Book Clubs

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters Discussion Join us in our book club discussion of The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters The Devil Finds Work by James Baldwin Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Devil Finds Work by James Baldwin Babylonia by Costanza Casati Discussion Please join us in our book club discussion of Babylonia by Costanza Casati. A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner. Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange Discussion Please join us in our book club discussion of Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian Book Club Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian. Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan Discussion Join BookBrowse for a book club discussion of Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor The Memory Library by Kate Storey Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Memory Library by Kate Storey. In Our Midst by Nancy Jensen Discussion Join us in our book club discussion of In Our Midst by Nancy Jensen. The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Let's Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen Discussion Please join us in our book club discussion of Let’s Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Discussion Please join us in our book club discussion of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. The Wager by David Grann Discussion Please join us in our book club discussion of The Wager by David Grann. The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris The Tapestry of Time by Kate Heartfield Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Tapestry of Time by Kate Heartfield The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods. The Lamplighter's Bookshop by Sophie Austin Please join BookBrowse in our discussion of The Lamplighter’s Bookshop by Sophie Austin The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian Real Americans by Rachel Khong Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of Real Americans by Rachel Khong The Lilac People by Milo Todd Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Lilac People by Milo Todd. The Husbands by Holly Gramazio Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of The Husbands by Holly Gramazio Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung Discussion Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung.

Topic	Replies	Views	Activity
About the Book Clubs category Book Clubs	0	36	October 14, 2024
Before Beth and Gabriel consummate their affair, do you think Beth is being fair to Frank by concealing the extent of her emotional connection to Gabriel? Can someone fully move on from a past relationship if they haven’t completely healed from it? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	11	27	July 9, 2025
Beth keeps a favorite photograph in her purse of Bobby (p. 123). Do you think this helped or hurt her healing? Do you keep a photo of a loved one with you at all times? Why or why not? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	14	34	July 9, 2025
What audience would you recommend Broken Country to? Is there another book or author you’d recommend that you feel has a similar theme or style? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	9	33	July 8, 2025
Do the rural setting and the natural world have symbolic significance for the characters and the plot? How might the land and country itself mirror the emotional conflicts in the story? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	3	16	July 8, 2025
How did Beth and Frank’s marriage seem to you at the start of the novel? Once you read on, did your perception of their marriage change? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	12	31	July 8, 2025
The novel ends with some explosive consequences and twists. Were you surprised by the revelations at the end? Did you see any of them coming? If so, when? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	12	34	July 8, 2025
What’s your opinion of Frank’s actions after the murder (p. 274)? Did he do the right thing? What would you have done in his place? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	8	19	July 8, 2025
Beth is conflicted because she loves both Gabriel and Frank (p. 132). Do you think she does, in fact, love each of them equally? Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	15	35	July 8, 2025
Discuss Beth’s journey of coming to terms with her son’s death. How does the arrival of Leo and Gabriel affect her ability to cope with that loss? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	6	19	July 8, 2025
If you were Beth, would you have chosen Frank or Gabriel? Why? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	12	32	July 8, 2025
How does Gabriel’s return challenge Beth’s perception of her own life choices? Did you find Beth’s internal struggle between her past self and the woman she has become relatable? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	3	9	July 8, 2025
Discuss the role that grief and loss play in the novel. How do different characters respond to loss? How does the loss of Bobby affect Beth and Frank’s marriage? What role does grief play in shaping Beth’s relationship with Gabriel? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	2	8	July 8, 2025
What do you think the author is saying about the power of first love? Does it always leave a lasting impact? Was Beth’s past love with Gabriel a source of strength or pain for her? How does this effect the way she views herself and her current life? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	7	21	July 8, 2025
Overall, what did you think of Broken Country? (no spoilers, please!) Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	21	70	July 8, 2025
The novel is full of hidden secrets and repressed emotions, especially in the way people in the village react to Gabriel’s return. What role do these secrets play in the novel? How do they affect Beth’s relationships and her sense of self? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	2	8	July 8, 2025
Did you enjoy the way Clare Leslie Hall teased out the details of the murder trial? Who did you initially suspect was on trial? Did it play out the way you thought it would? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	12	29	July 8, 2025
Overall, what did you think of Before Dorothy, and to what audience would you recommend it? (no spoilers, please!) Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor Discussion	39	118	July 8, 2025
Louisa and Beth have a conversation over drinks. What impact do you feel Louisa’s revelations and her opinion that Beth “ruined Gabriel for anyone else” (p. 147) had on Beth’s future actions? Do you think the affair still would have happened? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	2	6	July 7, 2025
Discuss the small-town setting of Broken Country. How did the tight-knit atmosphere of the village contribute to the unfolding drama? Do you think the events of the novel would have played out differently if it weren’t set in a rural farming village? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	8	19	July 7, 2025
Tessa manipulates Beth into thinking Gabriel doesn't care about her (p. 284). Do you think she’s acting in Gabriel’s best interests, or just being cruel? If you were Tessa, what would you have done? What would you have done in Beth’s position? Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Discussion	17	37	July 7, 2025
Have you had experience with a family member or loved one with dementia? What was/is that experience like? The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Discussion	23	71	July 5, 2025
What do you make of Tom’s reaction to Olivia’s confession? Do you think he was overreacting, or were his expectations clear from the beginning? The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Discussion	32	85	July 5, 2025
Olivia and Vincent ultimately publish a theory about the murders in their book. What did you think about the story they chose to tell? Were they justified in taking the route they did? The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Discussion	13	58	July 5, 2025
What are your thoughts on the homesteading life we see among women of Kansas? Do you follow any of these traditional ways of living (making or repairing clothes, canning), or are there any aspects of that life you would like to adopt? If not, why? Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor Discussion	10	25	July 4, 2025
Nell and Emily ended up living in rural communities while Annie was determined to stay in the city. Why do you suppose the girls developed such different desires as they grew older? Do you consider yourself a country girl or a city girl Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor Discussion	9	24	July 4, 2025
In writing Before Dorothy, the author enjoyed weaving in a number of “Easter eggs” as references to The Wizard of Oz. Which did you spot? Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor Discussion	25	62	July 4, 2025
Annie and Emily’s close relationship deteriorates throughout the book as they are pulled in different directions. How did you respond to the breakdown of their connection? Why do you think Annie still chose Emily as Dorothy’s guardian? Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor Discussion	11	31	July 4, 2025
In what ways do you feel Emily’s community supported her? What might her life have been like if she hadn’t been welcomed by Liberal’s women? Do you have a community that supports you? Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor Discussion	11	21	July 4, 2025
Adelaide Watson arrives as a fairy godmother in Emily’s and Dorothy’s lives, renewing their sense of hope and purpose. What were your thoughts on Adelaide and her impact on the other characters’ lives? Do you have a similar person in your own life? Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor Discussion	9	22	July 4, 2025