Editors Note: This is a guest post from guest reviewer Faye Krafthefer

Broken for You

Written by: Stephanie Kallos

(Grove Press – 2004)

Reviewed by: Faye Krafthefer

Venom Potency: 3

Barnes and Noble

What’s funny is that I’m back in the Midwest before I read a pretty good book from a Pacific Northwest author! I forgive her for not being from Portland, but that doesn’t take away from this book. What a find, and after reading the full thing, what an appropriate title!

While trying not to give up too much, this book is about broken minds, broken families, broken people, broken dreams, broken promises, broken plates; all of which have been broken over “someone”. Which may describe most of us people who live creatively in or out of our heads. The story involves art, theatre, age, youth, sickness, recovery, the Holocaust, retribution, atheism, God, plus a meddling mother of a ghost thrown in! All without being preachy!

Margaret lives alone in a mansion consisting of her and millions of dollars worth of beautiful, old relics. Glass, porcelain, pottery, tea sets, pitchers, you name it. She is understandably broken because she talked and listened to all of these tchotchkes’ stories for years.

And then she changes.

She advertises and receives a boarder, Wanda, who in turn is also broken. Wanda is searching for the lover that left with a determination so total that it blinds her from what is good around her.

We find out more as more characters are introduced, who either move into the mansion, or are on the move, but who are still broken to some degree. After a good bit of story telling, they get around to fit together like the artwork that can only come from broken messes.

Ms. Kallos writes in a nice detail. The kind of detail which describes the scenes and persons in an enlightening and entertaining way without being dry. This book may jump back and forth in time, and in some of the subjects lives, but sorts itself out well.  Would I read it again? Definitely! Would I gift it to a friend? Better than that, I would love to gift it to all the talented, struggling artists I know and love.