Broken

Closure #2

by Lissette E. Manning

The past is hard to bear, but sometimes, we must face it, no matter the cost.

Displeased with the life she’d led, Ellie Morgan walked away from it all in hopes of finding happiness amidst all the turmoil. She knows it’s only a matter of time before she has to face the bitter reality of the repercussions caused by her past actions.

Broken and bereft, she tumbles head first into her despair. Yet there’s always a silver lining to every cloud, a certainty she knows is there if she’ll allow herself to see it. To do that, she must let go of the past and put her ghosts to rest, once and for all.


Short Story - approximately 1343 words.

16 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2012

About the author

A native from New Britain, Connecticut, Lissette E. Manning has been writing since she was six-years-old. She spends most of her time placing her thoughts into order and giving life to the stories that are always brewing inside her head.

Lissette enjoys reading, listening to music, playing the occasional video game, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family. She’s also a bit of a computer geek.

Her writing genres of choice are science fiction, fantasy, romance, paranormal, short stories, and poetry. Lissette is currently working on several projects, such as Initiation: The Beginning, Forbidden Desires, Closure, The Errant Princess, and many more.

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because it reflects the reality that some women have to face in their lives. Some left their homes and their families for situations that they themselves can not bear anymore. In the short story not really know why she left her husband who loved her, but it is my judgment that she was an unhappy woman inside her because she did not find herself.

Many times we have come to feel like her in pieces broken inside we do not know how we will unite. Yet sientiendonos that way, there are people close to us who care about us, though we may not ourselves the importance we deserve.

My favorite quotes of the book.

¨As I stare at the damage clook, I come to the realization that it sort of resembles certain aspects of my life. There we so many pieces needing to be glued together that I´d never be able to put them back together again. A slight shiver crawls down my spine as I consider the significance of what I´m seeing.¨

¨The pain, death, and destruction are horrifying. The loss of life and the atrocities commited against others rapidly eat at me . It´s cause me to think about those thoughts and feelings I´ve kept under lock and key. Truth be told, I feel like a failure, as if my entire existence doesn´t really matter.¨




¨Holding the piece of paper against my chest, I blink back the tears and think about the man that has been there for me since the moment I walked out on my marriage. A man who´s love me, no matter what. Who hasn´t cared about the fact that I´m broken in more ways than one.¨

[Alexia Purdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second part of the story of Closure. Instead of Ben’s point of view, we are in his ex-wife’s head (Ellie). She is alone in her own place and moving about her day doing ordinary things. She’s almost robotic, missing her ex-love, Ben, and feeling at fault for everything that came between them. She feels Broken, hence the title of this extremely short, short story. Basically it gives insight on the aftermath of her life changing decision to leave her husband.

It was an easy, fast read but I didn’t really relate to the inner dialogue of Ellie much. She was almost in a shock-like state even though she has moved on in a way. Though I think it portrayed this well. I hope to see more of Ben and Ellie in future stories, though I am not sure if this will be an ongoing series.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Broken” by Lissette E. Manning

“Broken” is a short story based on a woman who is going through turmoil. Readers dive into this story learning about her troubles early on. The words this author uses makes us envision what is going on, an excellent example of show and not tell. It being a short story one has to compact a beginning, middle and ending quickly and effectively. This author succeeded. We learn of the main character that is broken in so many ways with a miscarriage, failed marriage and so on. But we also learn she is a strong woman who can recover and can make it. A short but powerful read.

Available for purchasevia the following retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords

[Brea Essex · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Broken" continues the story of Ben and Ellie Morgan, begun in "Closure". (You can read my review of "Closure" HERE.) This is told from Ellie's point of view, after she's left her husband Ben. I enjoyed learning Ellie's side of the story. While I disliked her in "Closure", "Broken" made me feel sorry for her. As I read of the depths of pain and depression Ellie was feeling, my heart went out to her. But despite all of her sorrow, there was still a light at the end of the tunnel.


All in all, another excellent story from Ms. Manning! I look forward to reading many more from her.

[Michael Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

t is short but it is good. The author has a great delivery of the main character's emotions. I really like the style and I will be reading more of this author. I really would love to see a novel by this author. Maybe there is. I am writing this before I checked. I will find out.

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this short story only to find that I have it out of sequence, I read it as is so I am reviewing it as I read it. This is a story of a women who lost her love. She lost him because she is broken. Thus the title. It plays of mostly in her mind in a contemplative state and the anguish and pain is apparent. I will read the rest of the stories in sequence this time and am sure the rest will make this rating of 3 *** irrelevant. But some of the references was lost on me and I felt a bit disconcerted with the raw emotion. It is a good read though, don’t get me wrong. Hopefully, soon I will be able to remove this review and replace it with one more informed and better structured.

[Jenny needham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the follow on book from Closure, i must say that it is a very good short story read, with Ellie not only suffering a miscarriage but also leaving her husband. This short followers her through her time after everything has changed in her life. It is well written and gives the reader a great flow throughout the story. I would suggest giving these 2 short stories a try, they are well worth picking up.