Review of "A Break in the Silence" by Donald T. Hardison II

Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)

Donald T. Hardison II does it again!

A Break in the Silence is yet another heart-wrenching, powerful, and impactful memoir by Donald T. Hardison II!

You know what they say: Fact is stranger than fiction.
It also tends to be more interesting.

While One Man's Journey mostly focused on Hardison's personal demons and his relationship with his father, A Break in the Silence focuses on Hardison's relationship with his son, Donald Michael ("Donnie"). It's the perfect follow-up to the previous book.

One of the great tragedies and realities of human existence is that, as we progress in age and in life, we often grow apart from our loved ones who then move on with their own lives . People get married, have kids, pursue careers, or go on their own journeys. So, what was once a home full of family, camaraderie, and togetherness can become a much emptier and lonelier place.

We saw it in Caleb's Adventures with Granddad by Christian Kueng. Ironically, we also saw it in One Man's Journey, something which Hardison references.

It's a remarkable true story full of generational trauma and captivating real-life drama that's sure to resonate with readers.

As alluded to before, this book follows Hardison's relationship with his son, Donald Michael. It's a beautiful, heartwarming, and heart-wrenching relationship with some of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

It’s a relationship marked by innocence, joy, misunderstanding, separation, longing, and—above all—love.

Donald Michael becomes not just a son, but a symbol: of lost time, of unanswered prayers, of hope deferred yet not destroyed. Through vivid memories—playing video games together, sharing laughter, witnessing his son's resilience—and through gut-wrenching moments of silence and distance, Hardison paints a portrait of a father's undying devotion.

This book doesn’t just tell a story; it opens a vein. It’s raw. At times, it’s messy. But it’s real—achingly real. And in that vulnerability lies its power. What makes A Break in the Silence truly remarkable is its ability to take a deeply personal pain and transform it into something universally resonant. You don’t need to be a father—or even a parent—to feel the sting of estrangement, the burn of unanswered questions, or the desperate hope for reconciliation.

Something we noticed is how well this book flows and how much it accomplishes in such a short amount of time. This book isn't particularly long. Yes, it's about 180 pages long, but these are short/small pages. This book flies! It doesn't waste your time or get too caught up in proselytizing or evangelizing despite its Christian message and direction.

Christ is the direction. The story is the message. The action is the testament: the testament to how God's plan ultimately works out and how prayers are answered, often in ways you didn't see coming.

With that said, it's interesting to note how Hardison continued to struggle and wrestle with unscrupulous members of the faith like he did in the previous book. He talks about confronting a pastor named Jamie who wasn't acting or behaving in a way representative of Jesus' teachings. Hardison talks about how this escalated into the pastor being removed and the church eventually shutting its doors.

There are other powerful moments and scenes. Of course, this book seems to be building to a huge reconciliation that may or may not happen (you'll need to read the book). However, there are other great moments like the simple act of father and son playing the PlayStation 3 together, making it a regular habit. There's another moment in which Hardison suffers a broken collarbone due to an accident and his son is forced to step up, be a man, and drive him to safety.

There's also a lot of tension and suspense here (surprisingly). One of the tensest and most suspenseful moments is when Hardison sends copies of his first book to his children, one of them sent to Donnie's mother in hopes of it reaching him. Hardison and his wife check the tracking on these packages like hawks, sweating on every update. That's oddly relatable. Have you sent an important package to a loved one lately only to have FedEx, UPS, or USPS leave you nervous about whether it will arrive on time or at all?

Donald T. Hardison II doesn’t write to impress—he writes to heal. And in doing so, he helps others to heal too.

This book is highly recommended for fans of emotionally honest memoirs and faith-driven narratives. It is a powerful testament to faith, love, and hope.

Check it out on Amazon!