Mending Broken Threads

by E.D. Hackett

Family secrets never stay buried for long…

Lynette Waller, a divorced English professor, finds herself face to face with the demons of her past after her estranged mother passes away. Standing in her childhood home for the first time in decades, she learns of her mother’s past mistakes and regret through a magic suitcase, a medium, and her equally estranged daughter, Ruby.

Ruby Franklin left home with a note and a suitcase years before to pursue her dream of making it big as a model. An unexpected phone call sends her to Maine for her beloved grandmother’s passing. Emotionally unprepared for a reunion, Ruby finds herself standing face to face with her mother.

The magic suitcase allows Lynette and Ruby to see into the matriarch’s past, but what lessons do her secrets hold? As they search for answers, they find that sometimes the truth is hiding in plain sight.

With the help of Mema’s memories, can this mother-daughter duo heal old wounds and find the love buried within their past?

If you adore mother-daughter stories, heartwarming relationships, and transformative journeys, you’ll love this women’s fiction novel Mending Broken Threads.

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 28, 2025

About the author

E.D. Hackett has dreamed of being an author since she was a child. Life got in the way and her writing was placed on the back burner for most of her adult life. One day, she decided to write a novel, write it well, and write it scared. She lives at home with her husband, two kids, and three fur-babies in Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Ginger Price-Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relationships are tough, especially family relationships. Lynette spent years finding her way back to a functional life after her daughter left without a word, and her marriage crumbled. Then her mother passed away.

Her life had broken thread after broken thread, her sister, her daughter, her mother, her ex-husband.

This author lets you see this family's brokenness in its rawest form and provides an ingenious and outside the box road to recovery through magic clothes in a suitcase.

If you take this journey of loss, recovery, and love with Lynette and her family. You won't regret it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming story about family, forgiveness, acceptance, understanding, compassion, friendship & most importantly, unconditional love, that will stay with you long after you read the last page!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Heather Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC of this book. I have enjoyed other books by this author, so I jumped at the chance to read another ARC by her. This story of a broken extended and immediate family will pull you in and keep you turning the pages. It is centered around Lynnett and her relationships with her daughter and sister. Both relationships estranged. But then a family member dies and they are forced together to deal with the arrangements. Past hurts, misconceptions and even lies are found out. Will it be enough to repair the hurt and damage? You’ll have to read to find out.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Didn't want to put it down.

[Eileen Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Five Stars! Sometimes life gets so intense that our relationships strain at the seams. Unfortunately we can easily pop a thread here or there and without intending to our most important people can fall by the wayside. We’re stressed or hurt and though we may be at least partially responsible for our own suffering we wait for the other person to reach out. If we are wise, and how often is that the case, we will work to mend the fabric that makes up the relationships of our lives while we can. This very well-written story presents lessons galore in such a way that I found myself re-assessing some of my own actions and rationalizations where some broken threads are in my own life.I wholeheartedly recommend reading this excellent book.

[Lucille Guarino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mending Broken Threads is a story about the complexity of our closest relations, especially the mother-daughter relationship. Lynnett hasn’t seen her adult daughter, Ruby, in three years. When the family matriarch dies and the family members gather in Portland, Maine for her funeral, emotions and discord are at its fullest. Fraught with misunderstandings, resentment and disagreements, Lynnett tries to make sense of what went wrong, and, as with all self-reflection, she must go deep. She longs to be close with her daughter and not repeat the estranged relationship she had with her own mother. Messages come from her mother whose passed in the way of dreams and Lynnett seeks the help of a medium as little by little, secrets come to light that will change how she saw her mother, and how she sees herself. There is a line in this story that says it best: “We can only identify past pain and joy that may shape the future.” Author Hackett has written a touching tale of a mother and daughter’s redemption and the healing power of forgiveness. A moving Women’s Fiction with a mystical element.

[Lia Lorimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An estranged family learns to accept one another.
Divorcee, Lynette receives the news of her mother’s unexpected death with mixed feelings. Their contact over the last twenty years has been erratic and controversial, and this is further reflected in her relationship with her sister, Loretta and a total break with her daughter, Ruby, who ‘ran away’ from home three years previously.
However, Mema’s death, and the need for the three women to meet for the funeral and reading of the will, triggers a new stage in the family’s affiliation. Dreams featuring Mema with related paranormal explanations, the sisters’ memories of the changeable conditions of their childhood, and honest communication in their current time together, result in emotional growth and a clearer outlook of their individual lives and futures.
This was a thought-provoking book that needed the reader to reflect on each character’s emotions and actions to gain the full benefit of the storyline.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Heidi McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a heartfelt saga exploring the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and the lasting impact of divorce. The story follows Lynette, who is estranged from her daughter Ruby and haunted by painful memories, and Ruby, who is struggling to make ends meet as a model in California.

Their paths cross again in Maine for the funeral of Lynette’s mother, but unresolved tensions make their reunion anything but easy. Enter a magical suitcase carrying the spirit of their beloved Meme, whose dreamlike interventions guide them toward forgiveness, healing, and rediscovering the love that binds them.

E.D. Hackett weaves a poignant tale of reconciliation and renewal, reminding readers that it’s never too late to let go of the past and embrace forgiveness. With its blend of emotional depth and a touch of the mystical, Mending Broken Threads is a moving and uplifting story that will resonate with anyone who has ever longed to mend a broken bond.

[Lili Raphaelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you’ve finished the book, go back to the beginning and look closely at the cover. It’s a perfect encapsulation of the way the past casts its shadow over the present. The mother-daughter relationship is viewed through a number of lenses, all of them thought-provoking and heartfelt. This is a wonderful tale of love in all its guises - touching on generational trauma, the pain we cause (inadvertently or otherwise), our capacity to forgive, and the courage it takes to realize that we are never completely blameless when things go awry. If you’re looking for women’s fiction with strong themes and a dash of mysticism, you’ll enjoy this story.

[Suze82 · Rating 4 out of 5]

better late than never

Relationships are complicated and sometimes we can´t help but cut the ties in order to cope with a situation, sometimes we don´t have a chance to influence how things develop. I was touched to read about a broken relationship that could be fixed, knowing from my own experience that sometimes you are denied a second chance.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family relationships can be tough, distance might enhance a problem and sometimes people do not get a chance to make amends. Lynnette has not spoken or seen her daughter for three years, she lost connection with her sister Loretta, and it has not visited her mother in the last ten years and now she died. Her death will bring the estranged women together and they'll learn and understand better each other, their parents, and especially the matriarch's personality/behavior. Mending Broken Hearts is touching and beautifully written.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about mending broken threads or relationships. Losing their mother/grandmother isn’t easy. Taking the time to handle everything that comes with that is long and of course sad.

CAWPILE: 8.71
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful mother/daughter story of reconciliation. Lynette and Ruby had so much that separated them. It was beautiful to read their story of healing. I enjoyed reading this story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about family, forgiveness and moving on. I love the characters and the message this story contains. It is a great read.

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story about friendship and family. It dragged quite a bit and didn’t really capture my attention.

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 4 out of 5]

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My thoughts:
Searching for answers….but, could it be that the truth is right in front of you?
Mother-Daughter relationships can be quite strained and complex. Lynnette and Ruby know this first hand. Will past hurts continue to keep them apart?
There is a magical element within the story that will pull on your heartstrings.
Can a broken relationship be mended?
Can the past be let go so you can go forward?
Can forgiveness be found?
Mending Broken Thread’s is the perfect read for those that have had a broken relationship with a loved one.
#shortbookthyme
@shortbookthyme