Broken Things

By: Lori B Duff

Narrated by: Lori B. Duff

We're all a little bit broken, aren't we?

Young widow Tracie Shaw may be more than most. She spends her days hidden away, making beautiful treasures out of other people's trash. When she finds someone's abandoned ashes in a storage bin auction, her life begins to change. When she meets a woman who might have a clue as to where the ashes came from and what they mean, her life turns upside down.

In this tale of friendship and loss, magical realism takes a backseat to the everyday magic in Broken Things.

©2023 Lori B. Duff (P)2023 Lori B. Duff

Critic reviews

"Duff’s elegant prose brings Tracie’s inner world to life....[T]hose suffering from persistent grief will likely see a bit of themselves in Tracie." - Kirkus Reviews.

Facing our grief

Lori Duff delivers an incredible story of resilience through grief. Exploring the nature of self-doubt and pushing the edges of spirituality, this book invites humanity, empathy, and in person conversation back into lives.

Friendship, Magic, and Fate

The author takes you on a surprising yet comforting ride of the practical, creative, and ghostly, all woven into characters who are as well developed as many I’ve encountered in longer stories. They’re attractive and relatable without being too cute. Maria’s and Tracie’s unlikely meeting and subsequent friendship, as well as their struggles with the supernatural and its role in their separate grief journeys, is engaging and realistic. Lori Duff’s novella is sentimental without being sappy, and the ending left me completely satisfied. She is quite the storyteller.

A story that moves with no stale moments

I really enjoyed listening to this book. If it wasn’t so late when I started listening the other night, I definitely would’ve finished it. It made the mundane task of household chores so much more enjoyable and I look forward to listening to what comes next for this author!

Loved It!

Great short story. It sucked me in right away. Magical realism is my jam and this story delivered on that perfectly.

Intriguing and hopeful

A story about loss and friendship with a mysterious twist. Meet Tracy and Maria and discover their unique connection. Filled with beautiful imagery and tenderness for those dealing with grief.