The revealing and extraordinarily inspirational memoir from acclaimed economist, bestselling author, and award-winning thought leader Sylvia Ann Hewlett.
Sylvia Ann Hewlett has spent most of her adult life in the public eye. She's one of Harvard Business Review's most published writers, she's testified before Congress and spoken at international gatherings like the World Economic Forum at Davos. And most important, she has built a devoted following—especially among women who see in her a guiding light in how to succeed in business and in life. Yet despite focusing her professional energies on issues "close to home"—children, raising a family, career advancement—a part of her remained closely guarded.
Sylvia now turns inward to tell the deeply private story that shaped her influential life and professional vision. Breaking Brave is narrative rooted not only in scholarship and leadership, but in profound personal loss, resilience, and reinvention. In these pages, we will experience her childhood in post-War Welsh coal country. She and her six sisters grew up in near-poverty and she witnesses first-hand how little women and girls are valued, whether it is her mother’s stymied life or the graves of young girls not deemed fit for a churchyard.
Her anchor amidst a tumultuous home life was her brilliant, vibrant older sister Roselle. She was Sylvia's lodestar, inspiring her to strive to break free of the classism and sexism around her and earn a spot at Cambridge. Roselle's tragic death in their twenties shattered Sylvia. How would she go on?
As many who have suffered in the deep well of grief can releate, the loss of Roselle catalyzed a lifelong inquiry into power, purpose, and justice for Sylvia. For the first time, Sylvia reveals how her lived experience—often painful, always galvanizing—laid the foundation for the rest of her life. From the halls of Columbia to a high-risk pregnancy, to misogyny and more devasting loss as well as love and fulfillment, Sylvia found her purpose illuminating the lives of those who are often sidelined. She testified before Congress in support of parental leave. With Cornell West, she co-authored The War Against Parents, that focused on lifting the circumstances of underprivileged children. Throughout these years, Sylvia continued her work focusing on women—their paths to success and the impediments that lay in their way. She was among the very first to articulate what we now know: having it all is a myth, and that each of us, especially women, need to make choices about the families we do or do not have, the careers we build, and our relationships with our partners.
Vulnerable yet with a warm heart and sharp wit, Sylvia brings her full self to the page—offering a compelling narrative voice, rich with insight and emotional clarity. She shares with her readers the very personal roots of her groundbreaking work—and the very real connection between policy and real people’s lives. Breaking Brave will resonate deeply with readers navigating loss, change, or the quiet reckoning of middle and later life, and show that they are not alone.
