— 2023 International Book Awards Finalist, Literary Fiction —
— 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, General Fiction: Novel —

— Best Books of 2023, Honorable Mention, Historical Fiction, Hungry For Good Books —

— 2024 Independent Book Publishers Association Ben Franklin Award Finalist, General Fiction —

Because I Loved You

“…a page-turning story that will keep readers invested.” — Kirkus Reviews

At sixteen, Leni O’Hare dreams of escaping her family’s rundown East Texas farm to become an artist, but that means leaving behind both her grey mare, Foggy, and her beloved older brother, Foy. When she rescues and returns Caleb McGrath’s horse from a storm out on the chaparral, this second son of the largest rancher in the area catches her heart with his gentle nature and his own big dreams of becoming a physicist. Together they begin to imagine and plan a future beyond the limiting confines of their small town. But Leni’s hopes soon run as dry as the land itself, driven by a family tragedy for the O’Hares and a secret that Leni stores deep in her heart. Hastily, Leni makes a decision that she believes will protect Caleb’s future. her ill-conceived and painful choice transforms not only their lives but generations of Leni’s family.

In this epic love story and rich family saga, Donnaldson Brown takes readers from the East Texas chaparral in the 1970’s against the backdrop of the Vietnam War to the vibrant art scene of New York City in the mid-1980’s to the present day, and from dreams lost to dreams rediscovered,  weaving together a powerful story of abiding love—romantic love, parental love, and the kind of love that sets a person free to choose one’s own path and maybe, hopefully, return.