Joan Brunwasser: Omega Institute's Elizabeth Lesser on "Broken Open" and Personal Transformation The hardest aspect of memoir is that it involves writing about not only oneself, but also about the people in one's life. My children, my parents, my husband, my ex-husband, my friends: none of them asked to be characters in my book. I am sure I caused discomfort for some of the folks in my life. But I did it for a reason that I still feel clear and good about.