Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
Over 1 Million Copies Sold
A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK | A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is an unforgettable story of love, loss, and the choices that shape our lives…but it’s also a masterfully crafted mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Seriously, that ending?! I did not see it coming.” —Reese Witherspoon
“Stirring and mysterious…fires directly at the human heart and hits the mark.” —Delia Owens, New York Times bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing
A love triangle unearths dangerous, deadly secrets from the past in this thrilling tale perfect for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.
“The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”
Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.
As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.
A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.
A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK | A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is an unforgettable story of love, loss, and the choices that shape our lives…but it’s also a masterfully crafted mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Seriously, that ending?! I did not see it coming.” —Reese Witherspoon
“Stirring and mysterious…fires directly at the human heart and hits the mark.” —Delia Owens, New York Times bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing
A love triangle unearths dangerous, deadly secrets from the past in this thrilling tale perfect for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.
“The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”
Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.
As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.
A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.
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Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *Broken Country* by Clare Leslie Hall is a slow, emotional, and atmospheric debut set in 1968 Dorset that blends domestic drama with a mur...
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is an unforgettable story that aimed for my gut and hit it! I am still thinking about it. I felt so many different emotions while reading this book! I was drawn to the cover and name of this book immediately. On a normal day, a random dog runs into Beth and her husband Frank's farm and begins to attack the sheep. Her husband's brother has to put down the dog. Beth is shocked to see that the dog belongs to the man she loved as a teenager (Gabriel) and he has moved back to town. His son Leo reminds Beth of her son Bobby, who died a few years earlier. Ever so slowly, Beth is pulled back into Gabriel's life. The tension between Beth and Frank begins to climb. What happens next is earth-shattering for everyone involved.
This novel is told in dual timelines which ratchets up the gut-wrench factor. It keeps you guessing and also has a thriller element, which I like. The romance and love aspect is more of a slow burn. It's like the author shows you both sides of the coin and I can't say more without giving anything away. The tenderness concerning the children made me tear up many times. This is a story that could happen in real life, to anyone you know.
Overall, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. When a book makes you feel almost every emotion in the book so to speak, and you still think about it days later, that's a winner for me. I felt so many emotions reading this book. You will love this book if you like Where the Crawdads Sing or authors like Kristin Hannah. I recommend it!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This novel is told in dual timelines which ratchets up the gut-wrench factor. It keeps you guessing and also has a thriller element, which I like. The romance and love aspect is more of a slow burn. It's like the author shows you both sides of the coin and I can't say more without giving anything away. The tenderness concerning the children made me tear up many times. This is a story that could happen in real life, to anyone you know.
Overall, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. When a book makes you feel almost every emotion in the book so to speak, and you still think about it days later, that's a winner for me. I felt so many emotions reading this book. You will love this book if you like Where the Crawdads Sing or authors like Kristin Hannah. I recommend it!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved this book. I picked it up during a snowstorm, curled up under my heated blanket, planning to read a little and ended up finishing the entire thing in one day because I could not put it down. The story pulls you in quickly and keeps a steady emotional grip all the way through. A couple of twists were somewhat predictable, but it honestly did not take away from my enjoyment at all. The characters felt real, flawed, and deeply human, and I was fully invested in their choices and consequences. This is the kind of book that lingers with you after you close it, and I already know I will be thinking about it for a while. A perfect, immersive read and an easy recommendation for book club.
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