Between You and Us
A Novel
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Paperback
$18.00
Mar 12, 2024 | 336 Pages
ISBN: 9780593600757
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Ebook
$11.99
Mar 12, 2024 | 336 Pages
ISBN: 9780593600764
About Between You and Us
When a grieving woman unexpectedly steps into a different version of her life, she must choose between the husband she loves and the daughter she lost in this brave, gripping novel.
“A beautiful story that will make you rethink all the moments you’ve wished for a different outcome.”—Johanna Rojas Vann, author of An American Immigrant
Two possible lives to live. One impossible choice to make.
When Leona Warlon heads across the city to meet her husband, David, for a rare dinner out, she hopes they can share a moment of relief after their year of loss. But Leona quickly realizes this is no ordinary date night. She hasn’t just stepped into an upscale ristorante; she’s stepped into a different version of her life. One in which her marriage is no longer tender, in which her days are pressured by her powerful in-laws, and in which her precious baby girl lived.
Now Leona must weigh the bitter and sweet of both trajectories, facing an unimaginable choice: Stay in a world where tragedy hasn’t struck but where the meaningful life she built with David is gone? Or return to a reality that’s filled with struggle and sorrow but also deep and enduring love?
“A beautiful story that will make you rethink all the moments you’ve wished for a different outcome.”—Johanna Rojas Vann, author of An American Immigrant
Two possible lives to live. One impossible choice to make.
When Leona Warlon heads across the city to meet her husband, David, for a rare dinner out, she hopes they can share a moment of relief after their year of loss. But Leona quickly realizes this is no ordinary date night. She hasn’t just stepped into an upscale ristorante; she’s stepped into a different version of her life. One in which her marriage is no longer tender, in which her days are pressured by her powerful in-laws, and in which her precious baby girl lived.
Now Leona must weigh the bitter and sweet of both trajectories, facing an unimaginable choice: Stay in a world where tragedy hasn’t struck but where the meaningful life she built with David is gone? Or return to a reality that’s filled with struggle and sorrow but also deep and enduring love?
Praise
“Powerful, poignant, profound . . . Between You and Us takes the reader on a memorable, slow-motion roller-coaster ride they didn’t know they needed. Broekhuis writes realistic, relatable characters with heart and emotion. This is a debut novel to savor.”—Betsy St. Amant, author of Tacos for Two and The Key to Love
“Broekhuis has penned a beautiful story that will make you rethink all the moments you’ve wished for a different outcome. Moments of tears and moments of joy all come together in this story that culminates in one gut-wrenching decision. Readers will be left wondering, What would I have done?”—Johanna Rojas Vann, author of An American Immigrant
“Broekhuis extracts love’s essence in a story so creative and vivid, so tender and compelling, I scarcely came up for air. Smart, flawless dialogue and fluid plotting build to the unthinkable—and a woman’s decision for her family that readers will ponder for a long, long time.”—Cheryl Grey Bostrom, award-winning author of Sugar Birds and Leaning on Air
“Between You and Us is a masterpiece. With moments of humor and true tenderness, Kendra Broekhuis mines the complexity of longing for what might have been amid the wrenching reality of a life that did not go as planned. Readers will laugh and cry and ultimately consider the roads not traveled in their own beautiful and broken lives. Perfect for book clubs and anyone craving a heartfelt, moving, and ultimately transformative read.”—Nicole Baart, bestselling author of Everything We Didn’t Say and Little Broken Things
About Kendra Broekhuis
Kendra Broekhuis lives in the city of Milwaukee with her family. For her day job, Kendra stays home with four of her children and drives them from one place to another in her minivan. You can find her sarcastic ramblings and serious encouragement—including her grief over losing her baby at thirty-three weeks pregnant—on social media and at her website. Between You and Us is her first novel.Product Details
336 pages | Published by WaterBrook
On Sale Date: Mar 12, 2024
Trim Size: 5-1/2 x 8-1/4
Carton Quantity: 24
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After stepping into an alternate version of her life, Leona Warlon faces an impossible choice: stay in a world where her child is alive but her tender marriage is gone? Or return to an existence filled with grief, but also profound love?Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contact: Elizabeth Groening, Publicity & Marketing Assistant
egroening@penguinrandomhouse.com
Between You and Us
By Kendra Broekhuis
A WaterBrook Novel | March 12, 2024
Nonfiction Writer’s Debut Novel Uses Magical Realism and Humor to Tackle Grief, Alternate Realities, and Family Dramas
Publishers Weekly praises BETWEEN YOU AND US for “perceptive renderings of the nuances of grief, the challenges of healing, and what it means to trust God’s will. There’s plenty to appreciate in this touching tale of loss and renewal.”
What if? That’s the question haunting the pages of Between You and Us by Kendra Broekhuis, WaterBrook’s contemporary novel releasing March 12, 2024. A decade of writing nonfiction, one stillbirth, and countless prayers led Broekhuis to create her first work of fiction – a gripping page turner for anyone second guessing what life may be like if one thing had been different.
Leona, the protagonist of Between You and Us, steps into an alternate version of her life when she meets her husband, David, for their anniversary dinner. It’s obvious to her that in this reality, they’d accepted all the strings attached to David’s parent’s wealth. His demeanor is distant, their home is lavish, and their baby girl, Vera, is alive. The novel follows Leona as she weighs the bitter and sweet of both worlds, ultimately choosing between being with Vera—while also stuck in an unloving marriage with deeply involved and demanding in-laws—or staying in her real life that’s been altered by grief, but with the incredibly kind, funny, and thoughtful man she’s known and loved since college.
Between You and Us touches on heavy topics with a dose of humor and a lot of love, ultimately encouraging readers that even our trauma makes us who we are. Readers of contemporary women’s fiction and inspirational faith fiction will be moved by the message that everything—even the traumatic events of our lives—make us who we are and are aligned with God’s will for our lives. Additionally, women who have experienced unimaginable loss will be comforted by Leona’s laments and realizations.
"My desire is that throughout this book, readers will experience safe spaces to lament life's sorrows while finding glimmering reminders of hope,” writes Kendra.
For more information, visit www.waterbrookmultnomah.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kendra Broekhuis is the Milwaukee-based author of Between You and Us, her first novel. Throughout 10+ years of writing nonfiction, her work appeared in Banner, Crosswalk, and Relevant, and she authored Here Goes Nothing: An Introvert’s Reckless Attempt to Love Her Neighbor. For her day job, Kendra stays home with four of her children and drives them from one place to another in her minivan. You can find her sarcastic ramblings and serious encouragement—including the grief of losing her baby at thirty-three weeks pregnant at KendraBroekhuis.com.
Instagram: @kendrabroekhuis
Goodreads: @kendra_broekhuis
Facebook: @kendrabroekhuisauthor
TALKING POINTS
· Switching to fiction. After writing nonfiction for more than a decade, Kendra was burned out. She’s always preferred reading fiction, and in the summer of 2021, she prayed for plot ideas and soon felt inspired to begin her fictional debut, Between You and Us. Kendra can speak to what she enjoyed about this transition, how the process of novel writing challenged her, and dealing with rejection. She can also discuss how this new chapter of fiction writing has the potential to change the way she uses social media to connect with her readers.
· Living through loss. Leona, the protagonist in Kendra’s novel, is faced with the difficult choice between a life with her loving husband and another reality where her daughter is alive. This complex storyline is inspired by the grief Kendra experienced losing her baby at 33 weeks pregnant in May 2015. She can share her personal story of loss, the common misconceptions of grief, living alongside pain, and having humor alongside heaviness.
· What if? From Sliding Doors to Matthew Haig’s The Midnight Library to the entire Marvel universe, our culture is fascinated with the idea of alternate lives. Kendra can detail the plot of Between You and Us and how she hopes Leona’s story will give readers the chance to lament things they wish were different in their lives, whether the changes they wish for are based on choices they made or based on events they did not choose.
SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is Between You and Us about? What does the title mean in relation to the story?
2. After writing exclusively non-fiction for more than a decade, what led you to write your first novel?
3. What were some unexpected challenges of writing a story that is not only fictional, but one that uses magical realism and even has elements of a romantic comedy?
4. Can you please share about your personal grief that inspired the plot?
5. Though your book includes themes of love and grief, there are many humorous moments. Why was it important for you to include silliness and light alongside Leona’s heavy loss?
6. With Leona alternating between two very different versions of her life, her journey explores the question of what if? … Why do you think our culture is so fascinated with the idea of multiple worlds and parallel timelines?
7. Both Leona and her husband, David, are complex characters, as are their families. What was the biggest challenge when it came to crafting both of their intricate and often difficult family dynamics?
8. Let’s talk about Eden, who’s a Black woman in STEM and is Leona’s best friend. What role does she play in the novel and what inspired her character?
9. Why did you decide to set the book in Milwaukee, where you live, and what themes did you explore through that setting?
10. What emotions do you hope readers experience while reading Between You and Us? And what core message do you hope they take away from it?
BETWEEN YOU AND US
By Kendra Broekhuis
A WaterBrook Trade Paperback | On Sale 3/12/24
ISBN: 9780593600757 | eBook ISBN: 9780593600764
For review copy & interview requests, please contact Elizabeth Groening @ egroening@penguinrandomhouse.com.
