Broken For You Review

This is definitely not the kind of book I am initially attracted to.  If I did pick it up at a bookstore and read the back cover description I would have quickly decided this was probably a glorified romance novel and put it right back where I found it.  There is something about broken hearts and broken promises and a 76 year old woman living by herself in a large mansion with collectible antiques who strikes up a relationship with a young lady she decides to rent a room to.   Not something that sounds particularly exciting to me.    However since it was recommended to me by a dear friend, I gave it a chance.   I re-read the first few lines of the book and realized, this might actually be a very good book.   It is.     So I guess I would suggest you read the first few paragraphs a couple times and get ready to be quickly hooked.

The book is far from flawless.  At times some big coincidences take place that might test your ability to go with the flow, but since I know life to be full of interesting random coincidences, I don't mind taking some leaps of faith provided the characters are interesting and the story intrigues me.  And these characters are truly colorful and interesting.

The biggest negative for me was how are few characters are introduced in a rather clunky manner just past the half-way point of the book.  Maybe an over-zealous editor cut an early chapter that would have laid the groundwork for a smoother introduction-I don't know.  It felt a bit forced to me, in a book that was winning me over with a definite un-forced style.    I also felt there was about 20 pages of redundant material in the last 1/3 of the book and that the wrap up was a bit too rushed.   

Readers who enjoy John Irving should find this a lighter, slightly less challenging excursion into the world of eccentric characters.  It's all rather ‘nicely' handled, but these are Seattle based characters and if you don't know too much about Seattle, you should realize there's a reputation around these parts for people being a bit too nice and considered.. at least on the surface with strangers and acquaintances.  So when the book at times feels too nice.. I would like to think or pretend the author did this on purpose.

The strength of the book lie in its characters and how after they are introduced to us, we learn the deeper meanings of some of their habits and quirks and then witness what happens when different agendas collide into each other.   There's Margaret Hughes an old woman who lives by herself in large Seattle mansion. She has a huge collection of valuable antique porcelain.   She's also just learned she has a brain tumor that might be helped by an operation-but she doesn't want her lonely life prolonged with a procedure that might not work and worse would debilitate her.   

There's Wanda Schultz, a young woman who pretends to be very independent and handy but who is actually searching for a lost love in an almost scary stalker kind of way.  Margaret posts an add to rent a room in her large house and Wanda responds.  Margaret decides she likes the troubled young lady and a relationship develops.  Both women are hiding secrets, but as the relationship develops, many of secrets are revealed.   There's a struggling middle aged bowling enthusiasts who drifts without much purpose and reads a lot of Yeats, an elderly jewish woman who has a loud sense of humor and loves Hawaiian shirts.

The development of important friendships, life-changing events that lead to a metamorphosis of at least two separate characters and the realization of a characters quest are what happens.

What really matters, because we quickly warm up to and care very much about Margaret and Wanda and the people they attract and want to pay attention to, is the journey.  The eccentric characters are memorable and I was deeply moved and continually surprised with believable twists and turns.  Yes, the novel is flawed in several ways, but in a way that ultimately almost works in its favor, adding to the underdog charm of it all.  

If your looking for an intelligent entertaining read full of odd characters,  taking a unique fascinating journey; BROKEN FOR YOU will touch your heart.