Broken Country, by Clare Leslie Hall

 

Characters

Beth Frank Johnson – husband, owns farm Bobby – son, died when hit by tree Jimmy – Frank’s brother Nina – Jimmy’s wife, bartender Grace – daughter born while Frank in jail   David – Frank and Jimmy’s father   Gabriel Wolfe – novelist, Beth’s former boyfriend Wife -living apart Leo – son Rocket – dog, shot by Jimmy after killing two lambs on the farm Tessa and Edward – Gabriel’s parents   Eleanor Kennedy – Beth’s sister, lawyer   Helen – Beth’s best friend   Flora Hughes – reporter, wrote about Beth and Gabriel’s relationship

 

NOTE: Page numbers are from the 2025 hardback edition.

1.      What did you think after you read the first page?  Was it a good introduction?  Did it make you want to keep reading?

2.      Was it realistic for Beth and Gabriel to think they could keep their relationship a secret?

3.      Discuss Beth.  How did she rationalize what she was doing with both Frank and Gabriel?  Was she just fooling herself to make herself feel better?

4.      Was the author convincing when she was describing Beth’s feelings and how she was drawn to and loved both Frank and Gabriel?

5.      Who was at fault the day Bobby died?  Anyone?  Everyone?

6.      When Bobby was nine, the family invited his entire class to a party on the farm at the end of summer.  One activity that was heavily supervised was target shooting with air rifles.  One boy who did not fit in well with the class pretended to shoot his classmates.  Why did the Johnson’s think this was an appropriate activity for nine-year-olds?  Was there anything they could do to prevent what happened?

7.      The details of the trial and the crime were revealed very slowly by the author. As you were reading, what different scenarios did you think had happened?

8.      Did you like that there were so many unanswered questions as the story developed: who was on trial, what had happened to Bobby

9.      When Jimmy broke into Gabriel’s Saturday evening, Beth stayed hidden with Leo.  If she had confronted Jimmy, would that have changed anything?

10.  As you were reading, did your idea change as to what had really happened?  Were you surprised to find out the answer?

11.  What did you think of the end and the sacrifice Frank made?  Why do you think he did that?  The author wrote, “Saving Leo was really a way of saving himself” (page 299).  Did this make sense to you?

12.  Frank did not want Beth or Grace to visit him in prison, so he did not see them for years.  He wrote to Beth, “I have this picture in my head and it’s the thing that sustains me, every single day.  I imagine myself coming back to the farm one bright, spring afternoon…That’s when I see you with Grace, for the very first time” (page 297).   Did you understand his reasoning?

13.  Gabriel and Leo visited Frank almost monthly.  Gabriel asked Beth’s permission to tell Leo that Bobby was his brother.  The author wrote, “And everything was about Bobby, really, when you dug deep enough” (page 299).   Did this tie the novel together for you?  How?

14.  Did you like the organization of the novel: 1968, Before, the daily details leading up to the shooting, The Trial and then after?

15.  Discuss your reading experience.  Did the novel keep your interest?  I was reading quickly to find out what happened and then had to reread the last 75+ pages to be sure I fully understood the story.