Helpful Score: 1
With House Broken, new to me author Sonja Yoerg writes a heartfelt story about a womans journey to connect with her mother, siblings, children and husband. Geneva Novak is a typical woman trying to find balance between career and family. Her world is thrown a major curveball when her mother, Helen, is injured in a car accident while driving intoxicated. Genevas relationship with Helen has never been ideal and she is reluctant to invite her to move in to recover, but Geneva is Helens only option. Geneva doesnt count on the impact Helens presence will have on the rest of the household and before long, Geneva finds herself facing long buried secrets about her family that she never expected and new problems involving her own children.
I admired Geneva and her courage to persevere with so many obstacles in her path. Her determination to uncover the truth behind the reasons behind her mothers drinking, her oldest sister, Pariss 30 year estrangement with their mother made me feel a lot of empathy for her. Geneva starts looking at the parallels between the relationship she has with her mother and the one she has with her sixteen year old daughter, Ella, and realizes she doesnt want the same patterns to repeat themselves.
The plot switches smoothly between the past and the present and gives the viewpoints of Geneva, Helen and Ella. As more is revealed about Genevas parents and the secrets that have been long buried, Genevas belief system is shaken. I had a hard time warming up to Helen but the more I learned about her, I felt sorry for her but didnt agree with the choices she made. I really liked Geneva and her brother, Dublin. Genevas sisters, Paris and Florence, dont make much of an appearance in the storys present timeline and the glimpses I did get of them, I didnt care for them. I liked Genevas husband, Tom and their children, Ella and Charlie and thought they were flawed just enough to make them interesting.
When I first saw the cover of this book, I initially thought this would be a womans hilarious journey to potty train her puppy. This book covers a lot of painful and sensitive topics that took me by surprise. Kudos to the author for writing a book that addresses these topics with grace and class that drew a lot of emotions out of me.
My Final Verdict: If you are a reader that chooses their books based on the cover, then you will be in for a big shock as the adorable dog on the cover is only a minor character in the story. I recommend this story for the strong familial relationships and one womans determination to shine the light of truth on the dark corners of her familys past.
I admired Geneva and her courage to persevere with so many obstacles in her path. Her determination to uncover the truth behind the reasons behind her mothers drinking, her oldest sister, Pariss 30 year estrangement with their mother made me feel a lot of empathy for her. Geneva starts looking at the parallels between the relationship she has with her mother and the one she has with her sixteen year old daughter, Ella, and realizes she doesnt want the same patterns to repeat themselves.
The plot switches smoothly between the past and the present and gives the viewpoints of Geneva, Helen and Ella. As more is revealed about Genevas parents and the secrets that have been long buried, Genevas belief system is shaken. I had a hard time warming up to Helen but the more I learned about her, I felt sorry for her but didnt agree with the choices she made. I really liked Geneva and her brother, Dublin. Genevas sisters, Paris and Florence, dont make much of an appearance in the storys present timeline and the glimpses I did get of them, I didnt care for them. I liked Genevas husband, Tom and their children, Ella and Charlie and thought they were flawed just enough to make them interesting.
When I first saw the cover of this book, I initially thought this would be a womans hilarious journey to potty train her puppy. This book covers a lot of painful and sensitive topics that took me by surprise. Kudos to the author for writing a book that addresses these topics with grace and class that drew a lot of emotions out of me.
My Final Verdict: If you are a reader that chooses their books based on the cover, then you will be in for a big shock as the adorable dog on the cover is only a minor character in the story. I recommend this story for the strong familial relationships and one womans determination to shine the light of truth on the dark corners of her familys past.
