We chat with author Kendra Broekhuis about Nearly Beloved, which sees a DNA test turn a woman’s world upside-down. Will searching for answers give her the peace she craves—or deepen the fractures in her life?
Hi, Kendra! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my husband and four kids. I used to write mostly nonfiction articles and social media posts, but I pivoted to fiction four years ago and I love it. I sometimes felt like an imposter writing nonfiction because I prefer reading fiction in all the genres! Other random things I love are playing card games with my family, volleyball, and Moose Tracks ice cream.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I started writing when my husband and I moved to Guatemala for three years. I wrote on Blogger to keep in touch with family, but then my first child was born and I used writing more as a way to process my life, including being outside the United States, my rocky transition into motherhood, and eventually, the grief of losing our second baby.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
- The one that made you want to become an author: Crazy Love by Francis Chan
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Your latest novel, Nearly Beloved, is out November 4th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Emotional. Witty. Epistolary. DNA. Journey.
What can readers expect?
Nearly Beloved is the emotional journey of a woman finding out on the day of her dad’s funeral they’re not biologically related. The book has epistolary elements, so some of the story is formatted into emails, texts, journals, and interviews. My writing style (and personality) is to dig into real life’s hard stuff but to buffer it with a dose of wit and a lot of love—so you’ll get some banter and a romance thread too!
Where did the inspiration for Nearly Beloved come from?
When I’m brainstorming a new story, I like to start with a hook and a title, and I loved the idea of playing off the phrase “Dearly Beloved.” It took longer to nail down the hook, but I knew I wanted to write a story that digs into a question one of the characters asks in Nearly Beloved: “Is family the people who know and love you, or the people who cause a lot of chaos and pain? Or maybe a complicated mix of both?” My editor Jamie Lapeyrolerie was the one who suggested writing about a Non-Paternity Event to explore identity and belonging with honesty and nuance. She is my inspiration!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I enjoyed writing the lite love triangle between the main character and the two very different men who find themselves in her path to figuring out her life. This element was a fun way to explore how the tension between romantic sparks and ordinary faithfulness play out in a healthy relationship. Also, one of the two guys reminds me a lot of my husband, who I really like.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Yes! Two! It was hard to find time amid my day jobs (and night job) of motherhood, so my husband was crucial to making that happen. Also, like many authors, I suffer from imposter syndrome, but I keep writing anyway. “Bird by Bird.”
What’s next for you?
I’m working on a third novel, a dramedy about a family who reluctantly moves into a strict HOA neighborhood, and on the first night, the house next door burns down. It’s both juicy neighborhood drama and heartwarming community vibes and I love it.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I recently finished reading and enjoyed: Caitlin Weaver’s book The Way We Used to Be, and both of Claire Pooley’s The Authenticity Project and How to Age Disgracefully. I’m hoping to pick up Fredrick Bachman’s My Friends, because he’s a favorite author of mine!
