Fractured by Dawn Barker – 2012

This is something I would not have picked up under regular circumstances, but sometimes the irregular can be good. Last year I played a lot of poker, and I would almost always be seen at the tables with a book… because where better to read than a casino, right?

James, an acquaintance I regularly play with, mentioned that his daughter writes, and would I like to read something that she had written. I admit, I didn’t take his suggestion all that seriously at first, because plenty of people have approached me over the years with similar requests, and it has turned out to be little more than a few scribbles on some napkins. As it turned out, this was substantially more than a few scribbles.

Fractured is Dawn’s debut novel. It’s an emotional drama about what is probably one of the toughest situations a family – and especially, a mother – can go through, and it was probably the best thing I read in 2016. Sure, it’s primarily aimed at women (and I’m not one of them), and parents (and I’m not one of those either), but the intensity and the psychological aspects of the story can be appreciated by everyone, and any piece of fiction that manages to bring others in has got to be worth the price of admission.

I was all prepared to put my poker face to good use and tell James that his daughter’s novel was pretty good, but it turned out to be an unnecessary bluff as it really is a fine read.

And in a final (non-commissioned) plug, you can check her out over here.