THE HEART’S INVISIBLE FURIES

So few books succeed at being deeply moving, hilarious and heartbreaking, but The Heart’s Invisible Furies is the perfect combination of all three. In Cyril Avery (who is not a *real* Avery, mind you), author John Boyne has created a character who seems to transcend fiction as we disappear into his story. Cyril is born to an unwed mother in Dublin and raised there by adoptive parents. The novel chronicles Cyril’s younger years as he grapples with being gay in Catholic Ireland in the 1950s and 60s, and his older adult years in Amsterdam and New York as his identity evolves. Self-acceptance is elusive for Cyril - it seems shame and self-loathing are forced upon him by all of Ireland. But as the myriad relationships and events of his life unfold, we root for Cyril to wholeheartedly embrace who he is and finally seek the happiness he deserves.

This book is practically foodless, and Irish cuisine is not known for being photogenic. But this cover certainly is, so I baked an Irish soda bread and paired it with some lovely summer peaches just because they matched. (Also: can we discuss the heart-shaped peach on the lower left?) The fennel seeds and currants make it both bitter and sweet, just like Cyril’s incredible story, which was one of my absolute favorites of 2018.