enough to speak up on the matter, knowing that she has been forgiven, then others could have the courtesy to shut up on the matter. Yes, I am passionate about the subject. Sorry. Anyway, even through all of these ups and downs, or perhaps, because of them, she did find success. Actually, she found success in every aspect of her life.
Now let me say, before continuing, that Tracy did have some help from a woman named Susan Wales with the writing of this book. Hey, we all need help sometimes. Still, what I love about it is that you can truly feel how much that this really is Tracy's story. It is her words, it is her thoughts, it is every feeling that she shared with the readers. You never once feel as though someone else wrote it for her. It just feels so genuine.
Okay, I know what some people reading this blog post may be thinking. That this book is just another story of a woman with a boo-hoo childhood who managed to get some fame. I can tell you with certainty that it is not that. Sure, a lot of people have similar problems in their lives, but everyone has their own saga. Everyone's trials come together in their own unique way to create the tapestry of a person's life. And Tracy certainly has a special story, one that needs to be heard and known, one from which everybody can learn.
I suppose the one thing that would set this book apart from most others written by people in the entertainment industry is that Tracy credits her survival, happiness and peace in life to her Christian faith. She knows that it was God and His love and grace that protected her even before she acknowledged His being there, and it was God that brought her every blessing, including her husband and, of course, her children. So I guess my saying that would be the start of a disclaimer, and here it is. If you have a problem accepting that it is the power of Almighty God that can truly rescue someone from despair and destruction to give them a new life, then this is the type of book that you would most likely avoid at all costs. However, if you are the kind of person I described in that previous sentence, then this is the type of book that you should definitely read. As for myself, I can honestly say that Breaking the Perfect 10 is one of the most inspirational and edifying things I have ever read. This book will, no doubt, become one of my "go to" things when I need to be pulled from the troubles of my own life so that I can be reminded that there is always a way to the light.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
