A Heartwarming Tale – My Heart Went Walking – ARC Book Review

The only man she’s ever loved is seeing her sister.
And now they have to save her together.

Sally Hanan’s sublime debut mixes the prose of Sue Monk Kidd with the dialogue of Maeve Binchy. With captivating warmth, she pulls us in to how it felt to live in Ireland’s changing culture of the ‘80s, and how it often made a woman’s decisions for her.

“I can’t bear to keep walking. But you can’t keep a secret in this town unless you leave with it.”

Kept apart by their love for one man, two sisters embark on their own paths towards survival, love, and understanding, until they finally meet again in the worst of circumstances. And the reality might break them all.

My Heart Went Walking is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that sweeps from the small Irish town of Donegal to the “big smoke” of Dublin City; a book that celebrates the pull of family and the chance of redemption. It is a novel for everyone who feels connected to the Irish approach to life—that of grit and laughter—and also for everyone who loves an overriding message of hope and restoration in all things.

Plot:- The story is set in the early 1980’s in Ireland. and is a story between two sisters–Una and Ellie. Both are in love with the same boy Cullen–Una being pregnant with Cullen’s child. When Una ran away from home without telling anyone, not even to Cullen, a romance started between Ellie and Cullen. Then Ellie is diagnosed with leukemia and the story becomes emotional as the two sisters are reunited.

Writing:- This is the first time I have read from this author. I really like her writing–so engaging that I was literally hooked into the story from start to finish. I have never been to Ireland but reading this book gave me glimpses of what life is like in the 1980’s Dublin, Ireland, the descriptions of the places in Ireland made me feel like I was in Ireland. The story is told from the perspectives of Una, Cullen and Ellie, giving the reader what each of these characters are feeling and their emotions. There were some parts where it was so emotional that I almost balled out my tears. This book is realistic and more like a family drama that will keep you hooked into the book. The writing is engaging, flowing and the author did a good job making the reader feel like they didn’t want to put the book down.

Characters:- To me, all the characters, particularly Una, Ellie and Cullen are my favorites. Each character had a unique story to tell, each character is an emotional character and also likable too.

Overall:- This is a heartbreaking and emotional book that will make you cry and an unputdownable book. Worth five stars!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.