Broken People

A Novel

By: Sam Lansky

Narrated by: Sam Lansky

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR

Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Parade, Library Journal, Harper’s Bazaar and more

“Profound and affecting.”—Chloe Benjamin

“Broken People leads us through the winds of time and memory to offer a riveting portrait of transformation. I am better for having read it.”—Jamie Lee Curtis

A groundbreaking, incandescent debut novel about coming to grips with the past and ourselves, for fans of Sally Rooney, Hanya Yanagihara and Garth Greenwell

“He fixes everything that’s wrong with you in three days.”

This is what hooks Sam when he first overhears it at a fancy dinner party in the Hollywood hills: the story of a globe-trotting shaman who claims to perform “open-soul surgery” on emotionally damaged people. For neurotic, depressed Sam, new to Los Angeles after his life in New York imploded, the possibility of total transformation is utterly tantalizing. He’s desperate for something to believe in, and the shaman—who promises ancient rituals, plant medicine and encounters with the divine—seems convincing, enough for Sam to sign up for a weekend under his care.

But are the great spirits the shaman says he’s summoning real at all? Or are the ghosts in Sam’s memory more powerful than any magic?

At turns tender and acid, funny and wise, Broken People is a journey into the nature of truth and fiction—a story of discovering hope amid cynicism, intimacy within chaos and peace in our own skin.

Story was alright

I think the narrator was a little monotone (if not, whiny) so perhaps I would have liked the book more, otherwise. The ending was powerful, but it seemed to take a lot of repetition to get there.

More Interesting Than Expected

'Broken People' surprised me. I had low expectations, but the story and the reader were very engaging and affecting. I am ambivalent about the main character, but his journey is moving. It was well worth my time. I recommend this title.

Wish there was more

Finishing this book felt like losing a friend. I want to know more the after after. I wanted a more traditional happily ever after ending. I loved it and defiantly recommend the read .

Sooooo good

Sam Lansky is at times so far from someone I can relate to but more often is someone whom I believes absolutely must live inside my brain and reading my thoughts and self-hating feelings aloud. Love this book.

I tried

I really wanted to like this book but it was repetitive and somewhat pretentious. Given a different narrator ; it might have been better.