Broken Country

Monday April 28

It's hard not to let your general mood affect how you perceive the world around you.  As I'm reading Broken Country I'm in a not so pleasant mood having to deal with no ones favorite subject - having to deal with government to correct a tax issue being on interminable hold  with the berating music in the background.   But I've been dealing with government hassles for as long as I've run my businesses which is now over 20 years.  Why so frustarated and glum this time around.  There has to be something more.  

Present 

I decided to start the review about 60% of the way into the book.  At this point in the book I am well disgusted with the main character in whose voice the book is told - Beth.  The Book starts with the reader being told of a murder trial of someone who Beth loves without being told who that is or who was murdered.  As the book goes back and forth in time this can either be Beth's first love, the wealthy sauve fancy pants Gabriel or Beth's husband Frank who smells like cow dung from working the soil.   

Before

There are some people who never outgrow their childhold nicknames.  Even though they grow up to be successful doctors, fall in love, get married and have three young boys including a set of twins.  To us she will always be Goodie.  Even now in her 30s she is Goodie to us all.  

Present

Beth has made many poor choices in her life.  And we all make poor choices however the enormity of those choices is what it so outstanding.  The first being so jealous of Gabriel that she breaks up with him after reading his diary and erroneosly believing he was having an affair with Louisa - a girl of the similar economic position as Gabriel.  She is so distraught over him that she gets on a bus and declines a seat at Oxford for fear of running into them.  She also in a rebound move marries Frank, a local boy whose lot in life was to tend the family farm,  who had previously been snubbed by Beth for Gabriel.  Gabriel seemingly validates Beths fears when he marries Louisa after gettting her pregnant with Leo. 

Before

My mom who lives with us is the bearer of news relating to matters of our rather large extended family.  Graduations, surgeries, weddings, other peoples trips, and on and on as my mom likes to talk.  So it was rather shocking when she in a rather low voice informs us that Goodies husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor and that they are giving him the best treatment as the family is exploring all sorts of options.  

Present 

The one topic that continually repeats itself is the death of Beth and Franks only child, Bobby.  We are told of her reason for not wanting another child - something about not wanting to spend less time with her son, Bobby with whom Beth has grown overly attached - when Bobby starts kindergarden its Bobby who asks his mom if she will be okay without him.   Throughout the book we are told that Bobby has died and that has caused an unfixable trauma in Beth and Frank.  That is understandable when we find out that Bobby was killed by a fallen tree that Frank was overseeing the removal.  No doubt that didn't endear Frank to Beth and no doubt thats a rationalization that seems convenient.  

Before

My mom updates us on Goodies husband and informs us that he has suffered complications and picked up some infections and it doesn't look good.  We didn't know Goodies husband however the prospect of someone in our family having to suffer so much is painful.  As a father I felt the pain of boys losing their father.  As a husband I felt her pain of losing hers.  As a 50 something, I felt my own mortality whenever someone younger or your age dies.  

Present

With this as background, the stars align and Louisa has left Gabriel and their son.  Gabriel returns to the Village and hires Beth to take care of Leo after school.  Nothing awkward or improper about that.  Later Louisa comes back to surprise Leo and takes Beth out to the Pub where she tells him that Gabriel and her still have a chance.  Again, nothing strange about that .  So to no one's surprise at Franks brother's wedding, Gabriel and Beth make out and the affair starts anew.  Jimmy, Frank's brother is more distraught when this affair is uncovered as opposed to Frank who seemingly is okay with it.  And here is where the plot twists come fast and furious.

Before

You were my heart, my soul, my confidante. You were my partner in every adventure but also my quiet strength when life felt overwhelming. You taught me what resilience truly means, and how to be thankful for every extra day, hour and minute we had with each other and our three beautiful boys. You fought tirelessly all while being a pillar of positivity for us all. Even in your darkest of days, you selflessly gave me comfort and security. You were my today but unfortunately no longer my tomorrow. I don’t know how my world is going to turn without you in it. Heaven didn’t just gain an angel, it gained a WARRIOR! 

Present

Plot twist 1:  The trial was for Frank murdering and/or manslaughtering his brother Jimmy.  Apparantly Jimmy in a fit of drunken rage goes over to Gabriel's house with a shotgun and Beth happens to be there to warn Gabriel.  Jimmy then ends up going back to Franks house and Frank in defending himself shoots Jimmy with the gun.  

Plot twist 2:  Bobby isn't Franks son but Gabriel's.  Apparantly when Beth broke up with Gabriel she was so upset that she didn't tell Gabriel of his son.  To further her redemption,l Gabriels mom paid her 1000 pounds to keep this small bit of information from Gabriel.  And she was kicked out of Oxford for being pregnant.  Frank knows this and decides to marry Beth to spare her the awkwardness of having an illegitmate son.  Which somehow is why is was forgiving of Beth rekindling an affair with Gabriel?  Cause he was responsible in some way for killing Gabriel's son.  

Plot twist 3 twisting Plot twist 1:  Frank didn't kill Jimmy, it was Leo, Gabriels son who did.  When they go back to Franks house, Jimmy made another attempt to strangle Gabriel and Leo walked in as saw this and shot Jimmy with a shotgun he picked up.  So they all made up a story to spare Leo from having to testify and suffer as a minor with a plausible defense and instead saw fit to have Frank take the rap for something he didn't do.  Again guilt?  

Plot twist 4:  So Beth got back with Frank after her recent affair with Gabriel was exposed and stopped using contraception and has a baby with what this time we presume to be Franks (before that can be subverted) and we have a - and they all lived happily ever after - ending with Frank getting out of jail after serving 5 years running into the arms of Grace his daughter and Beth.  

May 4th

Goodies husband's funeral. There are not always happily ever after endings.  

The family kindly requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Brain Tumor Research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

https://medicine.givenow.columbia.edu/?alloc=16367