Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos

November 14, 2006
Book suggested by Carol M., and meeting hosted by Carol W.

We all liked this book, so it received very high scores, including our first 10! We enjoyed reading about how these characters were able to heal from their own personal tragedies and disappointments, largely due to the relationships they had with the other characters in the book. We thought the character development was very well done as more and more secrets were revealed by, and about, the characters and their personal difficulties.

We talked about the idea of surrogacy parenting as that was a recurring theme in the book (Margaret/Wanda; Aunt Maureen/ Wanda; Irma/MJ Stryker; Stryker/delinquent teen; Susan/Margaret). We liked the quirkiness of the characters and some of their unpredictability. We saw parallels in Wanda's views of Peter and her dad, and we could also see why Wanda's loss of Peter was especially difficult because of a similar feeling of abandonment she felt when her parents deserted her so early in her life. We were glad to see Wanda work through that heartache as she came to realize her perceptions of Peter's perfection were not reality.

We were surprised by the revelations of Margaret's personal history, and how her father's greed during the Holocaust led to her indifference toward the valuable figurines and porcelain pieces. We found her relationships with Gus, Susan, and Bruce to be heartwarming. We were saddened by Margaret's death, but appreciated the way it came across as natural and peaceful.

We talked about the idea that material things that are broken may have more value than when they were whole. We agreed with the comment that during the Holocaust bodies were shattered, and things were not. It resulted in broken people even though some of the material possessions (the glass and figurines) remained whole. And it is far better if the material possessions are broken and the people remain whole.

Stephanie Kallos's website: http://www.stephaniekallos.com/