08/20/2018
Iowa school teacher Jess Chamberlain, the heroine of this harrowing domestic thriller from Baart (Little Broken Things), and her husband, Evan, a family practitioner, have been separated for six months, and it’s been hard on their 13-year-old son, Max, and their six-year-old adopted son, Gabe. When Evan is killed in a hunting accident in Minnesota, Jess is shocked and suspicious, especially since Evan didn’t hunt. With the support of her family and friends, Jess struggles to move on from the death of a man she still loved. As Jess attempts to retrace Evan’s steps leading up to what becomes increasingly clear was his murder, she discovers that Evan was communicating with Gabe’s birth mother and may have been onto something that hits very close to home. Heartbreaking letters and emails sent by Gabe’s birth mother to various others, including Gabe, add emotional heft. Baart sensitively mines the bonds of motherhood and marriage while shining a light on a darker side of the adoption industry. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Brown & Miller Literary Assoc. (Oct.)
"Tense, emotionally-charged, and at times frightening, You Were Always Mine opened my eyes to the dark side of adoption. With characters that are true to life and a tremendous depth of knowledge into a shocking subject matter, this is Baart's best book yet. Completely engrossing!"
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl
Mothers everywhere will recognize and celebrate the fierce, imperfect strength of Jessica Chamberlain as she tries to parent her sons—one birthed and one adopted—in the wake of her estranged husband’s death. A startlingly authentic mix of suspense, grief, and family drama, You Were Always Mine reconstructs the pieces of a shattered life to reveal the darkness that destroyed it. You will never look at adoption the same way again.
—Mindy Mejia, author of Everything You Want Me To Be and Leave No Trace
“Rarely, a book comes along that feels like destiny: a certain story that could only be written by a certain author. Nicole Baart rips from the zeitgeist a novel that is heartfelt and honest, told by characters who are forthright and fragile. This twisting tale about the dark side of adoption has all the suspense of a domestic thriller. But Baart digs deeper, reflecting every parent’s innermost insecurities and one of modern society’s most crucial questions: what is family?”
—Jo Furniss, author of The Trailing Spouse and All The Little Children
"Equal parts tear-jerker and page-turner . . . Entwines the heartbreak of a mother's struggle with the urgency of a mystery that won't let her (or you) go. Compelling, heartfelt, and satisfying to the breathless finish."
—Jessica Strawser, author of Not That I Could Tell
"Baart brilliantly weaves mystery into family drama...The clues are left in plain sight, leaving the reader on edge trying to solve the puzzle before it’s too late. The conclusion is both sinister, and shocking. This is domestic suspense at its best."
—Sandra Block, author of What Happened That Night
"Original, chilling, and frighteningly realistic. With a mother we adore and children we root for, this sinister and heartbreaking family drama will have you turning pages as fast as you can. Clear your schedule and prepare to be wowed!"
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally best-selling author of Trust Me
“An electrifying family drama that shows the dark side of adoption, You Were Always Mine is the kind of book you will want to finish in one sitting.”
—Bustle
"Writing in the vein of Liane Moriarty, Kimberly Belle, and Mary Kubica, Baart explores the toughest questions around motherhood, marriage, and the secrets we keep."
"Writing in the vein of Liane Moriarty, Kimberly Belle, and Mary Kubica, Baart explores the toughest questions around motherhood, marriage, and the secrets we keep."
"Sweet, scary and sometimes sordid, Little Broken Things is filled with determined women tenacious in their love for a girl whose childhood has been anything but easy."
If you liked Big Little Lies, you’ll want to crack open this new novel by Nicole Baart, which will be released in November—just in time for your Thanksgiving holiday reading. This novel will engross you in the suspenseful story of Quinn Cruz; her estranged and troubled sister, Nora; and a mysterious little girl named Lucy who shows up on her doorstep.
Praise for Little Broken Things
“Steeped in menace, Baart’s latest is a race-to-the-finish family drama.”
"I have long been a fan of Nicole Baart’s finely crafted, flawed characters, her deft plotting, her fluid, lovely writing, and all of these gifts are on display in Little Broken Things. I cared about these sisters, feared and hoped for them, and lost my heart to Lucy, the locked-shut little girl living in the center of the book’s secrets. It’s a gripping and suspenseful tale that kept me turning pages late into the night; move it to the top of your stack."
"Nicole Baart weaves exquisite writing with unstoppable drama in this tale of family schisms and secrets on a collision course with life-threatening danger. Putting down Little Broken Things was impossible."
"Beautifully layered...gives readers everything they could possible want in a novel - vivid, engaging characters, a town filled with dark secrets, a mind-twisting mystery and the ferocious power of a mother's love. Original and gripping, Little Broken Things is a stunner that will linger with you long after the final page is turned."
"Richly atmospheric and featuring a compelling cast of sharply drawn female characters, Little Broken Things is both a page-turner and a thoughtful examination of what it means to mother and be mothered, in all its most real and varied forms."