Broken Nek

50 year old Mary is living a healthy, relatively stress-free life, long removed from her history of abuse by her older brother, Ken. But then her mother passes away and the day after the funeral Mary’s past and present collide. Her niece, Katie, Ken’s youngest child at age 22, reaches out to Mary in a moment of terror stemming from a fight with her dad. Barely knowing each other prior, a strong bond forms as Mary realizes that her niece has been living a parallel life to what she herself endured growing up. Wanting to help Katie put an end to the abuse, but hesitant to bring her brother back into her life, Mary struggles with flashbacks and nightmares. The ensuing year is tumultuous and frightening; a reflection of what happens when mental illness is confronted head on. While Katie and Mary try to force Ken to confront his demons with professional help, their own relationship begins to heal each of them in unexpected ways, resulting in truth, vindication, and love.


About the Authors


Katie Albrecht and her aunt, Mary Albrecht, reside in Lake County, Illinois. They have both been informal writers in various projects for many years. Katie has had a longtime goal of publishing a book and when she and her aunt realized they had “parallel lives” in regards to another family member, she suggested they collaborate in this memoir. Both Katie and Mary hope their story will help others in similar situations.