I love historical fiction, and I love novels in verse. And I love Sarah Crossan’s books. When all three come together, the chances of my not liking the book are very low! I’ve read two books (that I remember) about the potato famine in Ireland – Esty’s Gold and Twist of Gold. They were both powerful stories, just like Where the Heart Should Be.
When people are torn apart, when families die, when the divide between the rich and the poor continues to grow, what is morality? What must we do when the law is on the side of the mighty instead of on the side of the right? And worst of all, where do our loyalties lie when we fall in love?
Nell is educated. She loves poetry and can quote it, both in Irish and in English. In fact, she always has a book of poems with her. Even so, she can be nothing better than a scullery maid in the Big House, the house that Lord Wicken rules with an iron rod. Lord Wicken pays his poor rates. Why should he bother about tenants who can’t pay rent? How is he to blame if their crop fails? Surely, they must just work harder. And if they die, it’s God’s will.
Nell sees the injustice of this, of course, but so does Lord Wicken’s heir, John Browning. And when Nell finds herself falling in love with Johnny, she is torn. Englishmen are not to be trusted. But Johnny is different! The people in the Big House don’t care about Irish peasants. But surely, Johnny is different!
With Nell, I felt anxiety and pain, confusion and torment. Should she warn Johnny when the Irish peasants want to attack him? Should she give her friends away? Difficult decisions, sorrow, grief and guilt come together in this gorgeous novel about love, loss and home. Where should the heart be? Beautifully woven together with a metaphor about a heart in a little wooden figurine, this verse novel stays with you the way powerful, emotional stories do.
| Title | Where the Heart Should Be |
| Author | Sarah Crossan |
| Tags | Verse Novel, Young Adult, Historical Fiction |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4.5 |
| Age-group | 12+ |
Other books by Sarah Crossan that I’ve read and loved:
- One, an all-time favourite, also on my list of favourite YA books from 2019
- Apple and Rain, which features a teacher I love
- Moonrise, on my list of favourites from 2020
I’ve read others too! I remember The Weight of Water and Toffee, but I didn’t write about them, somehow!
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