BROKEN ANGELS: A Novel (Paperback)

~ Jan Kurth (Author)
Key Phrases: french fry box, broken angels, Jan Ellen Kurth, Jon Babcock, Rick Mohney (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In rural western New York, three-year-old Layla Babcock disappears from her parents' mobile home. Her father, Jon Babcock, insists she is lost in the hundreds of acres of state forest land behind their home. But many residents in the nearby village of Welton suspect she has been kidnapped or murdered.Layla's mother, Abby, is deeply despondent and of little help. As the months pass by with no resolution, Abby disappears with her threadbare suitcase and a few belongings, leaving her husband and two teenage sons, Zach and Kyle, behind. Still more questions go unanswered. Did Abby run away from her abusive husband, or was she murdered?The townsfolk of Welton-everyone from the bikers at the Hotel Welton, the local watering hole, to the patrons of the Friday-evening fish fry at Shelly's Café-get caught up in the mystery and the family's misery. In the end, the long-awaited answers spring from rather unexpected sources, including angel visions of a café cook and the vandalized sculpture of an ex-New York City artist.

About the Author

Jan Ellen Kurth writes a weekly "Community Forum" column for the Jamestown Post-Journal. She lives in Ellington, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 166 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (March 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595457738
• ISBN-13: 978-0595457731
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,072,877 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Local and Global Connections, April 15, 2008

By	Laurel T. Parkhurst (Ellington, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Broken Angels vividly depicts the life of a rural western new york. Anyone from this area is sure to identify with the familiar scenery and mention of real life places. On a universal level, this novel addresses the issues and complexity of human emotions and relationships. There is a viciousness and tenderness to the mystery of this lost little girl. Once you pick it up you won't put it down until the very last page is turned!

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark, Vivid Picture of Small-Town Life, April 10, 2008

By	Anne McKenzie Hunter "thehunter8" (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Great characters, so realistically created that I suspect it's a bit
of a roman a clef featuring the author's neighbors and acquaintances.
Life seems insecure, precarious, with substandard housing, disabilities,
and unemployment. There is hidden brutality and mental illness that
are only occasionally noticed, and even then mostly ignored. But
eventually ordinary people, including a gothy teenager, rise and
work out the mystery and set things remarkably right. A great read.