Will the Circle Be Unbroken?: A Memoir of Learning to Believe You’re Gonna Be Okay

I love his stories and essays; he writes really well and he's interesting. Southern dude with a loving heart.

This was a WONDERFUL read… A profound spiritual odyssey, a spiritual transformation, written by a man who bravely finds his way through an excruciatingly painful past that threatened to destroy him by courageously and at times unwittingly exposing himself to what it really means to surrender. The story is a journey of sacrifice, purpose, compassion, and drive with belly-laughing humor, and embarrassingly abundant and relatable self-disclosure. Sean goes from profound self-deprecation to finding purpose through love, self-acceptance, and trust. I loved this book, and believe it got better and funnier as Sean grew closer to finding inner peace through releasing the old stories and awakening to new possibilities. Sean is a gifted story-teller who, while not taking himself seriously, pushes himself to look deeply enough to find the serious gifts for the taking. I will read anything Sean Dietrich writes.

Sean has shared what could have been a tragic life story in a way that is full of hope and promise. Don't get me wrong, not saccharine sweet everything works out rainbows! Instead a story of real life, real pain, and figuring out that if you get out of your own way then YES, you're gonna be ok! Thank you Sean Dietrich! Now we need to get Reese to make it a movie!

A journey into accepting his father was a flawed man. I sat by the fireplace and read and read and read.

I bought this book on a whim and I’m glad I did. With all the talk of fellowship halls and Baptist women, it took me back to when I was a little boy attending a Baptist church with my Aunt in tiny Hazel Green, AL. While many reading this book may think the fellowship halls are exaggerated, I’m here to tell you it is not.I was 100% sold about half way through when Sean busted out the “hosepipe”. I’m now angry at my iPhone because it keeps auto-correcting to “hose pipe”; which is clearly not correct. I honestly was a grown adult before I moved from Alabama and learned there is “no such thing” as a hosepipe. I actually lost a bet to a colleague when I said I could go to Home Depot and buy one that had the word on the label. I was so devastated. I searched that entire store and only found garden hoses. Needless to say, I ate crow on that bet.I’ve now moved to Oklahoma and I truly felt it in my soul when Sean discussed BBQ; or “barbecue” as they call it here. Like Texas, this entire state prides itself on their roadside stands of “barbecue”’claiming you don’t need sauce. Umm yeah, actually I do. I need it for flavor because your barbecue tastes like leather. It’s so beyond me because the people here love it! It’s like barbecue joints are tourist traps around here! I’m like, have y’all ever considered eating somewhere for the actual food? That’s what we do in Alabama. I’m fat. I’m getting so emotional. I take my Oklahoma wife to Alabama twice a year. Three years ago, I introduced her to Alabama BBQ. Now she spends her time trying to figure out how to import it to the yankee West. Now I just have to get her to understand Brunswick stew.If you are from the Deep South, buy this book. It will bring back so many memories for you. If you know someone who needs more character (Yankees), buy them this book and make them read it. Make sure you tell them it’s all true. And If they become disrespectful, find your nearest baptist wimmin and tell them they don’t believe in the Lort. Walk away.Constructive criticism: The constant barrage of hearing about abusive dad in every single chapter was overwhelming. But I respect it because it obviously affected and shaped your life. Thank you for a good read.

Always enjoy ANYTHING Sean Dietrich writes and this collection did not disappoint.

Have you ever waited for a book to be published for so long that you just want the whole experience to last a little bit longer? That is the case with Will the Circle Be Unbroken by Sean Dietrich. As one of his number one fans for years I have longed for this memoir to be published and finally --here it is. A real copy of it in my hands. I waited to start it because I wanted to read it in one sitting and today was that day. What a glorious day it was!Meet Sean Dietrich. AKA Sean of the South. Author, musician and all around great guy. Seriously. I knew from reading his blog and daily posts for years that his entire story had not been shared with us yet and true to form the words he penned in Will the Circle Be Unbroken are words that will stick with me for a long time. Sean reveals in his memoir many more details of his life than I had read before and this book made me laugh, cry, get angry and sentimental with every page turn. As a master story teller I believe the story of Sean's life is the best story he has told.Brutally honest and revealing Sean chronicles more than just the tragic suicide of his father in the pages and leaves the reader with such a sense of being a part of his life that I felt like family. A family that hugs necks, that shares tomato sandwiches with Duke's Mayonnaise and that loves all things bloodhound. This is a family that I can belong to and one that supports one another.Sean's story is a story of struggles and triumphs, disappointments and hardships that give way to success and fulfillment. The book is filled with quotable quotes and life lessons all wrapped up in glorious words. To say that reading this book was a joy is an understatement. I truly felt inspired and motivated as I read the encouraging story of Sean's life. Perhaps the best part of this story is seeing the transformation of a man who doubted his worth as a man to become an encourager in his very own right. With the support of a loving wife, Jamie, Sean has bridged the gap to become the voice of the overlooked. Giving others a voice and sharing their stories with others is such a gift that he is giving our world in a time when good stories really do need to be shared. Ignoring the advice of an executive at a large newspaper in Georgia Sean continued to write about the good things in life, the ordinary things turned extraordinary, the simple things. I, for one, am very grateful that he chose to ignore that woman's advice. The world is a better place because of Sean Dietrich. Keep on writing, Sean of the South. Your audience awaits.

Sean is a master story teller, drawing you in so you cannot stop until you finish his story. My favorite writer!

It’s an amazing story told by a gifted storyteller - one that will make you laugh and cry and believe in miracles and angels who smell like Old Spice and sweat. It’s a tale of healing and triumph and the absolute joy of living life out loud. It’s a story of hope, forgiveness and second chances. It’s a story we all need to read.