Broken Country

I enjoyed the concept of Broken Country more than the book itself, which is surprising as on paper it sounded like the kind of book I enjoy. A love triangle, set in the English countryside, a tragedy in the past, and a murder trial hanging over them all should have made for a very gripping read. The narrative alternates between various years as Beth reflects on her first love, Gabriel; her stable existence with her husband Frank; and the terrible events that have brought a man to stand in court charged with murder. The beginning of the trial is strong and gets you wondering, and I appreciated the build-up in the book to show what happened rather than just dumping it on you. The idea of Beth's love for two men in different ways was interesting too, and the background of the grief over her son was always there, adding emotional weight to the story.

Despite the many positive aspects of the story, I was not always engaged as I would have liked to be. The writing is very careful and quiet, at times too careful, and the slow pace meant that parts of the middle were longer than they should have been. I took time to see how the characters felt, how they made decisions, etc., and I understood that this was what the author was trying to do, but at times I wished the story would go faster, particularly when the trial was referred to but not fully explained for a long time. Also, I felt a little distant from Beth at times. I could see her dilemma with Frank and Gabriel, but I didn't feel as much as the book suggested. The farm life and past scenes were well written but dragged on for too long and the mystery element of the story lost some tension.

The best thing for me was the atmosphere and the themes the book was trying to discuss. The farm’s setting, the memories of Beth's son, and the way the story illustrates how one decision can impact many lives were all well done. I appreciated that it was not solely a romance story, but also one of guilt, loss and the fact that sometimes good people can make mistakes that can never be rectified. The trial sections were particularly fascinating as they were a reminder that all of what we were reading was about something serious, although it might take a while to get there. The truth is revealed towards the end, and it is appropriate for the story, although it is not an exciting or dramatic ending.

In the end, it is a book which I value more than I like. I can see why a lot of readers would really relate to its slow, emotional pace; but for me, it didn't execute quite well with how good the concept was. I wanted more of a pull towards the characters and more tension during the mystery, but the book remained very calm throughout. I'm glad that I read it though as there were thoughtful moments and depth to the story, even if it wasn't quite for me. I would rate it at 3 out of 5 stars, because the concept, the setting, and the themes were strong, but the pacing and emotional distance kept it from being as powerful as it could have been.