No One Gets to Fall Apart

A Memoir

By: Sarah LaBrie

Narrated by: Sarah LaBrie

In this poignant memoir, as candid and indelible as The Glass Castle and Memorial Drive, a writer takes on the conflict between the love that binds us to home and the desire to escape it for good.

On a highway in Houston, Texas, Sarah LaBrie’s mother was found screaming at passing cars, terrified she would be murdered by invisible assailants. The diagnosis of schizophrenia that followed compelled Sarah to rethink her childhood, marked at turns by violence and all-consuming closeness.

Digging into the events that led to her mother’s break, Sarah traces her family history of mental illness, from the dysphoria that plagued her great-grandmother, a granddaughter of slaves, to her own experience with depression as a scholarship student at Brown. At the same time, she navigates a decades-long fixation on a novel she can’t finish but can't abandon, her complicated feelings about her white partner, and a fraught friendship colored by betrayal.

Spanning the globe from Houston’s Third Ward to Paris to Tallinn and New York to Los Angeles, No One Gets to Fall Apart is an unflinching chronicle of one woman's attempt to forge a new future through a better understanding of the past.

©2024 Sarah LaBrie (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

I loved it so much

Sarah LaBrie’s *No One Gets to Free Out Fall Apart* is an unflinching exploration of a deeply sensitive topic that resonates profoundly within many African-American families: mental illness. Sarah courageously pulls back the veil, offering readers an unvarnished depiction of what it’s like to live within a brilliant, productive Black family that has, for generations, faced the complexities of mental health challenges.

Her honesty is refreshing and necessary. In many Black families, the presence of mental illness is often treated with silent acceptance or hidden away, a legacy of survival in a society that stigmatizes both race and mental health. Sarah addresses this with grace and clarity, weaving personal stories that show how mental illness, when unaddressed, can reverberate through generations, sometimes threatening the very fabric of family unity.

What sets this memoir apart is Sarah’s ability to hold space for both the pain and the triumph. She shines a light on the importance of understanding, acceptance, and support—while also showing the resilience required to navigate life alongside mental illness. Her family’s willingness to confront their struggles publicly is both bold and inspiring, giving readers permission to reflect on their own experiences and encouraging open conversations about this often-taboo subject.

Sarah’s journey is a testament to strength and survival, not just for herself but for all families grappling with mental health challenges. This book is a must-read, not only for those directly impacted by mental illness but for anyone seeking to understand its ripple effects on families and communities.

Thank you, Sarah, for your bravery and your contribution to this critical conversation. *No One Gets to Free Out Fall Apart* is a powerful call to action for us all to support one another and to find more compassionate ways to live with and address mental illness.

—Dr. Mildred Ball Bright

Really heart felt writing ✨

Sarah's way of writing this book is not only highly
involving but also extremely eye opening to the important themes talked about here. As a reader who's new to schizophrenia, it was such an important reading to better understand the world of those dealing with loved ones in this mental condition. It taught me more compassion, empathy and it made me more aware of challenges that I couldn't even imagine many people have to constantly go through. It made me a more awakened human being for listening to her story and putting myself on the shoes of those involved with this mental illness. I highly recommend it!

A memoir not to be missed!

I love this memoir. The book is so thought provoking, and moving. I am left finding myself hoping she ( the author) does find a way to finish her novel. The writing style is so beautiful, I can’t help but hope she gifts us with more of her work soon. This is art.

Vivid and captivating

the way the author made me feel like I was there at various places she lived or visited

authenticity + honesty + courage= pathway to healing

The amazing memoir that remarkably allowed me to see myself as I never have and to make a tremendous step toward health. allowed me to learn more about the broken parts of me…and most importantly to make a tremendous step on my pathway.