The Short Version
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall was a Reese’s Book Club pick, and it might be the perfect book club book: a love triangle, a murder trial, and a twist everyone will want to argue about.
So today, I’ve got ten discussion questions, the big themes, and a few ideas for your meeting. The first half is spoiler-free, and I’ll warn you before the spoilers start.
The Big Themes
Before the questions, here are four themes to keep in mind. Grief: how Beth, Frank and Jimmy each carry Bobby’s death differently. Class: the farm versus the big house, and how Tessa Wolfe treats a village girl.
Second chances: whether you can go back to a first love. And secrets: who knows what, who decides to tell, and what it costs.
Questions One To Three
Question one. The book opens with “the farmer is dead” and keeps cutting to the trial. How did knowing a death was coming change the way you read the love story?
Question two. Beth calls Frank the man who rescued her, and Gabriel the boy she couldn’t forget. Did you see them as two kinds of love, or one real love and one fantasy?
Question three. Tessa tells Beth that boys like Gabriel don’t end up with girls like her. How much of this story is really about class?
Questions Four To Six
Question four. Beth starts caring for Leo even though Frank warns her it’s dangerous. Was she helping Leo, helping herself, or both?
Question five. Frank and Beth say they are on a seesaw of grief, each trying not to tip the other down. Does grief bring couples together or push them apart?
Question six. Jimmy delivered Bobby on the kitchen floor. How does that one scene change the way you see Jimmy for the rest of the book?
Spoiler Warning
From here on, the questions spoil the ending. If your group hasn’t finished, pause here and come back later.
Questions Seven To Ten
Question seven. Leo fires the shot, and Frank takes the blame. Was Frank right to lie to protect an eleven year old, even knowing he might go to prison?
Question eight. We learn Bobby was Gabriel’s son. Should Beth have told Gabriel when she was pregnant, despite Tessa? And should she have told him at all, years later?
Question nine. Beth says she loves both men, but chooses Frank. Did you agree with her choice?
Question ten. Every character contributes to Jimmy’s death in some way. Who do you think carries the most responsibility?
Ideas For Your Meeting
A few ideas. Serve something from the farm: a strong cheddar, for Blakely Cheddar, or a pie, since Beth makes chicken and ham pie for Jimmy and Nina. Play the music from the wedding: The Supremes, Elvis, and Frankie Valli.
And try a fun opener: go around the room and have everyone say, in one word, how they felt when they reached the twist.
Your Turn
Tell me in the comments: which question started the biggest argument in your group? My review and ending explained are linked below.
