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)

Loved this book

I have been searching for an engaging book for quite some while and found it in “Broken for you!” It did take me a few chapters to get into the characters but once I did, I was hooked. When I only had an hour left of listening, I was anxiously awaiting how the author would pull everything together. It was a little predictable but satisfying nonetheless.
The narrator was absolutely amazing and a joy to listen to. I will be searching for other books she has narrated.

History

Good story. Didn't end when and how I thought it should. That made it even better.

Surprising and different. Wonderful.

So not what I expected. Such a lovely surprise to have a story so different to anything I’ve ever heard. I enjoyed the originality of the story and its unexpected trajectory.

The Story and The Narrator

Specifically when listening instead of reading-- There are moments here and there where you might struggle to keep track of the characters and why they matter. Just hang on. In the end- it all comes together in the most satisfying way!!
I would be remiss to leave a review without mentioning the EXCELLENT narrating talent of Anna Fields. her accents, her inflections... girl knows her stuff! Her instinct as she reads is just ...honest.
I finished thisnbook 5 minutes ago... and I have already purchased my next listen- based solely on the narrator of this book.
I must mention though, that I have already saved Sing Them Home and Language Arts to my wishlist!

I'll be pondering this book for a long time.

So much to think about in this beautiful story. We are all so beautifully broken and the reassembly is what gives us meaning. Anna Fields narration beautifully captured the characters

Unexpected. I enjoyed it.

A bit slow at first but it shaped up. The narration was good and the story was unique.

Wonderful characters

Loved the very human characters, I laughed, I cried. I wanted to move in and be their friend. They are all flawed but yet so perfect and different. They accept each other inspire of their differences

Now I have to go google the author and see what other books she has written

Enchanting Tale

A delightful book with very real and interesting characters. Even at the very end, when you think you know what will happen, you can't wait to finish it. I enjoyed it thouroughly.

Rich and original

Kallos' writing is dense and opulent, her characters deep and complicated. Still, there is nothing grim in Broken For You. I clipped paragraphs a dozen times while I read this book. I doubt there will be many readers who will not find personal associations - maybe even resolutions - in the last three chapters. The narrator is fantastic! She starts with a no-nonsense reading style and then opens up with accents and pitches that perfectly represent each character.

Family and Community For All

This is off-beat tale of loneliness, heartache, and of true love. A reminder that a family is something you make of those you cherish - even in the most unexpected ways