Broken Country By Clare Leslie Hall

 

Beth, wife to farmer Frank, is content with her life until writer Gabriel Wolfe returns to his family home. Beth and Gabriel had been intensely in love as teenagers and the spark is re-ignited with Gabriel's return. 

I went into Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall knowing nothing about the story. There has been so much praise online for the book, with some readers declaring it their book of the year, that I desperately wanted to see for myself what all the buzz was about. I held the book back for a few days as I had a holiday booked and I wanted to be able to devote lots of time to the book just in case it required lots of concentration. I needn't have worried, this was one of the easiest books I've read so far this year. I flew through the pages as I became so absorbed by the love triangle of Beth, Gabriel and Frank.

The story flits between 1955 and 1968 and is centred around a Dorset village where Beth has lived all her life. Growing up it has always been assumed she would marry Frank, the eldest son of a local farmer. Beth has never questioned this assumption until she meets the son of the local landowner. Gabriel opens Beth's eyes to a whole new world. This isn't a case of discovering wealth and luxury and finding your current life wanting, it's about finding a soulmate, a like mind, someone who understands your thoughts and encourages you to want more from your life. Gabriel encourages Beth to think about university, and to consider leaving the village she's known all her life.

When the story jumps to 1968 we meet a very different Beth. Now married to Frank, she appears to be happy and content. There are hints of a tragic event that has impacted her life but as a busy farmer's wife, she doesn't have time to dwell on this. The sudden return of successful writer Gabriel Wolfe to his family home throws Beth's life into turmoil as the attraction between them is re-ignited, leading to shocking consequences.

I found myself completely engrossed by the love triangle. The elements set in 1955 are heady and intense; set against an idyllic backdrop of a seemingly never-ending summer at a time when life was simpler, it is impossible not to be captivated by the love affair and envisage a future for the young lovers. The time jump to 1968 had me perplexed, wondering why Beth had married Frank and what became of Gabriel. Slowly, we uncover how events in the past unfolded, resulting in Beth ending up with Frank. As Beth resumes her affair with Gabriel, she is torn, particularly as she becomes attached to Gabriel's young son. The discovery of the secret affair leads to devastating consequences as we learn what it truly means to love someone. 

I really didn't want this story to end. The characters of Beth, Gabriel and Frank are so engaging and sympathetic that you don't want any of them to suffer heartbreak but you know that there could never be three winners where love is concerned.

Author Details

After several years of living and working in London as a journalist and writing Pictures of Him and Days You Were Mine, Clare, her husband and three children moved to an old farmhouse in Dorset. The house, the ancient fields surrounding it and the farmers who have a deep connection to the land inspired the setting for Broken Country. Broken Country will be published in thirty-one countries.