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portybelle 's review for:
My Heart Went Walking
by Sally Hanan
I so enjoyed My Heart Went Walking. The story of Una, Ellie and Cullen was told in a very compelling way. There was such a complicated situation with Cullen. As you’ll guess from the book information, he is the love interest for both sisters but probably not in the way you might be thinking. That’s so vague isn’t it, but I don’t want to give anything away.
Una, our main character, is such a strong woman. She is in a very difficult situation, a situation very much frowned upon in 1908s Ireland, and she makes brave choices. She had to decide whether to tell the while truth of her situation with the devastating fallout that would cause. I really admired her tenacity and the way she made positive decisions for herself which led her to a very different kind of life she might not have expected. I adored Catherine and Des for the unconditional love, kindness and support they gave to Una.
The author has captured the setting of 1980s Ireland so well I feel, though I am not myself Irish. The expectations of family and community are clear. Being a teenager myself in the 80s, I enjoyed the references to the music, fashion and contemporary issues of the times There was a lot of warmth and humour even though there are some very difficult times for the characters. The author made her characters feel authentically Irish to me, not least through the dialogue. There’s a very helpful glossary of Irish words and phrases for readers who might not be familiar with some terms, although many have an American ‘translation’.
While My Heart Went Walking has its tense and poignant moments, it is a warm, emotional and uplifting book. I’d be keen to read more by Sally Hanan, who has a natural storytelling style. My Heart Went Walking is a beautifully written novel about the ties of family and of love.
Una, our main character, is such a strong woman. She is in a very difficult situation, a situation very much frowned upon in 1908s Ireland, and she makes brave choices. She had to decide whether to tell the while truth of her situation with the devastating fallout that would cause. I really admired her tenacity and the way she made positive decisions for herself which led her to a very different kind of life she might not have expected. I adored Catherine and Des for the unconditional love, kindness and support they gave to Una.
The author has captured the setting of 1980s Ireland so well I feel, though I am not myself Irish. The expectations of family and community are clear. Being a teenager myself in the 80s, I enjoyed the references to the music, fashion and contemporary issues of the times There was a lot of warmth and humour even though there are some very difficult times for the characters. The author made her characters feel authentically Irish to me, not least through the dialogue. There’s a very helpful glossary of Irish words and phrases for readers who might not be familiar with some terms, although many have an American ‘translation’.
While My Heart Went Walking has its tense and poignant moments, it is a warm, emotional and uplifting book. I’d be keen to read more by Sally Hanan, who has a natural storytelling style. My Heart Went Walking is a beautifully written novel about the ties of family and of love.