The Broken Hummingbird: A Novel

by Ann Marie Jackson

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.

Genres: Fiction

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2023

About the author

ANN MARIE JACKSON is the award-winning author of The Broken Hummingbird and a columnist for Mexico News Daily. Jackson is also co-founder of microlending organization Mano Amiga and former Vice President of Casita Linda, which builds homes for families living in extreme poverty in central 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 with Human Rights Watch, A Better Chance, and Internews to further social justice causes and advance respect for human rights. A portion of the proceeds from book sales benefit Casita Linda and Mano Amiga. A native of Seattle, Washington, Jackson resides in San Miguel de Allende.

The Broken Hummingbird has received the following honors:
2024 Independent Publisher Book Awards Silver Winner,
2024 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist for Literary Fiction,
2023 International Book Awards Finalist for Women’s Fiction,
2023 American Fiction Awards Finalist, Women's Fiction & Best New Fiction, and
2023 Story Circle Network Sarton Prize for Contemporary Fiction Finalist.

Ann Marie would love to hear from you.
Author website: https://annmariejacksonauthor.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amjacksonau...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackson.ann....
Ann Marie’s recent articles on Mexico News Daily: https://mexiconewsdaily.com/?s=Ann+Marie...

Reviews

[Debra Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Broken Hummingbird shimmers with the iridescent beauty of San Miguel de Allende, as well as its people and colorful culture. In this well-crafted story, an American woman is determined to help a poor Mexican family in need, all while struggling to build a rich and authentic life for herself and her sons, despite a dying marriage. Jackson succeeds in depicting the harsh realities of domestic violence, the complexities of a broken marriage, the importance of community support, and the comfort and strength found in enduring friendships.

Boldly honest, yet tender at the core—this is a novel with something important to say.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane moves her family to San Miguel in a supposed attempt to save it from the aftermath of her temptation to have an affair. Her two sons are happy in their new community and are thriving. Her husband can't get past his anger regarding the almost affair. As the story unfolds, Jane focuses her energies on a troubled family. I loved the inclusion of the charitable work being done by this south-of-the-border version of Habitat for Humanity, the acknowledgement of the thin line between helping and white saviorism, and the stark look at the haves and the have nots. Likewise, the inclusion of the local cultures and celebrations, including how nonlocals have commercialized the customs, was interesting. I never felt like I was being lectured but sometimes the conversations felt a little stilted to get the point across. I also really enjoyed how hummingbirds were sprinkled throughout the book with both actual information and the bird's spiritual interaction with Jane and her family. That helped provide some beauty when sometimes the story got a bit bleak.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.

[Susan (The Book Bag) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Heather Dodge Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ex-pat Jane tries to save her troubled marriage and care for her sons, in the beautiful setting of San Miguel de Allende, a town in Mexico with both privileged and poor sections. Jane becomes involved in charity work to build homes for Mexican families experiencing poverty, and gets more engrossed in one particular family's struggle, just as her own marriage is becoming more and more untenable.

More than just another feel-good women's novel in an exotic setting, this story has complex characters, situations with sharp edges, and believable character arcs.
I appreciate that the author both underlined the importance of outside help for people in extreme need, and highlighted the imperative that the assistance be culturally sensitive and respectful, and take care not to do more harm than good.
The setting was fascinating to me, knowing nothing about ex-pat communities in Mexico, and very little about life in Mexico in general. It felt like an insider's peek.
The protagonist undergoes a fascinating journey, not without real pain, ending in increasing independence and rediscovery of herself.
I also enjoyed the dream sequences, which added a bit of mystical symbolism, hinted at by the book's title.
Highly worth a read.

[Carolyn Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway, so I was curious to read it. The imagery of the hummingbird is powerful throughout the novel. To be honest, the first 100 pages was slow reading for me but when the book picked up, it was much quicker. I loved the cultural aspect of the book in making the small community in Mexico realistic. The breadth of experiences there, both positive and negative, rang true. The topics covered seemed almost too much, though, in reality, they could all happen within the span of a couple of years. Potentially triggers include: domestic violence, extreme poverty, childhood death, divorce, and prejudice.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my usual type of fiction reading - however, I decided to take the plunge, and like the main character Jane, opted for new horizons.

The narrative moved between the present and Jane's childhood, which she sees mirrored in her own married life, whilst immersing the reader in the new locale that Jane and her family now reside. Jane finds pleasure and contentment in her home, her kids, and her new found community - however, husband Kevin quietly simmers with resentment and self-righteous indignation, which may soon put paid to that.

The narrative focuses quite a bit on the local community (culture and customs) and in particular the Casa Mia housing project, which at times I found rather .... well ... over-done (ie: too much page time). Some of the characters that formed part of Jane's circle were a little under-done (ie: no depth of character). Finding the right balance is not always easy.

I found the novel, overall, to be a decent read. As mentioned, it was outside of my normal reading, but I am glad I took it on.

[Chevron Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to review a book fairly when it combines quality writing with good intentions but comes up short. Such is the case with Ann Marie Jackson’s novel The Broken Hummingbird.

Jane and Kevin have moved from New York to San Miguel, Mexico, for economic advantages and to save their dissolving marriage. While Kevin abandons his artistic goals to be the breadwinner, Jane gets wrapped up in a fundraising project for a desperately poor Mexican family. Though she finds time for her two young sons and her own painting career, her relationship with Kevin grows worse, until she must choose between her own family and the Mexican family.

The best thing about this novel is the author’s brisk yet colorful portrait of life in a foreign land. Jackson obviously knows a great deal about Hispanic culture and makes it an essential part of the narrative. The details are so well fleshed out that the reader becomes immersed in the community. I found myself rooting for the poor family to come out on top because the odds are stacked against them.

Regrettably, Jackson has fallen into the all-too-familiar traps so common in modern fiction. Early in the story Jane rebukes her oldest son about his language, only to befoul the atmosphere with so much offensive dialogue that you wonder how the two boys can respect either parent. Another bit of modern foolishness is the author’s persistent elimination of the word “of” in conjunction with the word “couple”; “a couple blocks,” “a couple months,” “a couple husbands.” Don’t writers realize how ungrammatical this is?

In addition, Jane’s friends never become much more than names. We know almost nothing about their lives, so it’s hard to picture them. Everything seems to revolve around Jane and her plight, to the point that her marital crisis becomes repetitious in the latter stages of the book. For these reasons, the best rating I can give to The Broken Hummingbird is three stars. If you can live with the flaws I’ve mentioned, you’ll find it a very readable and worthwhile story of courage and determination in the face of adversity.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did like reading about the organization Casa Mia that raises money to provide houses for 10 families in the community per year. There is a board and there is an approval process. (Probably based on the author Ann Marie Jackson's work in micro lending organization Mano Amiga and Casita Linda which builds homes for families in extreme poverty in Sal Miguel de Allende, Mexico.) A portion of the book proceeds will be returning to additionally assist with women and families in Mexico.

Also I liked reading about customs and festivals in Mexico. The author definitely has experienced first hand and easily wove these details into The Broken Hummingbird.

Another positive about the book was all the details about hummingbirds sprinkled throughout.

Jane and her husband have a pretty flawed marriage. Jane becomes obsessed with helping a particular family.

Debating between 3 and 4 stars and deciding to round up to 4 stars; but should probably stick with 3. Some parts of this story really drove me crazy, I'll provide that feedback to the publisher directly. This is the authors first book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of The Broken Hummingbird in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to publisher She Writes Press for approving my advance read request. Publication date is 03 Oct 2023.

[Lainey Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to distill the soul of beautiful, colorful, lyrical, heart-warming, heart-breaking San Miguel de Allende in Mexico into a book, but if any book has achieved that, it’s The Broken Hummingbird by Ann Marie Jackson.

Jane is such a relatable character. Her marriage is falling apart, and she’s moved to San Miguel to give her and her husband a chance of repairing it, and not putting her young sons through the pain of divorce.

But Kevin, her husband, appears to not be part of the plan. He seems to want to punish her for a perceived indiscretion at every turn.

Jane, who is involved with a nonprofit, is empathetic to the struggle of certain people in the local community. She wants to help, and gets involved — at times too involved, putting herself in danger. This becomes one more thing that Kevin holds against her.


As a San Miguel resident, I felt like the author truly captured the soul of this town as a foreigner living here, both the joy and the heartbreak. Full of beautiful imagery and symbolism, including the importance of the hummingbird as a metaphor, I adored this book.

If you’ve ever considered either moving to Mexico or starting life fresh after disappointment, you don’t want to miss this lyrical emotional read.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not a favorite and if you were even thinking of having an affair then it happened. Whatever was missing in the marriage led her to someone else and the situation she has put herself in now. Leaving the big city for a place that is so far from the opposite way to become Mother Teresa is not realistic even though this is fiction!!! I felt for the boys having to adjust from the big city to a small city with what I saw as more problems. Not a fan of the spouse, should have gotten rid of him sooner the only redeeming quality was the input of the hummingbirds. Grammatical errors were more than I like to see in a book and an editor would have been beneficial.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took this book with me on a weekend trip to Cancun. I could not put it down! What wonderful writing and storyline. The author pulls you into her world and helps you gain a great perspective on what it feels like to be a mother, wife, and friend in another country. I am so glad I had a chance to read this wonderful book, and I am already excited about the next one that will come from this talented writer!

[Brenda Lobbezoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Broken Hummingbird tells the story of an American ex-pat as she finds new definitions of "home" and "family" in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The setting and characters are richly described in this beautifully orchestrated novel.

On a personal note, I chose this book as I prepare to work in a similar setting in Central America. I appreciated the insight into seeing people as people and not projects. Hopes and aspirations are universal, and not just for the wealthy.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting, but didn’t grab me in a major way. I loved the San Miguel cultural themes sprinkled in, and the hummingbird lore. Kevin was such an ass; I don’t know how she kept her cool with him for so long.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book about a family on the end of its existence. The parents take their young sons to Mexico to try to save their marriage, but it doesn't work, leaving everything in tatters. Although sad, it is a wonderful study of the culture of Mexico.

[Kim Slote · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel deeply touched me. The author dealt with incredibly complex relationship issues in a sensitive and authentic way. And she made San Miguel de Allende come alive with exquisite prose and imagery. Hoping there's a sequel!

[Thomas P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting points about Mexican culture and the city of San Miguel de Allende in this novel, but there seem to be too many storylines and characters, so that the book seems to race through everything.

[Kate Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Broken Hummingbird is a story about resilience. It challenges the human condition and uncovers feelings of loss and hope. I can’t recommend this book enough 💜