Book Title and Author: Breaking the Curse by Alex DiFrancesco
Status? : Finished 
My overall rating of the book : 10/10
How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: It doesn’t relate to my personal magical practice, but as someone who embraces real-life displays and discussion of witchcraft and mental health, this book was right up my alley.
My personal thoughts/opinions: Breaking the Curse is a heavy, raw, unfiltered recounting of the author’s life, as told by the author, Alex (they/them). The book itself is broken into sections, and the stories are told as they make sense for the author. This means that sometimes, the narration moves back and forth in time, giving the reading a sense of broken understanding, much like a mental illness can do. I’m not sure if this was intentional or not, but as a person with major depressive disorder and ADHD, the mixed-up sections made a lot of sense to me.
This book is not for the timid or easily-triggered. Alex DiFrancesco does not shy away from vulgarity, especially as it fits the situation. There are details related to triggering topics such as sex, rape, addiction, suicide, transphobia, and domestic violence. Though these are heavy topics, the stories told are important to understanding Alex as a person, as well as the purpose of the book.
This is not a memoir of fanciful days and the whimsy of witchcraft. It’s a memoir of a hard-lived life by someone who reconnected with their Italian roots and found their power.
An interesting quote from the book:
I know my ancestors were flawed people. I know there are traumas that run through my bloodline, like everyone has. But when I call on my ancestors for their wisdom, for their kindness, for their cooking help, I call on the best parts of them. These parts strengthen each time they are called upon. They help my intuition, they help guide me. Sometimes they are in my dreams. My dreams have been more and more vivid since building the altar, though I usually only remember my nightmares that wake me up in the midst of them.
The more I venerate the parts of them that were strong, kind, and wise, the more the curses of anger and human failings fall away from them. They are light. They are parts of me, all reaching through time, to give me the best that they can, now that human living does not keep them from doing so.
All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes, if you can handle the triggers and raw nature of the book.