Between You and Us

A Novel

By: Kendra Broekhuis

Narrated by: Anna Caputo

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?

Critic reviews

“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

Such a great book!!

It was Such a great book to listen to! I really really enjoyed it!! it was not what I expected it to be at all and very, very entertaining and kept attention the entire time!

This book had potential

The book and storyline had potential but it did not pass the believability test.
The main characters were likable and engaging but the storyline missed the mark. I won’t say more as I don’t want to ruin the plot for other readers.

Very hard to follow until the end

Would not recommend this to my book club or friends. The story was hard to follow and didn’t make any sense until the end when they invented an alternate universe after the child died.

Not at all what I expected

I do not know what I was expecting but this book was painful to listen to and I was so glad when it was finally finished.

Regret

The dialogue and plot line were both irritating. I liked the initial premise, but it just bogged down.