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The Mosaic of the Broken Soul Kindle Edition

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 17 ratings

She called the lump in Her breast ‘a black pearl’, She called her Mother to nurse Her in the darkest hours, She called memories of the three men She loved at different times of Her life to draw the parallels between seemingly similar situations of betrayal. Who is going to betray Her, who is going to stay... ?

She struggles with the meaning of life trying to find it through themes of motherhood, friendship, betrayal, displacement, illness, pain, grief and loss.

She travelled to Andalucia, London, The Isle of Man, where She met colourful characters believing that the unknown can reverse the fragmentation and change reality, believing that all the little broken selves can once again bring the broken pieces into a cohesive mosaic.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Written by authorities in Memoirs, The Mosaic of the Broken Soul by Branka Cubrilo provides an excellent foundation for Memoirs studies. Branka Cubrilo's style is excellently suited towards Memoirs studies, and will teach students the material clearly without overcomplicating the subject. What's more, the text is available in the Paperback format shown above, as well as a number of other formats. As of May 2010, this revision raises the bar for The Mosaic of the Broken Soul's high standard of excellence, making sure that it stays one of the foremost Memoirs studies textbooks.

Exquisitely well-crafted,
The Mosaic Of The Broken Soul is a highly rewarding literary jewel. Chronicling one brave soul's journey on the road to self-discovery, Branka Cubrilo's moving offering is equally heartrending and uplifting. Touching on delicate themes as motherhood, friendship, grief, and loss the novel takes the reader on a passion-filled roller coaster ride through the depths of the human soul - reassuring us all that even the darkest of tunnels still has light at the end.

An insightful, brutally honest slice of unbridled humanity. Highly recommended. M. Drake

"Branka's writing is elegant and penetrative."
--Penelope Plunket

Branka is a writer of exceptional talent who traverses cultural, historical and linguistic barriers in her writing with a passionate fluidity. Her work has the great virtue of capturing the essence of place and nation with a seamlessness found only in the works of great writers who themselves have known displacement and separation. Her writing is beautifully evocative and captures the sense of place and atmosphere in a way which is transporting for the reader.
Prof. Penny Green

About the Author

Branka Cubrilo was born in Croatia. At the age of eighteen she wrote her first novel, I Knew Jane Eyre, and in 1982 it won the Young Writers Award. Soon after, she wrote a sequel to this story called Looking for Jane Eyre. In 1992, Cubrilo moved to Sydney and continued to write short stories and novels. In 1999 the novel As a River (Fiume Corre-Rijeka Tece) was published by Croatian publisher Adamic in her native town of Rijeka. The book received good critiques in Croatian and Italian press. After the Croatian book launch, an Australian one followed. In 2000, the next novel was published, Requiem for Barbara. The book was launched in both Croatia and Sydney. In 2001, a new novel, Little Lies, Big Lies, was published by the same publisher. This was the first volume of a trilogy called Spanish Stories. Cubrilo had obtained a scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to travel to Andalucia to research the cultural and historical settings of Cadiz. Cubrilo has written two more novels but she stopped writing and publishing when she encountered serious health issues and the disintegration of her marriage. When she recovered she was able to translate her experiences into a new novel, The Mosaic of the Broken Soul. Over the last 20 years, Cubrilo has worked as a journalist for various local newspapers in Sydney, writing articles and short stories and conducting interviews. One of her novels was serialized in the magazine Women 21. Cubrilo also worked as a radio producer in Eastside Radios Sydney and Special Broadcasting Services--SBS Sydney, where she has produced a number of programs and series, conducted many interviews and written short stories. Cubrilo now writes in English and is also translating her earlier novels into English. Many of Cubrilo's short stories and poems were published in literary magazines and periodicals (online and in print) worldwide.  She lives in Sydney with her daughter Althea.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00580JMCY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Speaking Volumes (June 24, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 24, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 598 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 250 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 17 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
17 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book inspiring and meaningful. They appreciate the author's lyrical prose that conveys generosity and courage. The writing style is endearing and unpretentious. The pacing is described as deeply moving and entertaining.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

8 customers mention "Inspiration"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring and meaningful. They appreciate the author's genuine voice and high-mindedness. The story reaffirms the value of life and the power of the soul. Readers describe it as an incredible, unforgettable journey that is therapeutic.

"...The masterful way in which you tell your painful story, baring all, with such sincerity and passion, whilst weaving words and metaphors in a way I..." Read more

"...crafted lyrical prose, which draws one gently yet powerfully into her world of deep reflection and intense emotions , sprinkled with a touch of..." Read more

"...; she makes them sound so light and simple, yet they shape the most intricate thoughts!..." Read more

"...I found this book to be a healing book; it liberated me from my own confusion about some deep life issues, which Branka had absolutely clarified to..." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book engaging. They appreciate Branka's lyrical prose that draws them in gently yet conveys generosity and courage. The writing and insight elevate Cubrilo's story, reaffirming its value. The author's expression is unpretentious yet has a way of molding phrases in ways that make it sound light and simple. Overall, readers describe the book as an honest work of art that offers a different voice from the author's previous works.

"...to recommend Mosaic of the Broken Soul most highly as a truly inspirational book. Yana Terzin" Read more

"...and for the sheer pleasure of savouring again Branka's beautifully crafted lyrical prose, which draws one gently yet powerfully into her world of..." Read more

"...The Mosaic of the Broken Soul is one of those books: a beautifully written narrative about Her opens with the Nobleman who decides that he is a..." Read more

"...Her expression is so unpretentious, yet she has a way of moulding phrases in ways that carry one into realms of hitherto unexplored parts of one's..." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find the characters engaging and the story moving. The writing is described as poetic and hypnotic, weaving together themes of friendship, self-worth, love, humanity, and pain.

"...you tell your painful story, baring all, with such sincerity and passion, whilst weaving words and metaphors in a way I have never come across before..." Read more

"...a story of shattered dreams, pain and fear, and of courage, friendship, love and ultimately forgiveness, describing the painstaking journey from..." Read more

"...dealing with the ideals and philosophies of friendship, self-worth, love, humanity and pain...." Read more

"Beautiful, Poetic, Hypnotic..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2016
    The Mosaic of the Broken Soul – Inspirational

    Wow, Branka, thank you for an incredible and unforgettable journey!

    Reading your pages was immensely therapeutic for me as much as it was, so obviously, for you.

    We all travel through life with our own personal heart-breaking stories, with unresolved issues and heartaches, our souls breaking badly into pieces on the way. To be able to glue the pieces back together into a mosaic, we need to have an incredible strength of character, possess a total understanding of the Universe with strong empathy and compassion for others and the ability to forgive and get on with life, bringing us healing and peace, all of which your have showed us in spades.

    The masterful way in which you tell your painful story, baring all, with such sincerity and passion, whilst weaving words and metaphors in a way I have never come across before, has not just taken me on a wonderful and healing journey of immense beauty of the human soul, but has also exposed your own incredible depth of wisdom, compassion and redemption.

    Thank you again, Branka! It was a privilege sharing your story, and I take this opportunity to recommend Mosaic of the Broken Soul most highly as a truly inspirational book.

    Yana Terzin
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2016
    … and it literally did – it took my breath away. It is such a heartbreaking and heart-warming story at the same time. The plot itself is rich, the situations packed with extreme emotions or outcomes, unpredicted happenings with tones of deep feelings coloured by darkness. Hope seems to be a distant desire, but the ambiguity of the story lets light seep in. The struggle of a strong woman and the ever-persistent question of – is this going to break her? The second-hand fear you experience for that woman and the deep empathy for her makes you feel that she is real, a friend whom you wish to protect and shelter. An invincible spirit shines through.
    I immensely enjoyed reading this emotional story, enjoyed the philosophical ponderings about our human life and the possible meaning of our existence, enjoyed those speculations and conversations with the soul hidden among the pain and common every day experiences. I read it and, upon reading it I thought – I’ll read it again in a year or so.
    The writing is beautiful, poetic and full of heart that is generously shared. It sings, it amazes you with its frankness, honesty and beauty.
    An absolute gem, would recommend it to everyone!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2010
    A Literary Gem

    As I was reading Branka Cubrilo's book my heart went out to all those women who had been through the harrowing experience of fighting breast cancer, all those abandoned by their husbands, and to all mothers, especially single mothers. `The Mosaic of the Broken Soul' is a tale of one such woman whose husband left her when she needed him most. It is a story of shattered dreams, pain and fear, and of courage, friendship, love and ultimately forgiveness, describing the painstaking journey from brokenness to wholeness.
    I love this book and will cherish it, return to it for inspiration and for the sheer pleasure of savouring again Branka's beautifully crafted lyrical prose, which draws one gently yet powerfully into her world of deep reflection and intense emotions , sprinkled with a touch of humour for good measure. This engrossing novel, peopled with many colourful characters, is not only deeply moving but entertaining as well. It is indeed a literary gem.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2016
    Every now and then I come across a piece of literature that strikes me most not by the story or writing style, but by beauty of perfect words put together in a unique way.
    The Mosaic of the Broken Soul is one of those books: a beautifully written narrative about Her opens with the Nobleman who decides that he is a coward and has to leave Her with their child and the black pearl. She has to face the loss and the fatal disease. She travels around to different places and in time in search for the meaning of life and all the pieces of her broken soul. A wonderful blend of literature and real life.
    Branka Čubrilo is one of my latest literary heroes.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2012
    I felt very proud, at the outset, to discover an author born so close to my own birthplace, and one who can write! But as I read on , it turned into much more than that. Branka is an alchemist with words; she makes them sound so light and simple, yet they shape the most intricate thoughts! Her expression is so unpretentious, yet she has a way of moulding phrases in ways that carry one into realms of hitherto unexplored parts of one's own experience. How genuine she sounds, how high-minded! Her writing conveys both generosity and courage as she engulfs one into the fragrant universe of her travels and the tortuous courses on the way "home"...
    I could not put this book down before completion, jealously guarding every new line in case it got taken from me! This is a work I wanted to be worthy of !
    ( Does a Croatian translation exist?)
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2011
    There are no words that can really describe my feelings as I was reading "The Mosaic of the Broken Soul."
    This book is exquisitely written and it will make you thankful forever for what you have when you hear about how some people have to struggle just to survive. I found myself absolutely involved and unable to leave, trapped in sentences which, as I felt, were speaking directly to my own soul. I found this book to be a healing book; it liberated me from my own confusion about some deep life issues, which Branka had absolutely clarified to me. I will always be grateful to this fine writer for offering such a beautiful, honest work of art to be shared with the rest of the world.
    One should read and re-read this fine literary piece of art.

    Lilly
    3 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Anne
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent.
    Reviewed in France on December 12, 2012
    Très bien écrit , très beau .La description des sentiments et pensées est très juste et toute en finesse. Une fois commencé , il est impossible de poser le livre. A lire et à garder dans sa bibliothèque.

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