A review by ftideman
Before My Actual Heart Breaks by Tish Delaney

4.0

It took me a little while to get into it, but once I did, this book completely had my heart. It was so painful to watch Mary see the world and specifically John in this way, but also such an accurate representation of the effects of physical and emotional abuse. The story was beautifully woven between historical events in Northern Ireland, to show how her entire life was the farm and yet she was also acutely aware of how the world moved on. I felt frustrated by the miscommunication between her and John, which Tish captured perfectly. Only thing I will say is that before reading I saw some reviews mention it being a funny novel, when I really didn't laugh much - mainly cry!