A Circle Unbroken: The hidden emotional patterns that shape our lives

‘Oh my God, I’m turning into my mother!’

Why do our personalities so stubbornly resist our efforts to change? Is it our genes, or the way we were brought up? Why do we ignore the eerie ‘coincidences’ which offer us insight into the patterned, predictable nature of our lives?

Rarely has anyone written with such eloquence about the dilemmas and choices we all face in our relationships. Hugh Crago deftly traces the unbroken circle of life and death, illuminating his account with lively personal touches, fresh insights into the personalities of famous figures and case studies of ordinary people. He argues that we can control our lives, but only when we understand the mysterious emotional patterns that link us with our parents, our partners and our children.

‘A lucid and reassuring exploration of the cyclic nature of human life.Crago tells stories about our lives that I recognise.’ - Patti Miller, author of Writing Your Life

‘This book draws from a wide range of ideas to paint a fresh picture of the family’s journey from the cradle in one generation to the grave in the next. Everyone, whether parent, student or expert, will find much that is new, interesting and helpful in this highly readable account.’ - John Byng Hall, consultant child and family psychiatrist at the Tavistock Clinic, London, and author of Rewriting Family Scripts