Beauty of the Broken
Mara lived in a small town, living a life that’s challenging and gray. She hangs out with her older brother Iggy a lot but that all changes one day when another one of daddy’s alcoholic-enraged beatings finally lands Iggy in the hospital. Iggy’s not the same and the family waits for his return, from where… they don’t know. The wait is painful for Mara but when mother arrives in daddy’s overalls, swearing and reeking of alcohol Mara gets scared. Daddy has finally broken Iggy for good. The feelings and opinions I have at this point in the book are all over the place. The author informs us about the family’s history which allows me to see the different viewpoints of all the characters but for this tragic event to happen, I am beside myself. Daddy has such strong viewpoints which he stands firmly behind and Mara is scared to cross the line as she knows to do so will bear great consequences. Father himself acts like a preacher with his talk and his “righteous” chatter and the preacher himself, daddy worships. At school there are a few girls who rule the roost, a preacher’s son who feels he knows the gospel like the back of his hand and then a few new students who get introduced into the mix, this combination with the family is just enough to fill the book. There’s a new boy from the Indian reservation who arrives with his long braids which the school children immediately start to pick on. Henry, there was something about his attitude, he just hung in there and how their relationship continued throughout the book, was something. Xylia, she arrived at the school a few months ago and Mara is taken back by this girls presence. Mara doesn’t know how to describe her feelings at first as she knows this is a girl and that complicates things. It’s a line that Mara must walk to find out the answer to the question that’s on her mind, her secret that she holds. It’s a small town with loud-people and with Mara she has a strong father who likes his bottle. Mara realizes that it is the alcohol that speaks in her parents, for there are two sides to her parents. Those happy moments, she must speak to them before the alcohol hits them. Those rare moments when their blood runs free.
