‘Before my actual heart breaks’ by Tish Delaney is the story of Mary Rattigan, whose dreams of escaping her mother and the  troubles ( 'which rumble constantly overhead like a thunderstorm') are laid to waste after a midnight rendezvous whilst on a school trip. Her life doesn't pan out the way she hoped and she finds herself trapped. 

Coming of Age

I'm not quite sure how to categorise this book. It's a coming of age story and there are moments of humour and also deep sadness. It is very much a novel with a strong sense of place - rural Tyrone - and time, highlighting the stranglehold of the catholic church and  the troubles, (the Omagh bomb is particulary devastating).

What really comes across is the strength of the the storytelling, which always feels fresh. Mary’s voice is a strong and distinctive one and she is engaging company throughout.

 There's an incident near the end that made me angry, and I felt it somewhat incongruous in the book. And there were no repercussions from it either. I haven't spoken to anyone else who has read this book but I'd be interested to see how others reacted. 

Lyrical

I enjoyed the lyrical prose and the dialogue in ‘before my heart actually breaks’, especially the banter between the characters. The descriptions of rural life during this period were also familiar to me, as I had grandparents who lived in a similar locale that I loved to visit. 

I did feel for Mary Rattigan, and though there were times I became annoyed with her reticence, I did appreciate how tough she had it. I found the relationship she had with John Johns incredibly frustrating but…well, I’ll say no more about that.

Another incredibly talented Irish female writer, and just like Olivia Fitzsimmons,  it's hard to believe it''s a debut and I look forward to reading more from Tish Delaney.

Before my heart actually breaks by Tish Delaney

Windmill Books April 29, 2021

385 Pages

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK