Where do I even start…
Summary - A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crushbringing together his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat who can predict death.
The first few chapters are dark, like really dark and had I not read Harnett’s other books I may have just DNFd right then. But, because I had, I figured I’d attempt to get past the crazy setup, I also usually enjoy the road trip aspect in books so I was hopeful.
Well, the “old man on a mission,” PJ was an absolutely horrible human – I get that he has some unhealed trauma but 63 and acting absurd, selfish, and reckless for a majority of the book was a huge turn off, never once did I feel badly for him. So why did I keep reading?
Some of the shenanigans were kind of entertaining, entertaining or couldn’t look away from the car wreck type of situation. I also grew to love the kids in this novel, they have had a shit time in life and I just wanted someone to reach in and be consistent and loving.
I’ve read two others by Annie Hartnett and here’s the order and what I rated them: Unlikely Animals Rabbit Cake The Road to Tender Hearts.75
I really did enjoy Tender Hearts but PJ killed it for me.
Have you read any of Hartnett’s books?
Find The Road to Tender Hearts at the publisher →
Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
