When her 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 all those years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son Bobby, who died a few years earlier.
As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel and Leo’s lives, tensions around the village rise, and jealousy rears its ugly head. Beth and her gentle and kind husband Frank are happily married, but they have their fair share of secrets, and their relationship relies on the past staying buried. And when the truth begins to come out, events spiral out of control, 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, sexy 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. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)
Oh, wow. Broken Country is such a gripping experience from start to finish, with so many insights on lost love, tragedy, and ultimately, endurance. The characters within this story, particularly Beth, push through life even after certain events have created pain and loss–events that would make most of us not want to carry on. But Beth and Frank have, as best they can, even if it’s to their own detriment.
There are three different timelines at play: the 1950s, when Beth first meets Gabriel; the late 60s, after Beth is married to Frank, and then, the trial, which isn’t given a timeline at all–slowly, the truth behind why there is a trial, who it involves, and ultimately, what happened, is slowly revealed to the reader in such a way that ties in beautifully with the other timelines. I felt the author did an excellent job of showcasing Beth and who she was and is within all three, going from a young woman on the verge of budding love with Gabriel, to a happily married woman with hidden secrets with Frank, and the ultimate fallout that can come from loving two men and not knowing her place in her own life anymore.
I agree with the synopsis and its description of the pace and twists that are thriller-like, because it did feel very much like a psychological thriller, particularly towards the end of the book when there is an explosive scene between Beth, Gabriel, Leo, and Frank. I honestly didn’t know what would happen, and even when I eventually figured out what really happened, I was still on the hook. I needed to see how this story would end, for better or for worse. At times I was on team Gabriel, completely falling for the deep connection Beth shares with him, yet Frank reminded me of the quintessential John Wayne, and I was totally on his team in those moments. I felt just as confused as Beth does.
What I loved the most in Broken Country is the unwavering dedication Beth has for her son Bobby, even after he is no longer with her. Her feelings of grief were perfectly highlighted, and I had absolutely no doubt about her love for him, which really added a lovely element of bittersweet to her relationships with everyone. She will never be the same and those feelings led into some of the choices she makes, which made her a wonderfully flawed character. It’s a definite five-star experience!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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