Where The Heart Should Be is a verse novel set during the Great Famine. It follows Nell, a scullery maid working in the landlord’s house. Her family is struggling to pay rent, her town is being destroyed, people are dying and all of her friends are moving away, but Nell still finds herself falling in love.

This book is both sweet and sad. It gives a really deep look into what the Great Famine was like for people who lived through it. I think it is especially important because I find that a lot of people can forget about the many lives lost during this period. In my school’s history book, the chapter only gives a broad explanation of what was happening and doesn’t go into what most of the Great Famine meant for the average person.

I really liked reading Where The Heart Should Be, it was interesting to read and I was not expecting to care about these characters’ lives and deaths as much as I did. I almost cried during a few moments in the book and found myself getting deeply invested in Nell and Johnny’s relationship.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or verse novels. I think students studying the Great Famine should read this book. It gives you a different view of the period that personally I hadn’t thought about before. I think that many will feel the same after reading this book.