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Broken Threads
Jan Turnbull’s life takes a sharp turn towards chaos the instant her eldest son, Simon takes a tumble in the surf and loses his life. Blame competes with grief and Jan’s husband turns against her. She finds herself ousted from the family home and separated from their remaining son, Andy. As Jan tries to cope with her grief and prepares to build a new life, it soon becomes known that Simon has left behind a bombshell, and her younger son seeks ways of compensating for his loss, leading to further issues for her to deal with. Can Jan hold it all together and save her marriage and her family? A story of loss, grief and the struggle to survive against adversity.
- GenresContemporary
280 pages, Paperback
Published November 9, 2015
139 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Christensen
47 books145 followersAfter a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her frequent visits to family in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them.
From her native Glasgow, Scotland, Maggie was lured by the call ‘Come and teach in the sun’ to Australia,where she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!
She continues her love of books as a volunteer with her local library where she selects and delivers books to the housebound.
A member of Queensland Writer’s Centre, RWA, ALLi, and a local critique group, Maggie enjoys meeting her readers at book signings and library talks. In 2014 she self-published Band of Gold and The Sand Dollar, Book One in the Oregon Coast Series, in 2015, The Dreamcatcher, Book Two in the Oregon Coast Series and Broken Threads, and in 2016, Madeline House, book Three in the Oregon Coast Series
From her native Glasgow, Scotland, Maggie was lured by the call ‘Come and teach in the sun’ to Australia,where she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!
She continues her love of books as a volunteer with her local library where she selects and delivers books to the housebound.
A member of Queensland Writer’s Centre, RWA, ALLi, and a local critique group, Maggie enjoys meeting her readers at book signings and library talks. In 2014 she self-published Band of Gold and The Sand Dollar, Book One in the Oregon Coast Series, in 2015, The Dreamcatcher, Book Two in the Oregon Coast Series and Broken Threads, and in 2016, Madeline House, book Three in the Oregon Coast Series
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 10, 2016
My View:
A great family drama full of situations no parent would ever want to be in. Guilt, blame, denial, grief; all emotions are explored and laid bare, I don’t doubt that some will require to have a box of tissues to the ready.
All the characters are well developed – except maybe the husband Graham. Mostly I found him cold, unsupportive, self-centred and old fashioned in his thinking and behaviour. I didn’t like him at all and was therefore disappointed with the rather neatly sewn up ending; writing that inspires a reader to form such strong opinions of a character is pretty impressive
A great family drama full of situations no parent would ever want to be in. Guilt, blame, denial, grief; all emotions are explored and laid bare, I don’t doubt that some will require to have a box of tissues to the ready.
All the characters are well developed – except maybe the husband Graham. Mostly I found him cold, unsupportive, self-centred and old fashioned in his thinking and behaviour. I didn’t like him at all and was therefore disappointed with the rather neatly sewn up ending; writing that inspires a reader to form such strong opinions of a character is pretty impressive
November 21, 2015
Manly Beach in Sydney had always been a place of joy; a day by the surf gave Jan Turnbull, her husband Graham and sons Simon and Andy the freedom to enjoy the sparkling waves, the bright sunshine and much laughter with family and friends. But when a tragic accident took the life of Jan and Graham’s eldest son Simon, the lives of the family changed immediately and irrevocably. Grief overtook the three remaining family members – they all reacted differently, but the shock Jan felt when, instead of comfort from her beloved husband, she received coldness and blame, turned her life upside down. Living in the family home was no longer viable…
Jan’s sister Anna was there for her – but she knew living in the old family home wasn’t an option for long. Anna was newly married to Marcus and she didn’t want to encroach. So when a housesitting situation became possible, Jan accepted and moved into a luxury home overlooking the harbour. But her grief was ongoing and always with her – compounded by the fact of not seeing fifteen year old Andy. Was he confused? Did he miss her? She needed something to occupy her time; to stop her thinking so much. Could she get a job? She was on the wrong side of fifty – what could she possibly do?
As Jan slowly and painfully moved ahead with her life, there were more problems to face; more stresses to handle. With each shock that hit, she wondered if she would ever feel happiness again. She was struggling to see if her family could regain some sense of normality in the future; but mending broken threads was paramount.
I thoroughly enjoyed Broken Threads by Aussie author Maggie Christensen. This novel tells the story of the intense feelings of grief and the different ways people cope. The ongoing sadness was there, but there was also a fierce determination to find happiness again – to bring her family back together if it was the last thing Jan did. Filled with well-drawn characters, Broken Threads is a book I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
Jan’s sister Anna was there for her – but she knew living in the old family home wasn’t an option for long. Anna was newly married to Marcus and she didn’t want to encroach. So when a housesitting situation became possible, Jan accepted and moved into a luxury home overlooking the harbour. But her grief was ongoing and always with her – compounded by the fact of not seeing fifteen year old Andy. Was he confused? Did he miss her? She needed something to occupy her time; to stop her thinking so much. Could she get a job? She was on the wrong side of fifty – what could she possibly do?
As Jan slowly and painfully moved ahead with her life, there were more problems to face; more stresses to handle. With each shock that hit, she wondered if she would ever feel happiness again. She was struggling to see if her family could regain some sense of normality in the future; but mending broken threads was paramount.
I thoroughly enjoyed Broken Threads by Aussie author Maggie Christensen. This novel tells the story of the intense feelings of grief and the different ways people cope. The ongoing sadness was there, but there was also a fierce determination to find happiness again – to bring her family back together if it was the last thing Jan did. Filled with well-drawn characters, Broken Threads is a book I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
March 25, 2023
4.5 stars
Thoroughly enjoying Maggie Christensen’s books featuring middle aged women and this one was no exception. This is a story of love, loss, guilt, grief, blame and forgiveness.
Broken threads is the second book in the Sydney Collection series. I'm reading Isobel's Promise which is the second book in the Scottish Collection which features a character from Broken Threads. Both series are loosely linked and worth reading.
Yay, for the Sydney setting.
Thoroughly enjoying Maggie Christensen’s books featuring middle aged women and this one was no exception. This is a story of love, loss, guilt, grief, blame and forgiveness.
Broken threads is the second book in the Sydney Collection series. I'm reading Isobel's Promise which is the second book in the Scottish Collection which features a character from Broken Threads. Both series are loosely linked and worth reading.
Yay, for the Sydney setting.
November 9, 2017
In this follow up to Band of Gold we hear Jan's story. Jan and Graham have been happily married for years. Unable to have children of their own, they took responsibility for their two young nephews after their parents were tragically killed. Simon and Alex are now in their teens, but tragedy strikes when Simon is killed in a surfing accident. This accident changes all their lives, Graham blames Jan for not being vigilant enough and virtually shuts himself off from her. Jan flees the family home and is left to virtually start over again. This story is about family and the impact that one event can have on its members. We revisit with Anna (Jan's sister) and Marcus from Band of Gold and their parents. This is a wonderful family story about grief and how they cope with it, as well as how Jan makes changes in her life to survive and become independent. There is also some unfinished business that Simon leaves which has an enormous impact on the family too. I have just read Band of Gold and Broken Threads back to back and I am very invested in the characters therein. I look forward to beginning The Good Sister now which tells the story of another character from Broken Threads.
I cannot speak highly enough of Maggie's books, I love the way she writes and also the fact that in this series which is based in Sydney, I can imagine the places and setting she describes which makes the book even more enjoyable!
I cannot speak highly enough of Maggie's books, I love the way she writes and also the fact that in this series which is based in Sydney, I can imagine the places and setting she describes which makes the book even more enjoyable!
November 15, 2015
I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest review.
When I first saw the cover, I didn't think I would enjoy the book. The main character looks like a woman in her late 50's, early 60's and I wasn't sure how I'd enjoy reading a book with an older, more mature heroine, but don't let the cover put you off. This book, like the author's others, was excellent.
Once again, I found this author's writing to be flawless, her storylines easy to follow and her characters believable and likeable (although I didn't like toy-boy Johnno!)
The story is told in the first person (Jan's point of view), and the only fault I found with the novel was that when Jan's husband Graham's point of view was given. The author switched points of view to an omniscient view and I couldn't get my head around it at first. That being said, it only happened a handful of times during the book so wasn't distracting to the story. In my opinion I could have just as easily read the story without the husband's point of view and still loved it.
If you're looking for a book with mature characters and very real storylines, you will love this book, and others by this talented author.
When I first saw the cover, I didn't think I would enjoy the book. The main character looks like a woman in her late 50's, early 60's and I wasn't sure how I'd enjoy reading a book with an older, more mature heroine, but don't let the cover put you off. This book, like the author's others, was excellent.
Once again, I found this author's writing to be flawless, her storylines easy to follow and her characters believable and likeable (although I didn't like toy-boy Johnno!)
The story is told in the first person (Jan's point of view), and the only fault I found with the novel was that when Jan's husband Graham's point of view was given. The author switched points of view to an omniscient view and I couldn't get my head around it at first. That being said, it only happened a handful of times during the book so wasn't distracting to the story. In my opinion I could have just as easily read the story without the husband's point of view and still loved it.
If you're looking for a book with mature characters and very real storylines, you will love this book, and others by this talented author.
November 22, 2015
Fans of Maggie Christensen will not be disappointed with her new book, Broken Threads. In fact, they are going to be delighted! Not only do we catch a glimpse into the life of Anna, our favourite from Band Of Gold, we spend the whole story in the company of her sister Jan.
Maggie takes us into the life of a mature woman having to deal with an array of confronting situations, most devastating of which is her terrible grief at losing somebody precious. Her pain is compounded by the reactions of those around her - especially those she loves the most - which leave her feeling isolated and shunned.
Bravely, she squares up to these challenges and sets out to forge her own path. Her journey is littered with the unexpected and as we follow her through this labyrinth of problems, we cannot help but admire her dogged determination to be true to herself and her family.
If you loved Band Of Gold, you are going to love Broken Threads too. Guaranteed!
July 14, 2022
great story
Broken threads is just that a story of broken threads. A story of love, life, tenacity and forgiveness. A story of broken threads restored. I enjoyed every page of this book . In fact I’ve enjoyed all of the stories Maggie Christensen has written.
Broken threads is just that a story of broken threads. A story of love, life, tenacity and forgiveness. A story of broken threads restored. I enjoyed every page of this book . In fact I’ve enjoyed all of the stories Maggie Christensen has written.
November 22, 2015
Congratulations Maggie Christensen on another well crafted novel dealing with heart wrenching and difficult life situations. The main character, Jan, has her life torn apart after the accidental surf related death of her favourite son. Her husband blams her for not watching him in the surf. She blames herself and her other son blames himself because he was in the surf with his brother. This results in an emotional tsunami of grief and loss with an almost total breakdown of their loving family relationships. After moving out of the family home, Jan faces possible breast cancer and learns her dead son's girlfriend is pregnant with his child. The book deals with issues of rejection by parents of a pregnant teenager and also her gay sister. Maggie has an easy and engaging writing style creating real characters, real conversations and real life problems. You rapidly feel as if you are part of the family in the story. Jan gradually rebuilds and mends the tapestry of her broken life. The story will engage your emotions of sadness, loss of a loved one and finally hope and joy of a new life and refound love. Excellent work! 9/10
March 25, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. The main character Jan has her life plummet out of control after the sudden death of one of her sons. (This is not a spoiler as it happens right at the beginning). The story deals with how Jan, her husband and remaining son, cope with such a tragic event. Jan is a strong and resilient person and I must say, is way more tolerant of her husband's behaviour than I suspect I would be!!! I enjoyed watching her grow as she gradually accepts the fact that Simon has gone forever. There is a lovely surprise right at the end, and one which brought a delighted smile to my face. My only somewhat critical comment is that I thought the prologue was more like an early chapter, as Chapter 1 follows on immediately. In previous books, the prologue was more of a tease - something to whet your appetite! Don't let my comment stop you from reading the book though, it was just something that struck me as odd!
December 20, 2015
Broken threads is a light easy contemporary read set in Australia. It opens with the accidental death of a young man. His death splits the grieving family of Jan, Graham and Andy forcing Jan to leave home.
Guilt blame and denial run deep for more than one family. Jan find herself offering a home to Simon's girlfriend as her family turn her away at a time of need. Finding strength from her situation Jan gets a job, signs up as a volunteer at the zoo and even enjoys a new social life.
However she is drawn back to the family when youngest son Andy suffers at school and Jan must be the one to pull the family back together again.
Guilt blame and denial run deep for more than one family. Jan find herself offering a home to Simon's girlfriend as her family turn her away at a time of need. Finding strength from her situation Jan gets a job, signs up as a volunteer at the zoo and even enjoys a new social life.
However she is drawn back to the family when youngest son Andy suffers at school and Jan must be the one to pull the family back together again.
April 4, 2017
Love conquers
A novel that could be anyone's life but love conquers all Family ties are very strong Worth the time to read
A novel that could be anyone's life but love conquers all Family ties are very strong Worth the time to read
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews