Where the Heart Should Be

Kirkus Best Book Chicago Public Library Best Book “I hold my breath while reading Sarah Crossan’s books. Every word is filled with so much love, the book is practically throbbing. A beautiful, perfect, moving read.” —Cecelia Ahern, bestselling author of P. S. I Love You

In 1847, everything in Ireland was falling apart—but sixteen-year-old Nell was falling in love. Carnegie Medal winner Sarah Crossan’s first historical novel-in-verse is a suspenseful and heartbreaking story of love, family, and the forces that can destroy us or bind us forever. For fans of Joy McCullough, Elizabeth Acevedo, Malinda Lo, and Ruta Sepetys.

Ireland is starving, and a poor Irish scullery maid falls in love with the British heir to the land. Can their romance stay hidden during the devastating famine? The potatoes are black, people are dying, and in the midst of it all, Nell must do everything she can to keep her family together and everyone she loves alive.

It is hard to tell a love story

and also the story of a people

being torn apart.

She is Irish and poor. He is English and rich. What could their love possibly build amid so much ruin?
Novel in Verse: Told in breathtaking, lyrical prose, this story captures the melody of a heart breaking—and the hope of it healing.Upstairs Downstairs Romance: As a scullery maid, Nell is invisible. But to Johnny, the British heir to the estate, she is everything. Their connection is as dangerous as it is profound.Love Against the Odds: With Ireland starving and her own family on the brink, Nell and Johnny’s stolen moments are a rebellion against a world determined to tear them apart.A Heartbreaking Survival Story: More than a love story, this is a tale of resilience, family, and the fight to stay alive when a nation is collapsing.