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Broken

About The Book

#1 Essence bestselling author Patricia Haley takes sibling rivalry to a shocking new level as one man tries to heal his broken family in this compelling series based on popular biblical stories.

Don Mitchell is certain the Lord has a plan for him to reconcile his family, when his younger half brother, Joel, suddenly resigns as CEO of their father’s company. The gesture comes after Joel has nearly sent the enterprise into bankruptcy. Don’s first order of business as newly appointed head of DMI is to bring his estranged older sister home. It isn’t easy. Tamara has been running from the past for years. But once she is home, she plans to claim her rightful place in the multimillion-dollar family ministry—no matter what it takes or who gets hurt. Joel, meanwhile, is regretting his decision to step down and is doing everything in his power to resume his path to greatness. As Don finds himself waist-deep in the corporate mess Joel left behind, his love life is also in flux. He must balance a complicated friendship with Abigail, his right-hand woman at DMI, with a budding romance involving his beautiful business partner in South Africa. Just as Don begins to realize that forgiving and forgetting may be his greatest weapon, a terrifying ordeal rocks the family to its core, and they must turn to God and to one another for the answers.

Reading Group Guide

This reading group guide for Broken includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

MAKES YOU GO HMMM!

Now that you have read Broken, consider the following discussion questions.

1. Tamara is the oldest living child of Dave and Madeline Mitchell. Estranged from her family, she’s been gone for nearly fifteen years. Do you think her unexpected return was a plus or a minus for the family?

2. Did Madeline make the right decision when she left Detroit and DMI so that Tamara could come home? Was Tamara selfish in wanting her mother to go, or was she justified in wanting the space to make her reentry into a dysfunctional family environment?

3. Madeline and Tamara seem to be making amends, albeit slowly. Considering the years of separation and the horrific memories, do you think Tamara and Madeline can truly reconcile? What will be the most critical factor? Can Madeline and Tamara work together at DMI?

4. What do you suspect Joel will do now that Zarah has informed him about the baby? Will he stay in Chicago to sort out his feelings and options? Will he proceed with the divorce anyway, or will he opt to stick out the marriage for three years and then be eligible to buy back the DMI West Coast division? Will Joel give up Sheba? (Note: For more insight into their “undefined” relationship, read 1 Kings, chapter 10, concerning the biblical drama surrounding the Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon.)

5. Now that Zarah is carrying Joel’s child and holding ownership of the DMI division that Joel wants, how do you think she will use the situation? Is she a business threat to Joel, Don, or DMI? Will Tamara influence her?

6. If Joel does decide to return to Detroit and to his marriage, will he also make another attempt to wrest control of DMI from Don?

7. Thanks to a nudge from Tamara, Abigail finally became fed up with being second best in the Mitchell men’s lives. Was Tamara correct in saying that there will always be a Mitchell standing between Abigail and the lead position in DMI? Do you think Abigail will really leave DMI in the end? Can she truly walk away from Don and/or Joel?

8. Where do you see the relationship with Naledi and Don going? Is he truly free of his feelings for Abigail?

9. What role in the company does Tamara deserve? Does Don need to worry about her? Will Don ever be at peace with managing the company, or will another attack or takeover by members of the Mitchell family always be looming?

10. Uncle Frank is a very colorful character and quite consistent. As of now, he’s been retained to deal with Remo. On the outside chance that Uncle Frank is unsuccessful, do you believe Remo will end up back in Detroit for Madeline to handle directly, or elsewhere in the world posing a constant threat to the Mitchell family?

11. If Madeline returns, will Sherry stay? Can Sherry, Madeline, and Tamara all work together? Will Madeline or Sherry ever remarry?

12. What message was Big Mama, Mother Walker, conveying to Don for Joel?

13. The Chosen series is loosely based on King David’s character and the family drama surrounding him. A mighty Biblical warrior, King David had God’s favor and a distinct purpose, but his life was not free of mistakes, sin, and tragedy. Yet he is remembered not for his shortcomings, but for his love for God and his ability to forgive and forget. What’s the difference between forgiving and forgetting? (Note: Does forgetting mean wiping away the memory of the offense or does it mean letting go of the hurt, anger, bitterness, rejection, guilt, etc., that was felt/ experienced when the offense occurred? See chapters 46 and 47 for Don’s perspective).

14. Who benefits most from forgiveness, the offender or the person offended? Forgiveness is liberating; it enabled Tamara to begin letting go of her lingering anger and pain. Is there anyone you need to forgive in order to move forward? What’s stopping you?

About The Author

Photo Credit:

Patricia Haley is the award-winning, Essence bestselling author of Nobody’s Perfect, Blind Faith, Still Waters, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, and No Regrets. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Chicago. She lives is in Pennsylvania with her husband and daughter.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Gallery Books (August 23, 2011)
  • Length: 320 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781416580645

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