This month, we were delighted to dive into the pages of “Broken Country,” a novel that captivated our more than 100,000-strong community. Joining us for an engaging conversation was the brilliant mind behind this gripping story, Clare Leslie Hall. Clare shares insights and behind-the-scenes stories, like the moment that sparked the story’s inception, set amidst the beautiful yet rugged landscapes of Dorset. A vibrant scene unfolded before her eyes after a real-life encounter involving her husband, a lambing season, and a near-mishap with a local farmer. This vivid vision served as the opening to a love triangle and the unfolding of a poignant narrative.
Transcript for The Girlfriend Book Club’s Clare Leslie Hall interview on “Broken Country”
Filler words have been removed for clarity.
Shelley Emiling: Welcome, everyone, to the Girlfriend Book Club’s monthly discussion! I’m Shelley Emiling, Executive Editor of The Girlfriend newsletter and moderator of the Book Club. This month, our more than 100,000 members selected Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall as our June pick. I devoured it in a single weekend—it stayed with me long after I turned the last page. We’re thrilled to be joined by Clare herself tonight. Welcome, Clare!
Clare Leslie Hall: Hi Shelley! Thank you so much for having me. I’m really excited to talk with you. It’s so nice to be here.
Shelley: This was such an incredible read. First, I have to ask: how did the idea for Broken Country come to you?
Clare: It was honestly a thunderbolt moment. We live in Dorset, where the book is set, in a very old farmhouse surrounded by farmland—but we’re not farmers at all. One day, my husband was running in the fields behind our house during lambing season. He was with our youngest son’s beloved puppy, and the dog strayed into a field of sheep. The farmer threatened to shoot him—he didn’t, the dog is fine—but it sparked this vivid scene in my head.
I saw a farmer and his wife in their field, and a young boy running toward them. I immediately sensed that the boy reminded the couple of a son they’d recently lost in an accident. I also felt there was a strong, possibly romantic connection between the boy’s father and the farmer’s wife. It all fell into place—this love triangle dropped from the sky. That opening scene in the sheep field was always the inciting incident. It held the whole essence of the story for me.
Shelley: I’m so glad the dog is okay! I always ask authors: Was there a scene or character that was especially difficult to write?
Clare: Definitely. Two, actually: Jimmy—Frank’s brother, and Tessa Wolfe, Gabriel’s mother. Jimmy was tough because he had so many flaws. I knew he lost his mother at nine, that he grew up in the 1950s with a father who didn’t help him process grief. He drank too much, acted violently—but I also wanted him to be lovable, a “lovable rogue.” I had to carefully balance those traits.
Tessa Wolfe is essentially the villain, but I didn’t want her to be a caricature. I know more about her backstory than what I put on the page, so I could understand why she behaved the way she did.
Shelley: This is your first book published in the U.S., correct?
Clare: Yes, that’s right—and it’s been a dream come true. I have an amazing team at Simon & Schuster. I’ve been to the States three times and am coming back in the fall. The best part is connecting with readers. After spending four years writing this novel—sometimes painfully—it’s such a joy to talk about the characters with readers like you.
Shelley: Where are you going in the fall?
Clare: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, San Diego—and even Canada!
Shelley: Broken Country crosses genres—romance, mystery, legal drama. Was that intentional?
Clare: It’s just how I write. My first two novels—excitingly, they’ll be published in the U.S. this fall—are also what I call “dark love stories.” I like stories that mix romance, suspense, and even crime. The Great Gatsby is my favorite book, and it’s a love story with a murder. The Secret History is another one.
My first two books were positioned in the U.K. as pure psychological thrillers, but that never felt right to me. With Broken Country, my agent pitched it as “a love story with the pulse of a thriller,” and that clicked. As for the courtroom scenes—I have no legal background! But two and a half years in, I couldn’t stop thinking there needed to be a trial. So I went to the Old Bailey and watched a real murder trial. It was incredibly inspiring.
Shelley: How did you research those trial scenes?
Clare: Besides attending the Old Bailey, I reread To Kill a Mockingbird and Where the Crawdads Sing, which were both helpful. But the best advice came from a retired police detective turned crime writer. I showed him my scenes, worrying about the legal technicalities, and he told me, “Don’t let real life get in the way of the story.” That freed me up. I focused on Beth’s emotional experience, and it all came together.
Shelley: The English countryside felt like a character itself. Was that intentional?
Clare: It became that way. I live surrounded by farmland, but I didn’t know anything about farming, so I spent time with local farmers. I went harvesting and lambing, learned to milk cows, and stayed with a couple on a smallholding. They inspired Frank and Beth. The woman knew every plant and bird—her passion opened my eyes to the harshness and beauty of the land. So yes, I wanted the landscape to feel alive and essential to the story.
Shelley: I read that you originally wrote the story as a contemporary novel, then changed it to the 1950s–60s. Why?
Clare: It just didn’t work in the modern setting. I gave up on it for a while, but couldn’t stop thinking about the characters. One day on holiday, I woke up and just knew: it had to be a woman’s story, and it had to be set in the past. I wanted to explore the class and gender imbalances—how Beth and Gabriel both get into Oxford, but her life is derailed by prejudice, and his isn’t. The 1950s made that contrast stark, especially in rural Britain. I was also inspired by Atonement and The Go-Between, which also explore love across class divides.
Shelley: Beth is such a complex character. How did you develop her?
Clare: She was the one character I had from the start. I knew she was a grieving mother, and although I’ve always shied away from writing about such deep pain, she came to me fully formed. Everything she does—even the flawed decisions—make sense to me because I understand her grief and yearning, not just for her son, but for who she was before.
Shelley: One member wanted to know how you came up with the title Broken Country.
Clare: It went through several titles—originally it was Savages, then This Savage Land. Eventually, Broken Country came to me. I wanted something poetic that reflected the landscape, the broken marriage, and the divisions in the village—between landowners and farmers. My agent loved it and fought to keep it, which I’m so grateful for.
Shelley: Did you always know who Beth would end up with?
Clare: Yes, 100%. That never changed. It’s a tough choice for her—Gabriel represents passion and poetry, Frank is more grounded—but I always knew her ending. I did wish I could’ve given her just a few more weeks with the other guy, though!
Shelley: Another member said they loved how Beth used hard farm work as therapy for her grief. Have you ever done the same?
Clare: Not with physical labor—I’m not very practical! But I’ve used writing as therapy, without realizing it at the time. When I reread my earlier books, I see how much of myself is in them.
Shelley:
When will your first two novels be out in the U.S.?
Clare:
This fall! Pictures of Him and Days You Were Mine. I’m thrilled with the beautiful covers Simon & Schuster created. Days You Were Mine is about an adopted son reconnecting with his birth mother. Part of it is set in Southwold, and the cover features the exact street I had in mind—it felt like fate.
Shelley: Any recent books you’ve loved and recommend?
Clare: Yes! Leaving by Roxana Robinson—an incredible story of first love returning in your sixties. And The Death of Us by Abigail Dean. It’s technically a crime novel, but at its heart is a powerful story about a long marriage. I also loved The Wedding People—it completely subverted my expectations. That’s the kind of book I adore.
Shelley: Was it hard to write Beth at different life stages?
Clare: It wasn’t, but I was very careful to get her emotional journey right, especially her grief. I lost my mother young, so I understood some of that pain. I loved writing teenage Beth—her first love was so visceral. My daughter was going through a similar experience at the time, and when she read the manuscript, she said, “That’s me, isn’t it?” First love never really changes, does it?
Shelley: How about Frank? Was he hard to write?
Clare: He was my favorite. When I got stuck on the book, it was Frank who pulled me back. There’s a scene of him sitting on a tree stump—it was in every draft. I couldn’t give up on him. His emotional journey—especially accepting grief—is so powerful. I didn’t even realize that at first, but by the end, I understood.
Shelley: Did it really take you four years to write?
Clare: Yes, with a few long breaks. I got sidetracked by over-researching farming and animal rights activism. It took stepping away for me to realize it needed to be a period novel centered on a woman’s story. Once I returned, the story had crystallized.
Shelley: What’s your writing routine like?
Clare: I usually write for about five hours a day. I love it—I can sit in my little office and just write. But with my new novel, I’m trying to be kinder to myself. If it’s not working, I step away. I want it to feel like a love affair—I leave the desk while I’m still enjoying it.
Shelley: Can you share anything about your next novel? And is Broken Country being made into a movie or series?
Clare: Exciting news—Broken Country has been optioned by Hello Sunshine and Sony! Two screenwriters are attached, and they happen to have a home in my part of Dorset, which feels very promising.
As for the next book, I’m 10,000 words in and loving it. It’s set at a clifftop hotel on the Jurassic Coast and follows a young widow and widower who fall in love, reluctantly. There are two love stories and a murder. I promise it won’t take four years this time!
Shelley: Final question: The Girlfriend is all about female friendship. What do you love to do with your friends?
Clare: I just love hanging out and laughing with them. My husband works in music and is putting on a Robbie Williams concert this weekend. I’m going with all my girlfriends, and I plan to stand in the field, holding hands with my best friend, feeling emotional. That’s my kind of fun.
Shelley: That sounds wonderful. Thank you again, Clare! For everyone watching, the book is Broken Country—if you haven’t read it, please do. I’ll be posting some discussion starters so we can all keep the conversation going.
And don’t forget—our July Author Talk will feature Patti Callahan Henry discussing The Story She Left Behind on July 15 at 7:30 PM. Thanks again, everyone!
