Broken for You

By: Stephanie Kallos

Narrated by: Anna Fields

Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

When we meet septuagenarian Margaret Hughes, she is living alone in a mansion in Seattle with only a massive collection of valuable antiques for company. Enter Wanda Schultz, a young woman with a broken heart who has come to Seattle to search for her wayward boyfriend. Both women are guarding dark secrets and have spent many years building up protective armor against the outside world. But as the two begin their tentative dance of friendship, the armor begins to fall away, and Margaret opens her house to the younger woman.

This launches a series of remarkable and unanticipated events, leading Margaret to discover a way to redeem her cursed past and Wanda to learn the true purpose of her cross-country journey.

Exuberant, heartbreaking, and alive with a potpourri of eccentric and irresistible characters, Broken for You is a testament to the saving graces of surrogate families and shows how far the tiniest repair jobs can go in righting the world's wrongs.

©2004 Stephanie Kallos (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Well-crafted plotting and crackling wit make this debut novel by Seattle author Kallos a delight to read and a memory to savor." (Booklist)
"[A] dreamy, powerful tale of familial warring, secrets, and redemption....This haunting, memorable debut is reminiscent of early Atwood, peopled by lovably imperfect and eccentric characters." (Publishers Weekly)
"A dazzling mosaic of intersecting lives and fates...[A] multi-layered rhapsody....Kallos has a rare, deft way with whimsy, dream sequences and hallucinations. Comparisons to John Irving and Tennesse Williams would not be amiss in this show-stopping debut." (Kirkus Reviews)

Happy I listened to this

Starts off sad but quickly surprises as it takes twists and turns. Very enjoyable read!

Entertaining, but the narrator is fabulous!

This was a fun story, and I really enjoyed it. The narrator was unreal! She could do every accent, every voice, men women and children! She truly is worth as much as the book!

I loved this performance!

I loved this book and the way the narrator told it! I loved the main characters brokenness and reinvention of her through those around her. Heartbreaking and inspiring!

What a gem!!

I don’t write reviews! In fact, I think this is my first. Funny because I listen to hundreds of books a year. This was a beautiful story from start to finish. I loved the symbolism and how the story weaved the life of each character together. I encourage you to read it with a box of tissue near by for tears of joy laughter and sadness.

Wow!

I loved this book! The writing style, the story, the history, the symbolism, and the social and political significance all resonated with me.

Most of all, the narrator was amazing! Her voices and accents were consistent and authentic. Her performance was one of the best I’ve listened to, and I’ve listened to hundreds of audiobooks. Brava!

Took awhile but good

It took me a few times starting this book. I enjoyed the characters but it moved slowly.

Keep reading, don’t stop

This book is hard to get into. There are so many characters and jumping around time periods. But please stick with it. It is well worth the read/listen.

Magnificent

A rare occasion where an amazing, witty and thought provoking story is read by a masterful narrator.

Fantastic!!

What a fantastic story!! I enjoyed this immensely! The narrator was also wonderful. I’m so happy I found this gem!

Loved it! Except...

Really wonderful story. It did drag on some places but still loved it. There should be a warning though that there are holocaust stories that could be very traumatic for some. It is important but heartbreaking to listen to those parts.