Before My Actual Heart Breaks

"The Land of Happy Ever After" is a touching tale of a woman's journey to find love and courage, despite a tough beginning in Northern Ireland.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 28 October 2021
Publisher: Cornerstone

Winner of the Authors Club Best First Novel Award, this captivating tale follows the journey of Mary Rattigan, a woman who overcomes a challenging upbringing to find her true place in the world. Written by the acclaimed author Anne Griffin, "When All Is Said" is a touching and relatable story that resonates with readers of all ages.

As a young girl, Mary Rattigan had a dream of flying away from the troubled Northern Ireland of her childhood. She envisioned a life filled with happiness and peace, far from the chaos and turmoil that surrounded her. However, her reality was far different from her dreams. Raised as a Catholic girl with a strict and conservative mother and a silent and absent father, Mary faced numerous obstacles and challenges throughout her life.

Despite the hardships she faced, Mary remained determined to pursue her passions and dreams. She was a talented artist and a voracious reader, and she found solace in the world of literature and art. However, her family did not always support her aspirations, and they often discouraged her from pursuing her artistic interests.

As Mary grew older, her dreams of flying became more distant and unrealistic. She married a man named John, who was a good man but not particularly ambitious or driven. They had five children together, but their marriage was often strained and difficult. Mary struggled to balance her responsibilities as a wife and mother with her own desires and aspirations.

Over the years, Mary's life took many unexpected turns. She experienced the end of the Troubles, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the rise of the internet. She watched as her children grew up and moved away, and she felt a sense of loneliness and isolation that she had never felt before.

Despite the challenges she faced, Mary remained resilient and determined to find her place in the world. She started volunteering at a local art gallery, where she met a kind and supportive group of artists and art lovers. Through her work at the gallery, Mary discovered a new sense of purpose and fulfillment that she had never experienced before.

As Mary approached her fifties, she began to reflect on her life and the choices she had made. She realized that she had missed a hundred steps towards the life she had always hoped for. She had let her dreams slip away, and she had settled for a life that was less than fulfilling.

But Mary was not willing to give up on her dreams. She knew that it was never too late to pursue her passions and find the love and happiness that she deserved. She started to take small steps towards achieving her goals, and she began to believe in herself again.

One day, Mary decided to take a chance and ask for the love she had always wanted. She reached out to a former lover, a man who had been a significant part of her life years before. To her surprise, he responded positively, and they began to reconnect.

As Mary and her former lover began to spend more time together, she felt a sense of joy and excitement that she had not felt in years. She realized that she had been living in a state of self-imposed isolation and that there was a whole world out there waiting for her to explore.

Through her journey of self-discovery, Mary learned many valuable lessons. She learned that it is never too late to pursue your dreams and that it is important to be true to yourself and follow your heart. She also learned that it is possible to find love and happiness even in the face of adversity and that it is never too late to start over.

"When All Is Said" is a touching and relatable story that resonates with readers of all ages. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love and self-discovery. Whether you are sixteen or sixty, this book will inspire you to pursue your passions and find the love and happiness that you deserve.

Weight: 270g
Dimension: 128 x 197 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781786090980