Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)

This book broke me in the best possible way. It took a few chapters for me to settle in, but once I did, I was irrevocably hooked. Broken Country is a story steeped in yearning and regret, a quest for second chances, and Clare Leslie Hall delivers it with truly beautiful writing. Love, loss, and second chances are all wrapped up in yearning, angst, and a quiet undercurrent of regret and despair. It’s a love story—but make it a tragic mystery. I am not okay. I found myself rooting for Beth to find her way back to Gabriel while simultaneously pulling for Frank. This book isn’t just a broken country, it has my broken heart. The storytelling is stellar; its sinuous plot and intricately drawn characters are impossible not connect with. I expected to dislike the shifting timeline, but it works brilliantly, adding to the slow build as we climb and then somersault into the wild plot twists. It’s an excellent read, one I know I won’t be getting over anytime soon.

“You can live a whole lifetime in a final moment.” Synopsis: Beth and Frank are happily married despite the tragic events that have occurred during their life together. When Beth’s Brother-in law shoots the neighbor’s dog, the chain of events that follows dramatically alters their lives. The dog belongs to Beth’s high school sweetheart who recently moved back to town. Beth is quickly sucked back into Gabriel’s life developing a relationship with his young son who reminds Beth of her own son that she tragically lost. Beth quickly becomes the talk of the town resulting in tension, jealousy and fear that the secrets she buried long ago may soon surface. This book is proof that you don't need 450 pages to tell a story. You get everything you could possibly need in 320 pages. It was a fast-paced and engaging read that hooked me pretty much from the start. The story is incredibly powerful. There is something about this story that makes parts of it relatable for every type of person. It always amazes me how emotion can so quickly and completely overpower logic...how matters of the heart can make us do things that we know we shouldn't. I am equally amazed at how love and guilt and shame are all equally powerful motivators for our actions. But…I think that there are aspects that could have made it better. This story is told strictly from Beth's point of view. I would have loved Frank's and Gabriel's and even Jimmy’s. I prefer seeing a story unfold from multiple angles. I think that adding multiple perspectives could have created much more complexity to the storyline and the characters. With that being said, I loved the plot twist and was completely caught off guard when it was revealed. I fell in love with the characters. They are so well written. Their emotional depth makes them relatable and authentic. Even though Beth isn’t perfect, you can’t help but love her and empathize with her. She is deeply confused and knows that her actions are hurtful and wrong but she starts to compartmentalize her life so that both lives are real and right and safe in her mind. I felt a maternal bond toward Leo and a deep level of respect and empathy for Frank. It is definitely a book I would recommend to reader who love a fast-paced, emotionally complex novel that mixes romance and mystery

Some reviews describe 'Broken Country' as a romance, and others describe it as a thriller. It is both but, more importantly, it is a literary novel of historical fiction that is a great read. Whether you want a novel for your airplane ride, or you want a deep read, you will get both in this novel. The novel centers around a married couple, Beth and Frank, who live on a farm in England. They love each other deeply despite the tragic death of their son several years ago, for which Frank feels responsible. The novel is told in different timelines, one in the relatively near past and one in the present, late 1960's. They are very close with Frank's brother Jimmy who appears to be an immature binge drinker. All is copacetic until Gabriel, Beth's first love, enters their lives after Frank shoots and kills Gabriel's son's dog who is a danger to the farm animals. It is not difficult to see where the narrative is going and what will happen in the immediate future. What is difficult to fathom is where the novel is headed down the line. There are twists and turns as the author explores the impact of infidelity on the marriage, on Beth, and on Gabriel and his son. We know from the very beginning that someone has been killed. Who it is, why they were killed, and who the killer is, is not revealed until the very end of the novel. I loved the book and had my head in it for two days, until I finished it. It is mesmerizing, well-written, and the characterizations are strong and carefully drawn out. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves literary fiction, historical fiction, a twisty murder mystery and an obsessive love story.

Loved this book! Beth and her story kept me on edge and kept me reading for certain! A lot of hours spent reading this one!

Loved this beautiful story and the end was quite the surpise. Great writing and I look forward to another book from this author

I enjoyed this book. I did figure out the murder pretty early in but that is just me. It’s what I do. But the book was very engaging. I enjoyed the author’s writing style. I would recommend.

Good

Excelente libro y la portada es muy bonita

When I first read the blurb, it thought it was just another love story - loss, love, relationships and grief. Honestly, it didn't grab me. But thank God I gave it a chance, because this book will stay with me for a very long time. It's one of those rare stories that made me angry with the good characters and sympathise with the flawed ones. This kind of love story you don't come across easy, trust me. The story revolves around three main characters Beth, Gabriel and Frank. Beth and Gabriel the classic childhood sweethearts destined for heartbreak. And then Frank the steady knight who swoops in to save the girl already broken once. Years later Frank and Beth have built a quiet happy life with their son Bobby, until tragedy strikes. The grief of such a loss never really goes away, but they continue to try. Enter Gabriel(celebrity author) returning to his hometown along with his son Leo. Beth, Gabriel, Frank and Leo's lives get entangled into a roller coaster they cannot seem to switch off. Temptation, sacrifice, love, parenthood, relationships all swirled into one big pot. Beth still loves Gabriel, but she also loves Frank. It sounds that simple, right? The way Hall weaves this tale, is nothing short of masterful. Imagine a John Grisham tension blended with a Liane Moriarty's emotional depth It is a must read-I cannot say it enough.