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A review by horsley123
Before My Actual Heart Breaks by Tish Delaney
3.0
A book of two halves for me. I enjoyed the first part of the tale - the teen pregnancy, her shock at how her family treated her, her unexpected love for her child and the farming life. Although I grew up in England I have memories of the bombings and it was interesting to read the list of atrocities. It seems incredible that we were so accepting of yet another bomb, and lived with it so as a teenager I would go into London with my poor mother waiting at home hoping I was OK.
On the other hand I found Mary's later life deeply frustrating. Surely she could see some positives in her situation - she so deeply loved her children it must have taken a great deal of effort to hold a grudge that long. I did not really understand why she was so unable to visit her husband when he needed her. So for the second half of the book I wanted Mary to buck up and stop wallowing. At the final resolution I was not sure that she deserved it as she had been so wet beforehand!
On the other hand I found Mary's later life deeply frustrating. Surely she could see some positives in her situation - she so deeply loved her children it must have taken a great deal of effort to hold a grudge that long. I did not really understand why she was so unable to visit her husband when he needed her. So for the second half of the book I wanted Mary to buck up and stop wallowing. At the final resolution I was not sure that she deserved it as she had been so wet beforehand!