The Broken Hummingbird: A Novel by Ann Marie Jackson
Women's Literary Fiction, 328 pages
Published October 3, 2023 by She Writes Press
In the midst of a marital crisis, Jane hatches an unusual plan to avoid a custody battle. She convinces husband Kevin to walk away from the pressures of New York—in particular, her demanding job and an affair she almost had—in the hope that moving to their favorite city abroad will fix their family.
In San Miguel de Allende, Jane and her young sons delight in new adventures, but Kevin still seethes. Jane befriends a circle of intriguing women and helps two girls who remind her of the brother she abandoned when her own parents divorced. After witnessing violence involving the girls’ father, Jane’s vivid dreams, possibly guided by a hummingbird messenger from the hereafter, grow ever darker. When tragedy strikes San Miguel, the community fractures and then rises, and Jane must make a dangerous choice.
The Broken Hummingbird balances the raw undoing of a marriage with the joys of discovery that lie in building a new life.
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)
First lines—"Jane urges her son forward as a thousand dancers shuffle around them and spin up Calle Hidalgo under a darkening sky, their faces hidden behind paint depicting the dead they will become, with skull-white skin, black nose and eye sockets, and skeletal grins stretched wide."
The Broken Hummingbird is a very insightful look at another culture that is obviously near and dear to the author's heart. It's also a story of relationships, some beautiful and heartwarming—mother and child—as well as some disturbing ones—husband and wife—that just aren't meant to be.
We, as readers, get to enjoy so many of the customs and ceremonies of a city in Mexico. At the same time, we get a personal look into the lives of Jane and Kevin, who move there for a better life for their family. The ceremonies were described beautifully and I felt like I was standing on the side of the road observing the gaiety. As Jane become more entrenched in the lives of the community, and one family in particular, Kevin, her husband has different ideas of what their lives should be like. Can I just say this was one dude I loved to hate?
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to San Miguel de Allende, savoring the beauty and goodness and happy that Jane was able to find a fulfilling life for her and her family. I highly recommend The Broken Hummingbird.
I received a copy of The Broken Hummingbird from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
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About the author
Ann Marie Jackson is co-founder of microlending organization Mano Amiga and former Vice President of Casita Linda, which builds homes for families living in extreme poverty in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Early in her career, after earning degrees from Stanford and Harvard, Jackson joined the U.S. Department of State to promote human rights in China and other East Asian and Pacific Island nations. She has worked for several NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, A Better Chance, and Internews, and traveled widely on five continents.
This is her first novel. A portion of the proceeds from The Broken Hummingbird will benefit nonprofit organizations serving women and families in central Mexico. A native of Seattle, Washington, Jackson resides in San Miguel de Allende. ~ Goodreads
Today, a transgender man is suing his employer and his union after being denied gender-affirming medical care.To read more, go to www.emilysvirtualrocket.blogspot.com. Thank you very much. --Emily Shorette
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