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Chain of Hearts
At seventeen, Sophie is a mess. Her best friend is dead and her boyfriend has gone. She's dropped out of school, sleeps through the day, eats all night and refuses to see anyone. Her family has had enough. But Sophie is about to embark on the strangest journey of her life. It will take her back into her family's past, back to the origins of the bitter rift between her mother and her Aunt Fran, to her Uncle Jimmy and the Vietnam War, and finally to the girl in the painting and the story haunting all their lives.
384 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1999
15 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Maureen McCarthy
33 books104 followersMaureen McCarthy, the ninth of ten children, was born in 1953 in country Victoria. She has worked as a teacher in Victorian secondary schools and has written scripts for television and educational films. Her film credits include 'Skipping Class', he award-winning documentary, 'Eating Your Heart Out', and the SBS mini-series, 'In Between', which was later adapted inot four novels by Maureen. Her latest works includes the novels Ganglands and Cross My Heart, which was published in 1993 and short-listed for the NSW Premier's Prize in that year. An Australian author and scriptwriter, her novels concern the lives of emerging adults, from ages sixteen to early twenties. McCarthy has three sons and lives in Melbourne.
Maureen dedicated her story in the collection 'Family: A Collection of Short Stories' to the memory of her much-loved nephew, Justin Haire, who died tragically in October 1993, aged 21 years.
Maureen dedicated her story in the collection 'Family: A Collection of Short Stories' to the memory of her much-loved nephew, Justin Haire, who died tragically in October 1993, aged 21 years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 24, 2010
The first time I picked up this book was when I was 12. Needless to say, I never got very far. I was expecting goss and glam, drama and girlish fun. And I got through about 50 pages.
The second time I picked up this book, I was enthralled from the beginning. I loved it. I loved the honesty, the history and the fresh personality of all the characters. It was like I stepped into this world which could have easily have been out of the diary of my next door neighbour, or even my own aunty. It was believable and beautifully constructed. I was always captivated by the plot line and the way that this families dark secrets came to light.
A great read, highly recommended.
The second time I picked up this book, I was enthralled from the beginning. I loved it. I loved the honesty, the history and the fresh personality of all the characters. It was like I stepped into this world which could have easily have been out of the diary of my next door neighbour, or even my own aunty. It was believable and beautifully constructed. I was always captivated by the plot line and the way that this families dark secrets came to light.
A great read, highly recommended.
March 9, 2018
I picked this up at work as a way to get to know the collection. Thought it was going to be a love story lol turned out to have real substance to it. I thought that the adult characters were very well done. Great older YA novel!
October 14, 2014
I was interested to read through to the end but I very disappointed by the character development, plot and language at times. I almost stopped reading after reading the chapter when Fran brings Raymond home to dinner!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2018
This is the second book of Maureen McCarthy that I've read. I didn't love the first one I had read and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
Perhaps it was the mention of places that I am familiar with (I can see Fran walking up Collins Street all those years ago). Perhaps it was the family drama (for which I will always be a sucker). Perhaps it was the familiar characters (I felt like I had known Sophie, Fran, Geraldine and even Jimmy for years). Perhaps it was a mix of all these. Whatever it was, the writing drew me in and I really enjoyed it.
What I think I enjoyed the most is the characters. They are human. They are flawed. And maybe it's their humanity that drew me in and kept me hooked for the entire story.
3/5
Perhaps it was the mention of places that I am familiar with (I can see Fran walking up Collins Street all those years ago). Perhaps it was the family drama (for which I will always be a sucker). Perhaps it was the familiar characters (I felt like I had known Sophie, Fran, Geraldine and even Jimmy for years). Perhaps it was a mix of all these. Whatever it was, the writing drew me in and I really enjoyed it.
What I think I enjoyed the most is the characters. They are human. They are flawed. And maybe it's their humanity that drew me in and kept me hooked for the entire story.
3/5
July 10, 2017
This is a great emotional novel and one I read and reread. I love the characters and their relationships and though I am probably biased because I read it when I was a teenager it is a really relatable young adult read. The ambience and depiction of Australia and the small country town are great and for some reason the scene where she visits the takeaway shop I always really enjoy. Probably up there with one of my favourite books when it comes to general pop fiction.
December 15, 2018
What a complex cast of characters!
It seems a simple story - a bit of family history plus some grudges carried over from the past, but as the story unfolds it uncovers layer after layer like filo pastry.
Secrets that everyone knows, a tangled web of loves, lies and half-truths.
There is a twist in most chapters right till almost the end.
Each person is on a journey of personal discovery.
An enjoyable read.
It seems a simple story - a bit of family history plus some grudges carried over from the past, but as the story unfolds it uncovers layer after layer like filo pastry.
Secrets that everyone knows, a tangled web of loves, lies and half-truths.
There is a twist in most chapters right till almost the end.
Each person is on a journey of personal discovery.
An enjoyable read.
August 17, 2019
Heart tugging book makes me sweat and plunge me into pit of depression some time but what i'm frustrated the most in the hanging ending between Sophie and Minh.. wthh
Okay I guess its up to us how both of em ends. I shipped it!
Anyways I love this book because it really depicts how lovely it is to find your passion and your talent in something you love doing or making. It's truly captivating how Maureen describe Fran's painting and Sophie's sparks in pottery.
Okay I guess its up to us how both of em ends. I shipped it!
Anyways I love this book because it really depicts how lovely it is to find your passion and your talent in something you love doing or making. It's truly captivating how Maureen describe Fran's painting and Sophie's sparks in pottery.
September 10, 2018
Loved this book, was a quick read but had substance! Loved the storyline
March 13, 2020
Compulsively readable as all of McCarthy’s books but these have to be her most hateful characters.
June 9, 2020
Beautiful novel 😍 For tennagers I would say 😅
March 16, 2022
A very touching story about love, loss, struggles in life and dealing with guilt about situations that get out of hand. Really worth reading.
Read
July 19, 2022Audio version
July 21, 2022
I enjoyed this book. Easy read and a little bit of mystery.
February 18, 2023
I was surprised how much I liked this book I could relate to Sophie in some regards. Really good read!!!
November 8, 2022
Sophie is 17 and a bit of a mess. She comes to live with her Aunt, Fran. This is about family and fragile relationships that can exist within families. It is a cautionary tale about taking the wood out of your own eye so you can see clearly before taking the splinter out of your brother’s eye (Matthew 7:5). This biblical reference sums up the book succinctly.
November 10, 2009
This is a book set in a small Australian town - well, sort of set between the small town and the city - which spans three generations, but mostly focuses on 2. I really enjoyed this book and although they must have not had a very good proof reading (there are quite a few grammatical errors throughout the book) I think it was a very well told story. Even if the writing wasn't top notch.
Sophie is a teenager who was the third child and has always been overlooked, but not only that actually treated terribly, by her mother. She's been put down since she was a little girl and it is having ramifications in the present. But what's really haunting her is the recent death of her best friend and departure of her boyfriend, which she blames herself for.
This is also the story of Sophie's mother and her aunt, and the fact that they haven't spoken for about 20 years. It's about Sophie's uncle Jimmy and the horrors he saw in Vietnam, and Jimmy's fellow solder Blue who haunts the family still.
The story is overall about facing the past and coming to terms with it...and of rising above it and putting family before it.
I was happy with how it all turned out but it was pretty sad in parts. I don't really have much to say except I was never bored with the book, so if you're into family drama type stories I'd recommend it!
Sophie is a teenager who was the third child and has always been overlooked, but not only that actually treated terribly, by her mother. She's been put down since she was a little girl and it is having ramifications in the present. But what's really haunting her is the recent death of her best friend and departure of her boyfriend, which she blames herself for.
This is also the story of Sophie's mother and her aunt, and the fact that they haven't spoken for about 20 years. It's about Sophie's uncle Jimmy and the horrors he saw in Vietnam, and Jimmy's fellow solder Blue who haunts the family still.
The story is overall about facing the past and coming to terms with it...and of rising above it and putting family before it.
I was happy with how it all turned out but it was pretty sad in parts. I don't really have much to say except I was never bored with the book, so if you're into family drama type stories I'd recommend it!
March 19, 2015
[ This review was originally posted on my blog: http://turnherintoliterature.tumblr.com/ ]
I read this book for the first time when it had only recently been published. Back then, I was a lot younger than the so-called heroine of the story, Sophie, who was 17.
This starts as the story of Sophie, troubled youngest child, but expands into the story of the twisted history between her mother, the perfect nurse Geraldine, and aunt, the artistic and sensitive Fran.
Fran had never expected to hear from Geraldine again, but when Sophie becomes “too much to handle”, she reluctantly agrees to have her come and stay to get her life back together. Having nursed her parents through their long illnesses and lost her husband, Fran wanted time alone to return to her painting, moving into the old family home to be near to her best friend from high school, and her wayward younger brother. However, she feels trapped into taking Sophie after Geraldine says if she doesn’t, they will institutionalise her.
The story is told from Sophie, Fran and Geraldine’s perspectives, and delves into some tough issues on all fronts (which I can’t go into or else it will spoil it), but it is a fantastic read. I couldn’t remember anything about it except that I enjoyed it the first time around, and I’m glad that I managed to find it again.
I read this book for the first time when it had only recently been published. Back then, I was a lot younger than the so-called heroine of the story, Sophie, who was 17.
This starts as the story of Sophie, troubled youngest child, but expands into the story of the twisted history between her mother, the perfect nurse Geraldine, and aunt, the artistic and sensitive Fran.
Fran had never expected to hear from Geraldine again, but when Sophie becomes “too much to handle”, she reluctantly agrees to have her come and stay to get her life back together. Having nursed her parents through their long illnesses and lost her husband, Fran wanted time alone to return to her painting, moving into the old family home to be near to her best friend from high school, and her wayward younger brother. However, she feels trapped into taking Sophie after Geraldine says if she doesn’t, they will institutionalise her.
The story is told from Sophie, Fran and Geraldine’s perspectives, and delves into some tough issues on all fronts (which I can’t go into or else it will spoil it), but it is a fantastic read. I couldn’t remember anything about it except that I enjoyed it the first time around, and I’m glad that I managed to find it again.
January 22, 2010
I'm not quite sure if this is a book for teens or adults. It seems to be split fairly down the middle. The book focuses primarily on Sophie, who is seventeen in 1999, and Fran, her aunt, who was seventeen in 1968. The perspective shifts between Sophie and Fran, and also focuses on Sophie's mother/Fran's sister, Geraldine and Amy, Fran's friend. Sophie's uncle and Fran and Geraldine's brother, Jimmy, is also part of the wider story.
It's a rather long, convoluted story where not much actually happens. Sophie manages to heal from her grief of being both responsible and not for the death of her best friend, Mai, and Fran and Geraldine heal their estranged relationship. It's about growing up and healing, and in those sorts of stories, nothing much every really happens. But it's a very easy read, and it's a good read. Ruby, the girl on the cover, is throughout all the stories, a reminder of what can happen if messages aren't relayed correctly. That's what drives both Fran and Sophie in the end.
Also, I can't be the only one who thought Jimmy and his wartime pal, Blue, had more than just a platonic relationship going on. I thought for the longest time it was going to be revealed that they had been together for a while.
Enjoyable for both adults and teens, I'd say.
It's a rather long, convoluted story where not much actually happens. Sophie manages to heal from her grief of being both responsible and not for the death of her best friend, Mai, and Fran and Geraldine heal their estranged relationship. It's about growing up and healing, and in those sorts of stories, nothing much every really happens. But it's a very easy read, and it's a good read. Ruby, the girl on the cover, is throughout all the stories, a reminder of what can happen if messages aren't relayed correctly. That's what drives both Fran and Sophie in the end.
Also, I can't be the only one who thought Jimmy and his wartime pal, Blue, had more than just a platonic relationship going on. I thought for the longest time it was going to be revealed that they had been together for a while.
Enjoyable for both adults and teens, I'd say.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2025
2021 Edit:
This is one of those books that benefit from time away, and some maturing. I know I loathed everyone the last time I read this. But now a little older and a tiny bit more mature I get it. I do not get the mother...I understand PPD absolutely...but no parent should ever bully their child.
It's a little more deep than I could have comprehended before...but also I think more could have been explored with Fran and Jimmy and Amy and the war.
But I liked it this time...so...progress.
2013
The mother and aunt are both as horrid as each other
Not much redemption
I kept reading just for the sake of reading...
This is one of those books that benefit from time away, and some maturing. I know I loathed everyone the last time I read this. But now a little older and a tiny bit more mature I get it. I do not get the mother...I understand PPD absolutely...but no parent should ever bully their child.
It's a little more deep than I could have comprehended before...but also I think more could have been explored with Fran and Jimmy and Amy and the war.
But I liked it this time...so...progress.
2013
The mother and aunt are both as horrid as each other
Not much redemption
I kept reading just for the sake of reading...
March 14, 2012
This would have to be Maureen McCarthy's weakest book, because I simply didn't feel for the whinging main character.
I did, however, fall in love with Fran and her history. I loved the descriptions of her art and how she sees the world. Sophie, the main character, just struck me as one of those attention-seeking girls with nothing to do but screech.
This annoyed me to a high extent. Especially since I know McCarthy can do a whole lot better than have a main character who's... useless.
Sophie. She's angry, she's stubborn. And yet, she doesn't seem to be with Fran. If this was a coming-of-age story, I wish she'd at least treat Fran with disrespect and then become more mature.
But no. That didn't happen.
Even though it's Maureen McCarthy's weakest book I've read so far, I still have to give it a three-star. That's how terrific she is: that even her worst is capable of a good rating.
I wouldn't recommend it, no, but please try out her other books like When You Wake and Find Me Gone, Somebody's Crying and Queen Kat, St. Jude and Carmel Get A Life.
I did, however, fall in love with Fran and her history. I loved the descriptions of her art and how she sees the world. Sophie, the main character, just struck me as one of those attention-seeking girls with nothing to do but screech.
This annoyed me to a high extent. Especially since I know McCarthy can do a whole lot better than have a main character who's... useless.
Sophie. She's angry, she's stubborn. And yet, she doesn't seem to be with Fran. If this was a coming-of-age story, I wish she'd at least treat Fran with disrespect and then become more mature.
But no. That didn't happen.
Even though it's Maureen McCarthy's weakest book I've read so far, I still have to give it a three-star. That's how terrific she is: that even her worst is capable of a good rating.
I wouldn't recommend it, no, but please try out her other books like When You Wake and Find Me Gone, Somebody's Crying and Queen Kat, St. Jude and Carmel Get A Life.
April 22, 2016
It's possible that my reread of this suffered a little for having read Saving Francesca on the same day. It's still a good story, but it's not as amazing and moving. Yes, it's a realistic story, but there's almost too much going on. With the story covering two generations and being told from four or five different perspectives. I think a decent part of my problem with it was that I didn't really like Sophie. I wanted to like her - she has legit problems - but I just never quite got there. I liked Fran better, though she did come across as a little bit of a martyr at times. There were elements that didn't feel suitably explored - like the Vietnam War side of things - or which were left virtually untouched until almost the end of the book.
Still, it was a story that had its powerful moments, though it's nowhere near as strong as McCarthy's other books. Good but not great.
Still, it was a story that had its powerful moments, though it's nowhere near as strong as McCarthy's other books. Good but not great.
February 12, 2013
Absolutely brilliant! This book is very real and honest. The characters are amazingly drawn, showing how when you scratch beneath the surface relationships are never as easy as seen. This book is wonderful at helping disconnected kids to look at things from a different perspective and those who aren't to understand that things they may think they know about can often be very different to their expectations.
I would recommend this book to anyone, adult or teen.
I would recommend this book to anyone, adult or teen.
July 20, 2009
This book was really good. I enjoyed Sophie as a character. She was everything that a good handful of teenage girls are, so truthful. The storyline was solid, and flowed well, even if a little slow in places (I think most stories are slow at some point). But overall a great novel. I really enjoy Maureen McCarthy's books.
November 9, 2013
Amazing book. I found it slow to start and even put it down and read 2 others. Determined to try again, I fell in love with the family even though there was a bit of dysfunction. The author has a way of making you fall in love with all of them despite the problems that they have caused each other. It was an emotional ride all the way.
December 29, 2011
Probably a 3.8 for me. I listened to it and the reader is Australian which I enjoyed greatly. There is a little bit of language. I did enjoy all the complicated relationships and the focus on art/creating as a way of healing and living.
July 30, 2017
This was one of my favourite books when I was growing up and I loved that it was set in Australia, like all of Maureen McCarthy's books (that I've read anyway). I'm sure if I read it again now I would see it through completely different eyes, but it's definitely well worth the read.
August 9, 2016
Overall it wasn't bad but the characters seemed to be drama queens and have more dramas in their lives than is realistic or strictly necessary to keep the storyline going. I enjoyed it and it was an easy read but I didn't love it.
February 2, 2015
Tells the story of a teenage city girl who is sent to live with an aunt in the bush to get her life back on track which is spiralling out of control after some tragic events. Along the way some old family dramas surface. It's an okay read but not one I'm likely to go back and do again.
February 11, 2016
I listened to the audio book and it was good. The narrator did a fantastic job. The story itself hits some really dark places and, in my opinion, spread itself a bit thinly across so many dynamic and intense occurrences. Overall I enjoyed this book and it's a good time filler.
August 31, 2007
took me until disc 4 to really get into this, but then i was hooked. nice, intergenerational, australian family story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews