“This novel makes the reader feel emotion with every fiber of their being.”
— CAMILA SÁNCHEZ BOLAÑO, Editor-in-Chief, Newsweek en Español
“Boldly honest, yet tender at the core—a novel with something important to say.”
—DEBRA THOMAS, author of “Luz”
SAN MIGUEL de ALLENDE, MEXICO–Co-founder of microlending organization Mano Amiga and former Vice President of Casita Linda, which builds homes for families living in extreme poverty, Ann Marie Jackson is releasing her debut novel The Broken Hummingbird (October 3, 2023, She Writes Press). The Broken Hummingbird wrestles with marital dissolution and cultural dissonance, following a woman’s struggle to truly know her new country and her own heart. Jane—mother, lawyer, enthusiastic expat, and fatally unhappy wife—sets out to help two little girls but must also save herself and her own sons while navigating the parallel worlds of wealth and poverty in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Appealing to readers enthralled by the fate of innocents and not-so-innocents abroad in Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, The Broken Hummingbird includes a propelling dose of the energy, edgy sisterhood, and dark domestic secrets of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies. The Broken Hummingbird balances the raw undoing of a marriage with the joys of discovery that lie in building a new life.
This title also offers crossover appeal from literary/upmarket women’s fiction to travel writing audiences as San Miguel de Allende has repeatedly been named “#1 Small City in the World” by readers of Travel & Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler.
F I N A L I S T, W O M E N’ S F I C T I O N
2 0 2 3 I N T E R N A T I O N A L B O O K A W A R D S
“The Broken Hummingbird”
Ann Marie Jackson | October 3, 2023 | She Writes Press | Women’s Fiction; Literary
Paperback | 978-1-64742-559-3 | $17.95
Ebook | 978-1-64742-560-9 | $9.95
IN THE MIDST OF A MARITAL CRISIS, Jane hatches an unusual plan to avoid a custody battle. She convinces husband Kevin to walk away from the pressures of New York—in particular, her demanding job and an affair she almost had—in the hope that moving to their favorite city abroad will fix their family. In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Jane and her young sons delight in new adventures, but Kevin seethes. Jane befriends a circle of intriguing women and helps two girls who remind her of the brother she abandoned when her own parents divorced. After witnessing violence involving the girls’ father, Jane’s vivid dreams, possibly guided by a hummingbird messenger from the hereafter, grow ever darker. When tragedy strikes San Miguel, the community fractures and then rises, and Jane must make a dangerous choice.
ANN MARIE JACKSON: Ann Marie Jackson is co-founder of microlending organization Mano Amiga and former Vice President of Casita Linda, which builds homes for families living in extreme poverty in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Early in her career, after earning degrees from Stanford and Harvard, Jackson joined the U.S. Department of State to promote human rights in China and other East Asian and Pacific Island nations. She has worked with Human Rights Watch, A Better Chance, and Internews, among other organizations, to further social justice causes and advance respect for human rights, and has traveled widely on five continents. Her short stories, essays, and articles appear in Mexico News Daily, THIS Top Destinos, San Miguel Life, Solamente en San Miguel, Atención San Miguel, and more. “The Broken Hummingbird” is her first novel. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will benefit nonprofit organizations serving women and families in central Mexico. A native of Seattle, Washington, Jackson resides in San Miguel de Allende. Visit her at https://annmariejacksonauthor.com/
Early praise for “The Broken Hummingbird”
“…sensitive…feminist…empowering…Handling the difficult subjects of immigration, charity, and abuse with care, The Broken Hummingbird focuses on a community of activists in Mexico that changes a family’s life…and a woman who comes into her own…when pushed to take back the power she has ceded.”
— FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW
“Rich symbolism complements the strong plotline of this inspirational novel… psychologically profound and realistic, The Broken Hummingbird is a remarkable debut from a talented author.”
— 5-star READERS’ FAVORITE review
“The Broken Hummingbird shimmers with the iridescent beauty of San Miguel de Allende. In this well-crafted story, Jackson succeeds in depicting the harsh realities of domestic violence, the complexities of a broken marriage, the significance of community support, and the comfort and strength found in enduring friendships. Boldly honest, yet tender at the core—a novel with something important to say.”
— DEBRA THOMAS, author of Luz
“With insider’s knowledge, Ann Marie Jackson writes with nuance and panache about the agony and the ecstasy of twenty-first-century expat life in San Miguel de Allende. Her debut novel is vivid, moving, and highly entertaining.”
— GINA HYAMS, author of In a Mexican Garden
“This story beautifully illustrates the power of connection. The author’s deep love and respect for the culture of her adopted country shine through in her writing. Bravo!”
— DEANNA SINGH, author of Actions Speak Louder and Purposeful Hustle
“A mother’s love is powerful beyond measure in a world where domestic violence touches every circle of society. With colorful intensity, Ann Marie Jackson speaks truthfully of San Miguel de Allende: its impressive traditions and cultural strength as well as the inevitable frictions within a community formed of people from every corner of the world who face the excruciating pain of loss. This novel makes the reader feel emotion with every fiber of their being.”
— CAMILA SÁNCHEZ BOLAÑO, Editor-in-chief, Newsweek en Español
“A powerful story beautifully told, both lyrical and compelling. This book is for anyone who has ever felt their world coming apart and chosen to embrace a courageous journey forward. Here is one woman’s story you do not want to miss.”
— JAN BAROSS, author of José Builds a Woman
“With vivid and colorful descriptions, Ann Marie Jackson renders a vibrant literary canvas that transports the reader to Mexico’s treasured San Miguel de Allende. While there, we witness the transformation of a woman who, surrounded by the strength of her close friends and community—as well as through her own focused determination—is able to rise above the pain of a broken marriage and restore her spirit to what it once was.”
— JESSICA WINTERS MIRELES, author of Lost in Oaxaca
“Women from two worlds, coexisting in San Miguel de Allende, are empowered in different ways while depending on each other far more than one might suspect. Jackson provides a richly detailed depiction of place as well as close, careful study of tragedy and triumph in these women’s lives.”
— LUCINA KATHMANN, Vice President emerita of PEN International, representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and author of Para Que Nos Escuchen/To Make Ourselves Heard
“With visually rich prose, Ann Marie Jackson tells a moving tale of a woman’s resilience and reinvention through the eyes of an expat in the beautiful but complicated city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.”
— BRIAN CREWE, award-winning film director
“A deep, delightful read! Spanning the parallel worlds of privilege and poverty in San Miguel de Allende, Ann Marie Jackson’s The Broken Hummingbird captures the heartbreak of a dissolving marriage alongside the joys of making a difference in others’ lives as well as one’s own.”
— LUCIE FROST, satirist published by Slackjaw, NextTribe, and The Belladonna
A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.
Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.
