Literary Fiction · Free kit
Broken Country
In 1968 rural Dorset, Beth Johnson lives a quiet life on a sheep farm with her husband Frank, still grieving their son Bobby's death two years earlier. When Gabriel Wolfe—Beth's first love who broke her heart as a teenager—returns to the village with his young son Leo, old passions reignite and buried secrets resurface. As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel's orbit, a volatile confrontation erupts with deadly consequences, forcing impossible choices about love, loyalty, and sacrifice. A sweeping love story with the pace of a thriller, Broken Country explores the devastating cost of first love and the secrets that bind us.
“Everyone in the village said nothing good would come of Gabriel's return. And as Beth looks at the man she loves on trial for murder, she can't help thinking they were right.”
Complete free book club kit
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Plan your meeting
Broken Country Hosting Guide
A free, printable-minded plan for hosting Broken Country.
Invite hook
“Beth's quiet life on a Dorset sheep farm is shattered when her first love Gabriel returns to the village with his son Leo—reigniting old passions and buried secrets that will change everything.”
The question you’re arguing about: When your past walks back into your life, do you resist it or run straight toward it?
Shopping list
- □English tea and coffee (capturing the 1960s Dorset setting)
- □Scones with jam and clotted cream (classic English countryside fare)
- □Cheese and crackers with chutney (simple, rustic, farm-inspired)
- □Fresh berries and cream (echoing the rural abundance)
- □Elderflower cordial or lemonade (refreshing and traditional)
- □Fresh bread or rolls (evoking the farm kitchen)
- □Candles or soft lighting (for the novel's moody, emotional atmosphere)
Day-of timeline
- 0–10 minWelcome & icebreakers about first loves and impossible choices
- 10–20 minTrivia warm-up
- 20–60 minMain discussion (warm-up + debate + deep-dive questions)
- 60–75 minSpeed debate: Pick a side on Beth's affair or Frank's sacrifice
- 75–90 minWrap-up: Rate the book, share one impossible choice you've faced
Surprise touch
Ask each guest to write down one 'impossible choice' they've faced—something where there was no clear right answer—on an anonymous card. Shuffle and read them aloud before discussing Beth's choices. It grounds the novel's moral complexity in real life and makes everyone more compassionate toward Beth's decisions.
Wrap-up
- □Group photo with candles or tea setting
- □Quick rating round: One word to describe how Broken Country made you feel.
- □Vote on next month's book and confirm the date