• Trail of Broken Wings

  • By: Sejal Badani
  • Narrated by: Karen Peakes
  • Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (3,413 ratings)

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Trail of Broken Wings  By  cover art

Trail of Broken Wings

By: Sejal Badani
Narrated by: Karen Peakes
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Publisher's summary

Goodreads Best Fiction Finalist and Amazon Charts and USA Today Bestseller

When her father falls into a coma, Indian American photographer Sonya reluctantly returns to the family she'd fled years before. Since she left home, Sonya has lived on the run, free of any ties, while her soft-spoken sister, Trisha, has created a perfect suburban life, and her ambitious sister, Marin, has built her own successful career. But as these women come together, their various methods of coping with a terrifying history can no longer hold their memories at bay.

Buried secrets rise to the surface as their father - the victim of humiliating racism and perpetrator of horrible violence - remains unconscious. As his condition worsens, the daughters and their mother wrestle with private hopes for his survival or death, as well as their own demons and buried secrets.

Told with forceful honesty, Trail of Broken Wings reveals the burden of shame and secrets, the toxicity of cruelty and aggression, and the exquisite, liberating power of speaking and owning truth.

©2015 Sejal Badani (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about Trail of Broken Wings

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,853
  • 4 Stars
    1,035
  • 3 Stars
    374
  • 2 Stars
    108
  • 1 Stars
    43
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    2,034
  • 4 Stars
    709
  • 3 Stars
    188
  • 2 Stars
    34
  • 1 Stars
    17
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,613
  • 4 Stars
    888
  • 3 Stars
    319
  • 2 Stars
    115
  • 1 Stars
    46

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Just Annoying

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

i did not enjoy this book at all. Seemed like a Harlequin romance. "I miss him, but he's not mine to miss". He said to me, "I miss you". I replied, "But I'm not yours to miss". So annoying!

What could Sejal Badani have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It was too long with many unlikable characters.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I liked her voice. Her accent fit the story perfectly.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Annoyance at the cliche relationships and the repetitiveness of phrases. I found the actions of many characters to be quite unbelievable.

Any additional comments?

I cannot recommend this book to anyone other than those who love a cheesy romance.

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66 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling story

Stay with this story; it is worth it!
The story starts of a bit slow, but rewards its readers with a compelling, complex story that I will be thinking about for a long while.

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32 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a powerful story!

Beautifully read/ performed. Powerful book. Not for readers under 17; needs a mature mind to grasp all the nuances of abuse and its far reaching effects. Wonderful book, often kept me awake til wee hours off the morning while listening.

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Remarkable Story of Family-Bridges all Cultures

While it took two "starts" for me to get into this book, it has been a profoundly moving story of how evils within a family can affect everyone, even those in the next generation. The narration is understated, but as it became more familiar, seemed perfect for the topic, setting and issues the story tackles.

Families sometimes harbor dark secrets and when they do, they become as if they are infected with a fatal disease. Once those secrets begin to see light, there may be much pain, but healing, understanding and a hopeful future can emerge.

This is a truly good story. Not every family will experience the same ending as the one within this story, but if not, understanding how important it is to eliminate the hold secrets may be enough.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Had promise but...

Story got too wordy. Narrator used funny voices. Very hard to listen to audio bc told from many points of view. Would've been better off reading the book, however I still think I would've had to skim a lot of parts. A very good story but way too many words. Became repetitive.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this book

This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. It was so well written and the narration was outstanding.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting concept falls short

What did you like best about Trail of Broken Wings? What did you like least?

The topic/concept was interesting, but the writing was trite and juvenile.

What did you like best about this story?

The book explored the topic of domestic abuse in a way I hadn't seen it handled before. Each person in the family was affected deeply, yet differently, by the abuse. Each had coped in a unique way, and the manifestation of their past pain was shown by each in a her own way.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Karen Peakes?

Probably not...I really disliked some of her characterizations.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Recommend to others

I really enjoyed the tone of the narrator as she told the story. This was a great book and hearing it as an audiobook really enhanced the story. I felt like I was part of the story and found myself immersed in their pain and struggles as if I were part of the story. The narrator really grasped the essence of the characters and the story. She told the story in a way that felt like I was reading the actual book. I would recommend this book and the audiobook to others. I am looking forward to hearing another audiobook by this author and narrator.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Fantastic!

Gripping story had me gasping at every turn! Loved so much! Perfect reader for this story!

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Disturbing, you may wonder whether to finish...

They have each spent their lives burying the shame of being beaten by their father, scarred deeply with the thoughts of never being good enough. The three daughters are now reunited and hilarity ensues - NOT!

The content matter of this book is very disturbing. As the abuse happens you wonder why it can't be stopped and why you should continue to read or listen to it. Is there any hope of recovering or of any justice?

Read the book and judge for yourself. The Audible version is superbly performed.

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12 people found this helpful