Nearly Beloved: a novel

Coming 11.4.25

Signed copies available for preorder through Boswell Book Company

In this captivating novel, a DNA test turns a woman’s world upside-down. Will searching for answers give her the peace she craves—or deepen the fractures in her life?

Dylan Turner works hard to keep her life predictable, though she would never call it that—she loves her routine, two guinea pigs, and minding her own business. But when her dad dies and the DNA test results in her inbox say he’s not her biological father, the life she’s so carefully built starts to unravel.

Craving answers and getting none from her mother, Dylan follows a sparse trail of clues across the country to where she grew up. It’s a journey full of unexpected encounters, including a friendly co-worker and another familiar face from her past—one she isn’t sure is a solace or an obstacle. As Dylan digs deeper into her family’s secrets, she can’t help but wonder, Is a comfortable lie better than the pain of knowing the truth?

Woven with emails, interviews, texts, and journal entries, Nearly Beloved is a heartfelt tale about looking for answers, even if they aren’t the ones you were expecting.

Praise for Nearly Beloved

“Kendra Broekhuis delivers a compelling story with quick, precise chapters that had me enthralled and ready to flip to the next page. James, aka Captain Jim, said it best when he posed this question: ‘Is family the people who know and love you or people who cause a lot of chaos and pain? Or maybe a complicated mix of both?’ I felt drawn to Dylan Turner as she tried untangling this question while on a self-discovery journey, making one realize that DNA, someone else’s mistake, or your own mistakes do not have to define who you are.” 

—T. I. Lowe, award-winning author of Indigo Isle 

“Nearly Beloved is a moving exploration of how family—the truth, the lies, and the perceptions that fill the spaces in between—shapes who we are. With raw honesty and emotional nuance, the story captures the disorientation of grief and the ache of unanswered questions. A plot full of artfully employed twists makes this character-driven novel impossible to put down. It is a beautifully told journey of unraveling and rebuilding that will linger long after the final page.” 

—Amanda Cox, award-winning author of The Bitter End Birding Society 

“Not every writer can explore a painful topic like adoption-related nonpaternity events (NPEs) with the perfect balance of clever wit and sensitivity. But in Nearly Beloved, Kendra Broekhuis succeeds. Opening with a gripping funeral scene, Broekhuis keeps the bombshells coming in this story chock-full of surprises and twisty turns, until you arrive at the unexpected conclusion. If you’ve ever wondered why taking a genealogy test comes with a warning, reading this book will inform you!” 

—Linda MacKillop, Christy Award–winning author of The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon 

“With all its surprising twists and turns, Nearly Beloved grabs you and won't let go! Dylan's journey of growing up and apprehending her identity inspires readers to consider, ‘Who am I?’ and the value of being known, loved and treasured. A thoughtfully written and thought-provoking read.”

—Margaret Ann Philbrick, Award-winning novelist and poet