A review by khairun_atika
The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

3.0

The Book of Broken Hearts portrays a loving family who deals with the patriarch's early onset Alzheimer's diagnosis. Jude Hernandez, the youngest of the four sisters, spends the summer with her Papi, eager to help get his beloved Harley fixed with the hopes that it would delay the progression of his illness. They enlist the help of Emilio Vargas, despite the fact that the Hernandez sisters had all taken a blood oath to never get involved with a Vargas brother. Emilio's brothers had broken the hearts of Jude's sisters...but Jude cannot help but notice how different Emilio is to his brothers. Besides its careful and heartbreaking portrayal of the effects of Alzheimer's, this book is also a coming-of-age story about a young woman trying to find what she wants for herself while living in the shadow of her older sisters. Jude is eager to do what she wants to do, and to admit her feelings, and her journey in finding the courage to face up to her present and her future makes this an enjoyable and fulfilling read indeed.