The Heart's Invisible Furies

By: John Boyne

Narrated by: Stephen Hogan

Cyril Avery is not a real Avery, or at least that's what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn't a real Avery, then who is he?

Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead. At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from - and, over his three score years and 10, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country and much more.

In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart's Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit.

©2017 John Boyne (P)2017 Penguin Audio

An unrxpected gem

An unexpected tender, insightful revelation of human frailty; our betrayals, our heartbreaks and our capacity for love, vengeance and forgiveness. What a find and well worth a credit.

Toni of South Africa

A beautifully written book , well paced and well spaced. John Boyne writes honestly as he examines the bigotry and dumb lack of knowledge (then and even today ) about the tough place homosexuals/ gay people find themselves navigating .
He holds our attention by using a raft of emotions from humor , disbelief ,loathing ,to sweet kindness and eventual support and tears . He doesn’t disappoint in this book

Incredible

Such an amazing story and so well narrated, I was hooked from the first to the last page.

Masterful Execution

How Boyne manages to interweave characters and the plot is simply brilliant. Listen it!

I loved the characters

So many good things about this book . Great characters, insights into Irish culture, a story with both romance and tragedy, human connections that last a lifetime.

A journey

Loved this book. A picture of Ireland and the angst of being gay in a dishonest time.

Amazing

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the characters. Very sad that it’s over! Narrator was great.

The new Ireland, one man’s coming of age

An emotional and life-affirming tapestry of coincidence and tragic events. Colourful, yet well-rounded and believable characters. Dark, understated humour and unexpected turns - a decade-spanning fanily saga reminiscent of John Irving.

My favourite 2017 so far

Wonderful story spanning over a life time - a sorry time for Ireland, a story told with love and wit and read in a way that matches the content.

Great book

Love the humor and the reader was great! The book does drag out a little bit.