Reviews

This is a collection that explores unflinchingly the realities of miscarriage, grief, heartbreak, religion, depression, bullying and toxic masculinity. And it does it in such a way that you are completely absolved into the life of the characters. Despite the stories being short, the author was able to flesh the characters out enough for us to feel something for them.

Beginning with the first story Mother's Day, we are introduced not just to the characters but to their dynamic relationship. A daughter longing for a relationships with her ageing mother. She hopes that her wealth (which she got through marriage) can fulfil her mother's dreams but its the same wealth that pushes her mother away. You question if it is the mother's need for independence or she is just uncomfortable with the lap of luxury her daughter now lies in. This thread of emotional conflict is presented in every page, more specifically in the story Blackbirds where we see a parent's fear for the life of their female child. It was fear born out of love but the outcome of this is rarely welcome by the child who has to constantly life a life imbrued by fear.

But the deeper fears she really felt around them were different; they were to do with a sapping of meaning, of a lack of viscerality, a lack of something she could not identify, a lack of a lack - what was that fear next to the fear of a paedophile or a boy with a knife?

There are other stories I love too, such as First Time, that gives an insight into the effect of toxic masculinity in a young man coming of age; Good for You, Cecilia, which gives a great insight into the extraordinariness of being or having an ordinary situation; the titular story Heart and Bones that takes an interesting look into teenage pregnancy and religion; and finally the story titled The Doll which is told in three parts, Niamh did such a great job laying self-desiccation and self-appreciation and understanding into these story. We get to see how one person's decision changes the lives and trajectory of people around them.

I really loved this book and hope you all check it out.

*Thanks to the publisher for sending an ARC of this book my way