Book Review: Broken Wings

I had a 7-year old gift card from Barnes & Noble that I needed to spend, and so as I was browsing their collection of bestsellers, discounted books, and popular reads, "Broken Wings by Carla Stewart caught my eye. I decided to give it a chance and opened it up as I was biking away at the gym. It's a fairly short, feel-good type of novel that explores inter-generational love, broken hearts, tragedy, and friendship.

Mitzi Steiner meets Brooke Woodson the day Brooke's golden-boy fiance loses his temper and puts her in the hospital. Mitzi volunteers at the hospital Brooke has been admitted to, and immediately recognizes the signs of a battered woman, despite Brooke's denial. Here, we get our first glimpse into Mitzi's past, where her Mama was regularly abused by her alcoholic Papa, forcing her Mama to eventually flee, two children in tow, to escape his violent clutches. A fledgling friendship emerges between Brooke and Mitzi, and even though Brooke returns to her fiance, she recognizes Mitzi as an ally in a situation where she has no others. As Brooke faces more and more abuse at the hands of her quick-tempered, controlling fiance, she becomes closer to Mitzi, who provides a beautiful and kind escape from everything wrong in Brooke's life: her abusive fiance who is adored by the town and by Brooke's own family, her mother's insistence that she hold onto her fiance despite the abuse, her lackluster job, etc. As she spends more time with Mitzi, she learns more about Mitzi and her husband Gabe, who is currently in a nursing home as an Alzheimer's patient: Mitzi and Gabe used to be a famous singing duo who were America's sweethearts during their heyday. We learn the beautiful story of how Mitzi and Gabe met, overcame everything lower-class life in Tulsa threw at them, and emerged and remained as one for over sixty years. Their story is heart-breakingly beautiful and leaves you all warm and fuzzy inside. Under Mitzi's nurturing care, Brooke is able to discover who she really is and what it is she wants in life.

Despite the warm, fuzzing feelings you get after reading this book, I wasn't the biggest fan. I was actually a bit disappointed, because I was expecting a more powerful, more riveting tale. Stewart barely grazes the surface of what could have been a truly epic love story: that of Mitzi and Gabe Steiner. We can clearly see the love Mitzi has for Gabe present day, but I feel as though Stewart did an injustice to their past. Similarly, Stewart could have developed Brooke's character more and given her more dimension; instead she appears somewhat flat, emotionless, and difficult to connect with. The portion of the story revolving around Brooke and Lance was my least favorite part, because it felt too forced and didn't flow as smoothly as I would have hoped. Nonetheless, I'd say the book is worth at least a read, especially for the Mitzi and Gabe storyline. However, I think we can safely assume it'll never hit my bookshelf of all-time favorite reads.