BROKEN by PATRICIA HALEY

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I never thought big business would interest me. After reading PATRICIA HALEY'S, BROKEN, I find reading about a dynasty's corporation fascinating. The business in Patricia Haley's novel is one run by the Mitchells. It's impossible to separate the family's conflicts from the problems in the business. It's all tightly intertwined together like a well weaved basket. Each family member pulled at my heart. I especially felt badly for Tamara. She is the sibling of all the brothers. Not all of her brothers have acted kindly toward her. As a matter of fact one brother through one dastardly act destroyed all of her self worth and the ability to trust man or woman, brother, father or mother. My heart also felt deeply for Zarah. Zarah is married to Joel Mitchell. Zarah is from India. She is alone in a foreign country without any of her family. She gives her whole heart to Joel. Sadly, Joel is selfish. He looks out only for himself. He lies to Zarah and looks at her like a heavy weight hung around his ankle. All of the characters are carrying burdens. Thankfully, most of the characters remember only God is capable of bringing them out of a dark tunnel into the light.

"Don was going  to have to rely on his faith in God's favor to move the boulders piling up in his path to victory. Relying on his own skills hadn't worked for Joel, and Don was resolute that he would not travel the same path."

As I read the novel, I thought about money, not even millions, can solve problems. I also thought how sad it is when families are broken apart and unable to share love with the most important people in their world. It's an awful situation one that sometimes leads to depression and suicidal thoughts like Zarah experienced in the book.

"Unless he counted a handful of times they'd been together as husband and wife, intimacy wasn't an area of familiarity for Zarah...Watching her battle depression and suicide wasn't anything he was proud of, especially when he was the cause. She didn't have to say it in direct terms, but he knew, she knew, everybody knew that he was the reason she'd wanted to die a few weeks ago."

The family trauma led Tamara to run to England, Italy, everywhere but home. Soon she realized running away wasn't the answer. To protect herself from another very real danger she needed  her family around her.

"A gust of jumbled hysteria tackled her. Tamara's knees wanted to buckle. She had no intention of ever stepping into the mansion again, determined to keep her terror and despair buried."

I also thought about mothers. It's difficult  for mothers to face rejection when all they want to do is give all their love to their children. The novel, BROKEN, is very real. I kept turning the pages wondering how it would all turn out in the end. I really enjoyed it.