Clare Leslie Hall, BROKEN COUNTRY

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Clare Leslie Hall, BROKEN COUNTRY" on Totally Booked with Zibby

Release Date: March 5, 2025

---

Introduction

In this engaging episode of Totally Booked with Zibby, host Zibby Owens welcomes novelist and journalist Claire Leslie Hall to discuss her latest novel, "Broken Country". As a Book Club pick for June and Barnes and Noble's pick of the month, "Broken Country" has already garnered significant attention. Claire delves into the inspiration behind her novel, her writing process, character development, and offers valuable advice for aspiring authors.

---

Author Background and Inspiration

Claire Leslie Hall introduces herself as a novelist and journalist residing in Dorset, England. Under the pseudonym Clare Empson, she previously published two domestic noir thrillers—"Hitchhike Him" and "Mine"—which were released in the UK and Germany. "Broken Country" marks her U.S. debut, inspired by literary classics like L.P. Hartley's The Go-Between.

Notable Quote:

“[Broken Country] is a nod to The Go-Between, featuring a forbidden love affair with catastrophic repercussions.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [00:44]

---

Overview of "Broken Country"

"Broken Country" is a multifaceted novel set in the 1960s in a small English village, culminating in a high-stakes murder trial in London. The story centers on Beth, a young woman entangled in a passionate love triangle between two distinct men and lifestyles. The unexpected return of her first love, Gabriel, disrupts her life, weaving together elements of romance, courtroom drama, and mystery.

Plot Highlights:

• Time period: 1960s
• Setting: Small English village and London
• Main Characters: Beth, Gabriel, Frank, Leo
• Themes: Love, loss, grief, and the complexities of human relationships

Notable Quote:

“It's really the story of a young woman, Beth, who's completely torn between two fair different men and two very different lifestyles.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [02:00]

---

Writing Process and Development

Claire shares her extensive writing journey, emphasizing the persistence required to bring "Broken Country" to fruition. She undertook approximately 20 drafts over four years, constantly evolving the narrative. Initially focused solely on a love story and a man’s death, Claire later incorporated the murder trial element, inspired by real-life observations at London's Old Bailey courthouse.

Research and Inspiration:

• Spent time observing real murder trials at the Old Bailey
• Immersed herself in farm life to authentically depict the rural setting
• Engaged with farmers to understand their lifestyles and challenges

Notable Quotes:

“I spent probably a year going out with farmers on and off... I learned how to milk cows, which was really hard, and I was not very good at it.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [08:58]

“Putting that, breaking it up and putting it through the novel really helped with the suspense.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [06:29]

---

Creating a Living Setting: The Farm as a Character

A significant portion of "Broken Country" is dedicated to depicting farm life, which Claire intentionally crafted to function as a character in its own right. Her firsthand experiences on farms enriched the narrative, allowing her to portray the landscape, seasons, and wildlife with vivid realism.

Impact of Research:

• Enhanced appreciation for the farming lifestyle
• Detailed descriptions of agricultural activities and rural beauty
• Infusion of personal observations into the novel’s setting

Notable Quotes:

“I wanted the farm setting to really be its own character because I could see it like a movie in my head.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [11:13]

“They were noticing beauty in the midst of all the toil. And I thought that was amazing.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [11:28]

---

Themes of Grief and Loss

"Broken Country" poignantly explores themes of grief and loss, particularly through the character of Beth, who grapples with the devastating loss of a child. Claire openly discusses how personal experiences with loss influenced her portrayal of Beth and other characters dealing with grief.

Personal Connection:

• Claire has three children and acknowledges the depth of her portrayal despite not having experienced child loss directly.
• The characters’ struggles with grief mirror Claire’s own experiences with losing her mother during her university years.

Notable Quotes:

“Beth's lot in life... how you can actually get that marriage back on track.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [15:26]

“I lost my mom when I was at university and it took me 20 years to actually sort of deal with it.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [19:21]

---

Character Development and Complexity

Claire delves into the intricate personalities of her characters, particularly focusing on Frank and Jimmy, who both suffer from unresolved grief. Frank immerses himself in work to avoid dealing with his emotions, while Jimmy exhibits volatile behavior as a result of losing his mother at a young age.

Complex Antagonist:

• Tessa Wolf: The mother-in-law is portrayed as a narcissistic and judgmental character, adding tension and conflict in the story. Claire emphasizes her efforts to provide a backstory that adds depth to Tessa, making her more than a one-dimensional antagonist.

Notable Quotes:

“Tessa Wolf... she is an awful sort of snobbish, prejudiced, very judgmental person who’s a troublemaker.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [21:05]

“I had to work quite hard to not make her real pantomime baddie.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [21:50]

---

Writing Challenges and Triumphs

Claire candidly discusses the challenges she faced while writing "Broken Country," including moments of doubt and the temptation to abandon the project. Through persistence and dedication, she overcame these obstacles, emphasizing the importance of continuing despite setbacks.

Key Takeaways:

• Persistence: Continued writing despite advice to give up
• Bravery: Tackling unfamiliar genres like courtroom drama and farming life
• Research: Embracing thorough research to enhance authenticity

Notable Quotes:

“Persistence and not giving up is everything. And I did give this book up twice.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [28:24]

“Be brave in your writing. Don’t be afraid of things. You think you can’t write subjects that you think you don't know enough about.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [28:24]

---

Future Projects and Film Adaptation

Claire reveals that "Broken Country" has been optioned for a film adaptation by a team partnered with Sony 3000 Pictures and Hello Sunshine, the production company behind The Crawdads. While details remain under wraps, she expresses excitement about seeing her characters brought to life on screen.

Additionally, Claire mentions a new writing project centered around a cliff-top hotel and a family, though she humorously notes a temporary loss of inspiration after interacting with a hospital psychiatrist.

Notable Quotes:

“It's a partnership between Sony 3000 Pictures and Hello Sunshine and it's in development.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [23:11]

“I feel like I've already watched the movie. Like, I feel it's all in my head.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [24:15]

---

Advice for Aspiring Authors

Concluding the episode, Claire offers heartfelt advice for writers aiming to pursue their passion:

1. Persistence: Continue writing through challenges and multiple drafts.
2. Bravery: Push beyond genre boundaries and explore unfamiliar themes.
3. Research: Immerse yourself in the subject matter to enhance authenticity.
4. Patience: Understand that exceptional work takes time and multiple revisions.

Notable Quote:

“Don't be afraid of things. You think you can't write subjects that you think you don't know enough about, you know, like farming even. Because actually, half the fun is the research.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [28:24]

---

Conclusion

Zibby Owens wraps up the episode by expressing her excitement for Claire Leslie Hall's future endeavors and the success of "Broken Country". Claire reciprocates the sentiment, highlighting the rewarding experience of sharing her work and connecting with readers through storytelling.

Notable Quote:

“I've loved chatting to you. Thank you for having me.”
— Claire Leslie Hall [30:08]

---

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a deep dive into Claire Leslie Hall's creative process, the intricate layers of "Broken Country", and the universal themes of love, loss, and resilience. Both aspiring and established authors will find Claire's insights invaluable, while listeners are left eagerly anticipating the film adaptation of her compelling novel.

---

For more information on Claire Leslie Hall and her works, visit zibbymedia.com and follow Zibby Owens on Instagram at @zibbyowens.

Transcript

[Zibby Owens]

Hi, this is Zibby Owens and you're.

Listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books. In my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling buzziest or underrated authors and story creators whose work I think.

[Claire Leslie Hall]

Is worth your time.

[Zibby Owens]

As a bookstore owner, publisher, author, and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know, get insider insights and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbymedia.com and follow me on Instagram. Iby Owens.

[Claire Leslie Hall]

Claire Leslie hall is the author of Broken country, which is a Zibby's Book Club pick for June. Claire Leslie hall is a novelist and journalist who lives in the wilds of Dorset, England with her family. Under the name Clare Empson, she published two domestic noir thrillers, Hitchhike him and Mine, that were published in the UK and Germany. She has always loved the go between by L.P. hartley, and broken country is a nod to it. Featuring a forbidden love affair with catastrophic repercussions, Broken family is her U.S. debut. Welcome Claire. Thank you so much for coming on to discuss Broken Country, a novel which, as I've posted about, I am obsessed with. It was so good. Oh my gosh. So thank you.

Oh, thank you so much for saying that. And also thank you for having me. I'm really excited to chat to you today.

Oh, and I saw just yesterday it came out that this is the Barnes and Noble pick for the month, so congratulations.

Thank you. Over the moon.

Oh my gosh. I'm sure it will be the first of many, including mine. A tiny club compared to, you know, Barnes and Noble or whatever, but whatever I can do to get people to read it. I was so immersed and covering my eyes and I don't know, it was like the greatest read. Tell everybody what the book is about, please.

Yeah, so Broken country is about a very passionate love triangle that takes place during the 1960s in a small English village, and it culminates with a big murder trial in London. It's really the story of a young woman, Beth, who's completely torn between two fair different men and two very different lifestyles. And what happens when her first love, Gabriel, unexpectedly returns to the village and turns her life upside down? And there's a courtroom drama going right the way through it and a mystery. So it's kind of like three genres rolled into one because it's primarily Also a novel about love.

Wow. Okay. How did this whole novel come about and take me back through your life and how we got here? Just the quick version of.

Yeah. Oh, quick version. Obsessive bookworm. Book nerd. Book reader. From the moment I could read, which was like, I don't know, five and always writing stories, but. And my family were the same. We just used to. They were both teachers, but a little bit like Beth's parents. And we would go to two libraries, like we were sort of almost gaming the system and get out our full quota of books and read, read, read, read, read. That's what we did. And then I was a journalist when I first. After university, I became a journalist. I did that for like 15 or 20 years. And I was kind of always wanting to be a novelist. And I probably started writing creatively in my 30s. I'm in my 50s now, and it was just a long old hard road trying to get published. But eventually I got there because I actually published two novels before this one that didn't come out in the us. This is my third published novel.

And you used a different name, right? Or did I make that up?

Yeah, my married name and this is my maiden name. It's actually. It's quite nice because both my parents have passed away, but Lesley was my mother's maiden name and hall was my dad's surname. So they're kind of on the front of the book. I like to think.

Oh, I'm sorry, that they're not here to revel in your success.

Thank you.

Oh, my gosh. The books. The previous books did. Was it also. Were they also lots of genres sort of mixed in one or.

Yes, you know. Yes, I really think they were. So the first novel which was called him, it's being republished excitingly in America and it's going to be called Pictures of Him. And I remember I've actually got a new agent now, but I remember that the agent I had at the time, and this was 2017, I remember her saying, it's a very hard book to pitch because it's a love story and it's a sort of thriller and it's a suspense. And I think maybe, you know, as authors, you are sort of expected to stay in your lane, particularly then. But I don't know if the market has changed, but when my new agent put this book out on submission, I saw that what she put in the headline was Love Story with the Pulse of a Thriller. So it's like she's making a virtue of it. And I think I Just love stories that combine suspense and love stories and mystery. You know, I think I love things like my all time favorite, maybe the Great Gatsby. When you think about it, there's a love story, there's a murder or something like the Secret history same, you know, love stories, dramas, murder. So I love to read those books and I just. And I don't seem to be able to write any other way. I don't think I can write to fit a genre for some reason.

That's fine. You don't need to fit a genre.

I think it's fine.

Of course it's fine. Obviously it works. It works. I am excited to go back and read your other books now that I've read this one. One of the neat things that you do is you don't even know who is on trial in the book at first. Right. We have to learn, we have to uncover so much and why they're on trial. And you just give us these little things. And I remember at one point someone said for writing advice, you have to trust that the reader is smart enough to follow. Even if you don't give them everything they need to know, they will get it and they will be able to stay with it. Tell me a little bit about how you unveiled the pacing of that and interweaving it and just from a technical standpoint, even how you decided to do it or if it just happened that way.

Yeah, well, I would say so the book, from start to finish, the idea came very, very quickly to me and I couldn't wait to write it. But the actual writing of the story, I'm gonna say probably 20 drafts and four years, and it changed in layers. So it was always a love story. There was always a man who died. I always knew who died and how. But it was only around two years in, for example, that I decided I wanted to write a murder trial. And I. I'd never written any courtroom drama before, so I wasn't sure if I could do it. And I went and there's a very famous old courthouse in London called the Old Bailey and you can actually sit in the public gallery and watch a murder trial. So I watched a murder trial for a week and it was so colorful and so inspiring. And then I came back and wrote my own version of it. And I think putting that, breaking it up and putting it through the novel really helped with the suspense. Plus I think some of the twists. Without giving any spoilers, there's one particular twist at the end and I had that idea right at the start. And I thought, no way. That's way too difficult to pull off. And then I. I've got it because I posted on Insta when the. When a twist drops out of the sky. It was literally two and a half years into writing the book, or three years, And I went, but of course you have to do it. So then there was a lot of going back and the timeline, making it all stack up where, you know what that's like, it's so difficult. And so I guess it came. What I would say is those sort of breadcrumbs and twists, they came in in stages, in layers. I didn't start out with all of them, although the love triangle at the heart of it, the man who dies, all of that I had from day one.

Wow. So exciting. So you have a lot of farm life. You have all these different lives, right? You have the, you know, the posh, sort of more castle Y type life. And then you have the farm life, and you have the Oxford dorm room, and you take us all over, right? Tell me a little more about the farm life, because the farm itself becomes a type of character. And I now honestly think of, you know, animals on farm, like, very differently from how you describe them. And, you know, giving birth, the animals giving birth. And, I mean, all of it felt so incredibly real. Tell us about that part of it.

I'm so thrilled. Thank you so much. I'm so thrilled you feel like that, because that's kind of the experience that I had, too. We live in a farmhouse surrounded by fields. And, you know, the idea came because a farmer threatened to shoot our very young dog when he strayed into a field of lambs, and that didn't happen, but I did get the luck love triangle pop into my head. And I could just see them so clearly in their field of sheep. Frank and Beth and, you know, Leo running towards them and his father behind. And once I decided I wanted it to be a farm, a story about a farming couple, I realized I didn't know that much about farming, even though I'm surrounded by farmland. And so I spent probably a year going out with farmers on and off. You know, I went lambing. I learned how to milk cows, which was really hard, and I was not very good at it. And I went harvesting, and I. And I stayed with a couple who were quite inspiring for me, actually. A couple on a very small farm who were just obsessed, you know, it was not. I could see that it was a life that, you know, didn't have a lot of financial reward, but they were Both, they could never have considered anything else. And she took me out and she showed me this hide that her husband, who's also called Frank, had built for her and how she used to just watch these nesting birds. And I. And it was just. She was obsessed. She knew every plant, she knew every bird. And it kind of. A lot of that went into my heart and I think really also opened my own eyes. And I realized that, you know, I. I walk in these beautiful fields every day with my dog, but I wasn't looking and I wasn't listening and I wasn't noticing. So now I think it's made me really appreciate the scene seasons and the different birds and the wildlife and the landscape in a way that I just didn't before. I think I just sort of existed within it without properly noticing it. So I hope that's something that comes across in the book because I wanted the farm setting to really be its own character because I could see it like a movie in my head because it's my landscape. I can just sort of almost, scene by scene, I know where they are. I can see them.

Well, I honestly have such a newfound respect for the farming life. And not that I didn't have respect, I just didn't like you. I just didn't know enough. And now I feel like I've gotten such a glimpse and they're such stewards of our world, really.

I mean, that's exactly it, you know, and every single time with each of these farmers, there would be a moment like, I remember I spent quite a lot of time with a farmer called Albert, and we went combine harvesting and for a day, and he was just talking, and then he'd say, look at that. And it would be a red kite just sort of soaring up in front of us. And I just thought that they noticed. They were noticing beauty in the midst of all the toil. And I thought that was amazing. I thought how they are stewards and they. That, you know, they're caring for the land for generations. And the land is so important to them. And I think we take it for granted. I know I did. Anyway, so, yeah, that was a really big sort of. Probably the thing that's changed my life the most in the writing of the book.

Wow. Well, there is so much loss in the book. And you write so beautifully about child loss, which I don't think is giving anything away. It's sort of from the very beginning, you know, that this is Beth's lot in life. And how did you tap into that? Like, it felt so incredibly real. So sad. So poignant.

[Zibby Owens]

Today's episode is sponsored by Wayfair. My personal style is simple, classic, elegant and timeless. And with Wayfair I'm able to achieve all of that in all of my home and office design needs. Recently my tween daughter wanted to get a vanity for her bedroom and I said, okay, well let's go on Wayfair and check it out. And she said, well, let me look at all these other sites. And I said no, no, no way. So she googled it and guessa came up the perfect product on Wayfair, which we ordered and we got in our home within two days. Like everything I get from Wayfair, this item is durable, great quality, looks great and fits in with our whole style aesthetic in our home, which is classic and elegant. It goes with her wallpaper and I'm just obsessed with it. As I've said on this podcast before, I've gotten all my office furniture from Wayfair and I am honestly such a huge, huge fan fan. So head over to Wayfair.com and find something that's just your style today. That's W a Y F A I R.com Wayfair Every style, every home. Today's episode is sponsored by Acorns. Acorns is a financial wellness app that makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future. You don't need to be an expert. Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that matches you and your money goals. You don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you get started with the spare money you've got right now, even if all you've got is spare change. Here's a fact that may not surprise you. 66% of men are investing in the stock market compared to just 48% of women. Here's another one that won't surprise you either. Multiple studies have shown that women are better investors than men. Why? Because men are overconfident and women actually do their research. The investing gap means less. Women have the chance to build wealth now and can have huge repercussions down the road when it comes time for them to retire. The good news is that Acorns makes it easy for everyone to start investing, even kids. I have my kids invest their allowance in Acorns and they get to see it grow over time, which is really exciting and empowering for them and unites us as a family. Sign up now and join the over 13 million all time customers who have already saved and invested over $22 billion with Acorns head to acorns.com books or download the Acorns app to get started. Paid client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns tier one compensation provided investing involves risk. Acorn Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor. Few important [e-mail] books yeah, I mean.

[Claire Leslie Hall]

You know, I have three children. I'm very grateful that I can say they're all alive and well. And as an author, I probably would have swayed away from something, imagining something quite so painful and devastating as losing a child. But the story arrived and Beth arrived almost fully formed. I knew who she was and I knew that she was this woman who was grieving. And I knew that her husband Frank was so. Sort of had so much guilt, he couldn't give her the space to grieve or even to remember him. So I just imagined all of that. And I think, you know, as a mother, it's. You can imagine it, can't you? Just that it's a loss you'll never recover from and also how it would implode a marriage and whether you can actually get that marriage back on track. And actually, funnily enough, when I'm. I was on submission with the novel, I had this really exciting zoom call with some. Some film producers who were interested in the option. And one of the very first questions they said to me was, we thought that you must have experienced child loss. And I said, well, actually, no, that isn't my experience. You know, I imagined. Put myself in Beth's shoes, and I imagined what that would be like and how hard it would be to recover from it. But then afterwards, I thought that I do connect with Frank and Jimmy's loss because they lose their mom when they're young, which is what happened to me, and they both don't process it and they both don't cope with their grief, and it really forms their character. So Jimmy, who loses his mother when he's nine, becomes very volatile. He drinks too much, he's occasionally violent, he's always in trouble. And what that is is he stopped caring about himself because his mom's not there. And his dad was a 1950s man who didn't know how to give him the tools to process it. And the same, really, with Frank. You know, he just. The way he deals with his grief is just to throw himself into his hard work and to just ignore it. You know, just get on and get on. And. And I was like that, too, because I lost my mom when I was at university and it took me 20 years to actually Sort of deal with it really. And I, so I felt afterwards I, I, I can see myself in Frank and Jimmy. It was just funny, isn't it? But I, I knew how to write those characters but while I was writing them I didn't realize it was kind of my own personal stuff going in. Wow.

And you even say in the book at one point that, that Jimmy basically stopped developing. Like he just was arrested in his maturity from that age. Like, not that he couldn't care for himself, just, he just couldn't move on from there. And it was, it's almost that, not childish but that like processing level that, you know, I mean, I have a 10 year old here. Like, what can you possibly, how can you process something so big and know how to put it in the right box and go on with your life? It's so hard. So anyway, I thought that was beautiful.

Yeah, yeah, no, I agree. I think he was, he's stuck at that age. Unfortunate. Yeah.

Can I ask what happened to your mom? I'm so sorry.

Oh, yes. She had cancer and I was at university. Yeah. So I was sort of 500 miles away from home. And what was this was the end of the 80s. And what was strange about it was that of course, you know, we didn't talk about grief and mental health in those days. And also everyone was 20, all my friends were 20. And I just remember, and we lived in Cambridge. I remember, you know, she died at the beginning of the summer and we went back, I went back in the October and no one said anything and I was like, oh, wow, you mean I've just got to carry on and this seismic thing has happened and so that became very unhealthy because I just zipped it up and carried on. And as we know, you can't really do that, so. Yeah, but it was a very long time ago.

Oh yes. It will come out sideways if you don't.

Everything comes out. No matter how much you try and squash it back down, it just doesn't work, does it?

Have you read the Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith? She wrote a memoir about losing her mother in college. I don't know if you've read it.

No, but I'm going to read it. I think. No, that sounds great.

Yeah. I think there are some similarities. I mean, it's her real story. But just like holding all of that at once, the school and the dating and the loss and all of it, it's such, you know, not that there's ever a good age to lose a parent, but it's very unique.

Never a good age, but there's something about. But actually it's interesting because my children are now the age that I was. My daughter is, well, she's just turned 23, actually. And it's just so interesting seeing how they are. Like, some of them, a couple of them, their parents have, have fallen ill. And they're always saying to me, I don't know whether to say anything. I, I, I don't know whether to talk to them. I, I don't want to make them sad. And that made me realize of. That's really what it is, isn't it? It's when you're young, you don't realize you're so nervous of upsetting your friends. But equally, I do notice in their generation that they do talk to their friends and they do share their problems. It's kind of amazing. I'm so thrilled to see how much more open they are.

One of my roommates in college lost her father while we were there. And I remember us all sort of taking a plane to go to the funeral and then coming right back and even just being in that setting and then coming right back in and jumping in to, like, dropping off our laundry and going to the dining hall. It's like, wait, weren't we just in that giant church with all those people? And how are we here now? It's like whiplash.

Yeah, that's exactly what it's like. And there's so much pressure on you when you're young to be seen to be having a good time. And that's, you know, it's a very difficult age. And I also think when I look back on it, I was 21. You're not really an adult at 21. You think you are, but emotionally, you definitely are not, I would say.

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Well, you also have, like, this horrific mother character in the book, too, that she's, like, going a complete other direction of. Like, what would the worst in law. What could your worst possible dream in law be? Is this woman, right? Like, this complete narcissist? I know you give her a backstory that makes us somewhat sympathetic, but, like, not enough. Tell me about that.

Oh, yeah, I totally agree. Tessa Wolf. I mean, I had to work quite hard to not make her real pantomime baddie, but she is, she's a awful sort of snobbish, prejudiced, very judgmental person who. And a troublemaker. She really, who has had, she's had some disappointments in her life. She loves her son too much. But in the wrong way. And she's responsible for really. For a lot of trouble that Beth finds herself in. She just is. Yeah, she was great fun to write. And I suppose there isn't one single person that I've based her on, but actually there is a line in the book. I'm prepared to out them. I won't. No names. Yeah. I remember staying with somebody special. Parents. They were such snobs when I was like 20 or something. And we all had dinner with the parents and then I stood up and I started to pile the plates one on top of each other. And he said, we don't stack in this house. And it was like. And I was so crushed. So that went in the book.

That is so funny.

So I do know a few sort of. Yes. Not. Not as bad as Tessa. But. Yeah, I've seen. I've seen a few people with traits like that.

Not to throw my mom under the bus or anything, but she also has a stacking issue.

Yeah. I think that maybe it must be bad manners or something.

I guess so. I don't know. But now I've like, you know, now I take pride in how many I can put on my arm at the same time. We all are reactions to how we grew up or something like that. You mentioned you had been early on talking to film producers. Is there. I know there you put in your bio on Instagram that there is a film in the works. Can you talk about that or.

I can only say that they've bought the option. It's really exciting. And it's the team who made the Crawdads. So it's. It's a partnership between Sony 3000 Pictures and hello Sunshine and it's in development. That's. That's as much as I know. But I'm. I'm really. I think they've attached script writers, so fingers crossed. It would just mean the world to me to see those characters on screen.

I feel like I've already. I've already watched the movie. Like, I feel it's all in my head. I feel like it's so visual the way you wrote it.

Oh, Zivia, I love that. That's. That's exactly how I feel. I just feel like I'm just seeing it.

Yeah, it's. Yeah.

Well, you're going to have to come to Dorset and then you can see the landscape.

Oh, I would love to. Oh, my gosh, that would be amazing. Well, how fun to get to go through all that casting and everything. I have to say, this is literally the Only book in my lifetime ever where I handed it to my son, who I like, read with every night. And I handed it and I was like, I can't. Just tell me what it says. When it was the verdict, I just couldn't read it myself. I just couldn't. I was like, oh, my God, tell me. No, don't tell me.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay, tell me.

[Claire Leslie Hall]

Oh, I love that. That's so great.

Anyway, it was, yeah, very immersive and everything. Which character do you miss the most? Who do you wish you could continue writing about, if anybody? Or would you continue writing about anybody?

That's a really good question. It might be Frank, I guess. Oh, I don't know. I really miss Beth and Gabriel. And actually I've got a playlist and I. I've got two playlists. I've got a broken country playlist, which is on Spotify, which is kind of like songs from the book. And particularly a song that makes me think of Frank and Beth is Elvis Can't Help Falling in Love because they're at the wedding and they're dancing and. And so when I sort of miss the characters, I'm. I know it sounds a bit sad, but I put the playlist on and then I can just sort of get back there with them. I think Frank. I'm going to choose Frank because he was the one when the book was really hard. It was always because of Frank. I went back and I needed to know how his life ended and it would be nice to know how it carried on. So, yeah, I'm gonna go with Frank.

Maybe you could do one of those bonus chapters that's never published, but it's just your imagination and I don't know, it's almost like it doesn't count, but we get to peek into your brain or what might happen.

Yeah, that would be brilliant.

That would be fun. That and some sort of a destination, you know, broken country house where we could all go and groups could gather and, you know, experience the farming. I mean, that would be so.

That would be so. Well, yeah, my house is, you know, it's definitely authentic.

Yeah, I've just invited myself, basically, what happened? So.

And actually you come in part of the tour. I would take you to of the broken country tour. I'll take you to the publisher, the Compasses, because it's exactly like it is in the book. It's really oldie worldy. It's like this 16, 16th century coaching in. It's amazing.

I mean, literally in the book, I feel like I could hear the door open Right. It's just like. Yeah, yeah. It's just so great.

Like Straw Dogs, you know, the film when they. Everyone turns around. It's not like that. It's not. But that's what I stood. A picture.

Oh, my gosh. Wait, so are you writing anything else now?

I started something, and it was a sort of an old idea which I kind of revived, and I was all guns blazing. I've got. What I've got is a setting and a family, and it's a sort of cliff top hotel. So I've got that. But funnily enough, I actually sort of haven't really got time at the moment. But I started. I wrote 5,000 words. I'm like, yes, I'm in. Brilliant. And then there was a thread that had a hospital psychiatrist in it, and a friend of mine very kindly organized for me to go to this hospital and have a tour, which was amazing. And I met the psychiatrist, and that was amazing. She was very generous, and she gave me so much really colorful stuff. And then when I got home, I went, oh, I don't want to write it anymore. Unfortunately, I don't want to write about a hospital psychiatrist. So I'm looking for inspiration.

Wow.

Well, I'm sure I've got half an idea.

I would say, wow, amazing. Okay. What advice would you give for aspiring authors, particularly on the keep going variety? And you know why you didn't give up on this project?

Yeah, 100%. I mean, there are two things I would say. Persistence and not giving up is everything. And I did give this book up twice. I was actually advised to give it up, and I did. And I started writing this new book. And then I was like, I can't bear not to write it or to be with these characters. And so I think keeping going, accepting that it's just not going to be as good as the idea in your head at the beginning. And it's, you know, really, it might be 20 drafts, and that's fine. You just have to keep going. Because the more you keep going, the more you edit and also the more you step away and have a break, because I think those breaks really helped me and then go back to it with fresh eyes. The more you will eventually get there. And one other thing that I think I've learned with this book is to be brave in your writing. And I think if you're writing something, of course, everyone says, write what you know, but I think if you're writing something that you think, oh, I don't know if I can write like that. Like, for example, for me to write a courtroom drama, it's almost always when you push yourself to do those things that the best things come. That's what I've learned. And so I think don't be afraid of things. You think you can't write subjects that you think you don't know enough about, you know, like farming even. Because actually, half the fun is the research. So I think being a little bit brave and also just keep going. That's it.

I love it. Oh, my gosh. Well, Claire, I'm so excited for all the exciting, fabulous things to come with this book once it comes out. I am just so enamored by it and so excited for you. So thank you so much.

Oh, thank you so much. I've loved chatting to you. Thank you for having me.

Okay, Have a great day. Thank you. Bye. Bye.

Bye. Bye.

[Zibby Owens]

Thank you for listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to read Books. If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review, follow me on Instagram ippyowens, and spread the word. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.