Broken for You

by Stephanie Kallos | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0802142109 Global Overview for this book
Registered by BethanieKay of Melbourne, Florida USA on 4/11/2007
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6 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by BethanieKay from Melbourne, Florida USA on Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Publisher Comments:

A buoyant debut novel about two women in self-imposed exile whose worlds are transformed when their paths intersect, and a glorious homage to the beauty of broken things.

Broken for You is a debut novel of infinite charm and tremendous heart that explores the risks and rewards of human connection, and the hidden strength behind things that only seem fragile. Kallos brings to life a delightful set of characters — among them an old woman who converses regularly with her porcelain collection; a young woman who can fix a leaky sink but can't stop her own tears from falling; a Yeats-loving bowling enthusiast; and a woman who survived a world war with her sense of humor (and her affinity for Hawaiian shirts) intact.

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 west 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. Along the way, a famous mosaic artist is born, a Holocaust survivor is reunited with her long-lost tea set, and a sad-eyed drifter finds his long-lost daughter.

Funny, 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.




Journal Entry 2 by BethanieKay from Melbourne, Florida USA on Wednesday, April 11, 2007
I originally picked up this book because of its title, and because it's set in Seattle, where I spent a lot of time. Although it was a bit tough to get into, and the cast of characters is quite large, it was well worth the effort. The author weaves an intriguing story that was interesting enough to make me keep turning the pages because I cared about the characters and wanted to find out what would happen to each of them. There was an intricate mix of storylines, and enough symbolism to keep my mind spinning. I found the ending to be very satisfying, as it seemed to me that the story ended exactly the way it should have for each of the characters.

I recommended this book to my monthly women's reading group a couple months ago, and the majority of the group very much enjoyed the book. I think I will post on the forum to see if there's any interest in a Ray or a Ring for this one.

Journal Entry 3 by BethanieKay from Melbourne, Florida USA on Friday, April 13, 2007
Updated 03DEC07
Even though I hope to get more readers for this Bookray, I'm going to go ahead and send it on its way so you can start enjoying the book! I am going to route this book based on logical geography and everyone's shipping preferences as follows:

1. okyrhoe (Athens, Greece - INTL shipping ok)
2. fairydustwings (Ohio, US - prefers US shipping)
3. indygo88 (Indiana, US - prefers US shipping)
4. acountkel (North Carolina, US - INTL surface ok)
5. starbrightxx (Ohio, US - US only) (Removed from bookring due to being unresponsive and unreliable ... please send to next on list)
6. surmisez (Massachusetts, US - prefers US)
---> BOOKRAY COMPLETED! Thanks to everyone for participating :)


If anyone else expresses an interest to join this Ray, I will definitely add them ... and then hopefully the last person will Ray It Forward!! :)

Please check this journal to verify the next person you will be sending the book to, and also please remember to make a journal entry to tell me when you received the book, what you thought of the book after you read it, and when you sent it to the next reader on the list. Thanks in advance!

Enjoy, and remember... Shared books are HAPPY books!!

Journal Entry 4 by BethanieKay at on Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Released 16 yrs ago (4/17/2007 UTC) at

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending book to first person on my Bookray list, so it's on its way to okyrhoe in Greece! Thanks to everyone for joining, I'm looking forward to tracking the book and reading everyone's thoughts on it!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single release ...

Enjoy!

Journal Entry 5 by okyrhoe from Athens - Αθήνα, Attica Greece on Thursday, April 26, 2007
Arrived in my p.o. box today. I look forward to reading this book.

Thanks BethanieKay for including me in the bookray!

Journal Entry 6 by okyrhoe from Athens - Αθήνα, Attica Greece on Wednesday, May 30, 2007
A thoroughly enjoyable read!

I really liked Margaret and Wanda's dream passages, and the way Margaret converses with her mother and with Daniel. And this phrase:
"My point is, nothing makes God madder than when He goes to the trouble of putting someone in front of us and we don't follow through."

Author's website.
Broken For You excerpt.

-----
On its way to fairydustwings.

Journal Entry 7 by BethanieKay from Melbourne, Florida USA on Wednesday, August 15, 2007
We thought this book had been lost in the mail ... but it has been found!

Thanks again to okyrhoe and Piper1 for their generosity, as they were willing to replace the book to keep the Bookray going.


Journal Entry 8 by fairydustwings from Columbus, Ohio USA on Friday, August 17, 2007
Sorry all. I have been involved in a big move and recently had a new baby and I have not had time to read this book. I am going to send it off to the next person so as not to hold up this ring any longer. Thanks.

Journal Entry 9 by indygo88 from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Arrived in my mail today -- thanks! Very much looking forward to this one, although rather behind with bookrings at the moment. Aagh! Adding it to the stack, and hoping not to take too long....

Journal Entry 10 by indygo88 from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Sunday, October 7, 2007
Hmmm...mixed feelings about this one. At times I thought the book seemed very disjointed, but at other times the way the storyline wove together was quite nice. I think I enjoyed the second half of the book better than the first. I'm not sure I liked Wanda's character -- I understand she had a lot of issues, but I also found her very annoying & selfish. I definitely think Troy was way too good for her! I liked the last few chapters leading up to the end of the book, but found the very end a little too tidy.

I have acountkel's address & will be mailing this within the next day or two! Thanks, BethanieKay, for hosting this ray! It was a wishlist book of mine! :')

10/10/07 -- Shipped off today.

Journal Entry 11 by acountkel from Charlotte, North Carolina USA on Monday, October 15, 2007
Received today.
Looking forward to reading this!

Journal Entry 12 by acountkel from Charlotte, North Carolina USA on Saturday, November 10, 2007
This was one of the most unusual books I have read. The plot was very interesting and the writing was in a league of its’ own. Margaret is an older woman who lives in a mansion with an antique collection that she protects and keeps as if the pieces were alive. When she discovers she has a brain tumor, she tackles life in a way that is so valiant it is hard not to become a huge fan of this character from the start. As part of her determination to live her remaining days to the fullest, she takes in a border named Wanda. Wanda has a troubling past of her own and is immediately drawn to this friendly older woman and her museum like house. Kallos takes you thru the past of each of the women to formulate the main plot and pulls in several characters including one in the middle of the book that helps tie up the ending with a big red bow. The story is woven with words so beautifully, there is a lesson to be learned in every chapter. I enjoyed this one immensely.

Journal Entry 13 by surmisez from Worcester, Massachusetts USA on Monday, November 19, 2007
Received in mail today.

I have a couple of books ahead of this one, but I'll get to it as quickly as possible. I've read the blurb on the back and can't wait to start it though.

Thanks for including me in the BookRay!

Journal Entry 14 by surmisez from Worcester, Massachusetts USA on Wednesday, November 28, 2007
This book is a great example of why I really like BookCrossing -- it expands my reading horizons. I would have never purchased this book myself or borrowed it from the library. It's far too removed from the genres I usually read.

I really enjoyed this book. My favorite characters were Margaret and Irma. At first I didn't really care for Wanda, but early on I started understanding her thought process and why she acted the way she did.

One of my favorite things about Margaret was her love of watching Wanda make coffee in the French Press, "Oh good, Margaret thought, I'm not too late for the Ritual... Still -- although she tremendously enjoyed watching Wanda make her special coffee -- Margaret couldn't imagine how anyone, of any nationality, could drink something that looked, and surely tasted, like a petroleum by-product. The smell was nice though."

Irma's story was sad, funny, and sweet. She was so funny the way she pushed Michael to do things and get involved. Her question regarding what women do in the bathroom is classic, "What, you think we just go in there to take care of business?"

The most heart wrenching parts of the book was when they were reading the inventories at the CDJC. I was in tears.

Thank you very much, BethanieKay, for allowing me to join your BookRay!

I will try to find another BCer to pass this on to.

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