Memory
Why some experiences remain psychologically present long after the moment itself has passed.
A self-help book based on a true story
Broken
and Made
What happens when the experiences that shape us in childhood continue to speak through the person we become?
The idea behind the book
A personal story. Questions that belong to all of us.
Broken and Made explores what experience can do to a person's inner world—and what can happen when we begin to understand the forces that have shaped us.
The book moves between lived experience and reflection, looking at childhood, family, fear, silence, ambition, identity and the ways the mind finds its own means of coping. It is not a story about erasing the past. It is about understanding it well enough that it no longer has to determine what comes next.
The Book
A true story told without giving away the story.
Broken and Made is a self-help book based on a true story. The narrative is deeply personal, but the questions it raises extend beyond one life: How does childhood shape identity? Why do certain fears remain with us? How do family relationships influence the person we become? And can we change without pretending that the past never happened?
Explore the themes behind the book without spoilers.
Explore the themesFrom the archive
A life in photographs.
Family memories, professional milestones and moments from the journey behind Broken and Made.
The Author
A career in public service. A life of questions.
Prateek Bhatia is an Indian Revenue Service officer and writer, with a career spanning public administration, customs, taxation, enforcement, legal affairs and governance.
His professional life and his interest in psychology, human behaviour and lived experience come together in Broken and Made.
Read about the authorThe questions beneath the story
Memory. Family. Fear. Ambition. Identity. Transformation.
Family
How love, protection, expectations and silence can coexist inside the relationships that shape us.
Transformation
What changes when the past remains part of our history but no longer gets to define our future.
Writing
Ideas behind the story.
Featured essay
When the Past Refuses to Stay in the Past
Why experiences from childhood can continue to influence the way we think, feel and relate to the world—and one of the questions at the heart of Broken and Made.
Read the essay →The Writing section will explore ideas from the book through short essays on memory, family, trauma, identity, ambition and psychological transformation.
Stay connected
The story begins with a book. The conversation can continue beyond it.
Follow the journey, watch conversations and interviews, or get in touch about the book, media, speaking and rights.
After publication
Buy the book
The purchase link will be activated here when Broken and Made is launched.
Buy the bookPurchase link to be added at launch.