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Heartsease
Charlotte ('Lot') and Ellen ('Nelly') are sisters who were once so close a Venn diagram of the two would have formed a circle. But a great deal has changed since their mother's death, years before. Clever, beautiful, gentle Lot has been unfailingly dutiful - basically a disaster of an older sister for much younger Nelly, still haunted by their mother in her early thirties.
When the pair meet at a silent retreat in a strange old house in the Tasmanian countryside, the spectres of memory are unleashed.
Heartsease is a sad, sly and darkly comic story about the weight of grief and the ways in which family cleave to us, for better and for worse. It's an account of love and ghosts so sharp it will leave you with paper cuts.
When the pair meet at a silent retreat in a strange old house in the Tasmanian countryside, the spectres of memory are unleashed.
Heartsease is a sad, sly and darkly comic story about the weight of grief and the ways in which family cleave to us, for better and for worse. It's an account of love and ghosts so sharp it will leave you with paper cuts.
304 pages, Paperback
Published May 28, 2024
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468 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 6, 2024
‘I saw my mother for a long time after she died. I would see her out windows, or in the corner of my eye. Always in the periphery, always a dim blur, but unmistakably my mother, the herness skating through every line and flicker.’
Clever, beautiful, gentle Lot has been unfailingly dutiful, basically a disaster of an older sister for much younger Nelly, still haunted by their mother in her early thirties. When the pair meet at a silent retreat in a strange old house in the Tasmanian countryside, the spectres of memory are unleashed.
Heartsease by Kate Kruimink is a novel that delves into themes of family, grief, identity, and the complexities of human relationships. It centers around the experiences of its characters as they navigate personal and collective challenges, revealing the nuanced ways in which their lives intertwine.
The relationships portrayed in the novel are intricate and authentic, capturing the nuances of familial bonds and the impact of personal history. The emotional landscape of the novel is rich, with moments of joy, sorrow, and reflection.
Heartsease is a beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted novel that invites readers to reflect on their own lives and relationships. This book is a must read for those who appreciate literary fiction that delves into the heart of what it means to be human.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Macmillan Australia for gifting me an advanced copy of Heartsease for review.
Clever, beautiful, gentle Lot has been unfailingly dutiful, basically a disaster of an older sister for much younger Nelly, still haunted by their mother in her early thirties. When the pair meet at a silent retreat in a strange old house in the Tasmanian countryside, the spectres of memory are unleashed.
Heartsease by Kate Kruimink is a novel that delves into themes of family, grief, identity, and the complexities of human relationships. It centers around the experiences of its characters as they navigate personal and collective challenges, revealing the nuanced ways in which their lives intertwine.
The relationships portrayed in the novel are intricate and authentic, capturing the nuances of familial bonds and the impact of personal history. The emotional landscape of the novel is rich, with moments of joy, sorrow, and reflection.
Heartsease is a beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted novel that invites readers to reflect on their own lives and relationships. This book is a must read for those who appreciate literary fiction that delves into the heart of what it means to be human.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Macmillan Australia for gifting me an advanced copy of Heartsease for review.
July 2, 2025
A beautiful, often darkly-funny story of family and grief. Understated narration by Eva Seymour was perfectly suited.
Tasmanian sisters Lot and Nell are 8 years apart in age, but closer than you'd expect due to their circumstances - close enough that they often imagine they can read each others' minds. Which is lucky, because older sister Lot has paid an eyewatering amount for them both to attend a silent retreat in the countryside; something they've been talking about doing for 10 years or so. Finally they are here. Between them they have a lot to deal with, not least the premature death of their mother when Nell was only 14, thrusting Lot into the role of parent and leaving Nell unable to blithely look out of windows unless it was a very bright day, lest she should see the ghost of her mother...
Within a few short chapters we become aware that something has happened. Something big.
The timeline jumps around a bit, but without any confusion, slowly revealing events of the distant past, the immediate past, and the bit that comes after. Both sisters are enormously complex, sympathetic characters who absolutely wrung my heart to pieces. I also loved Josh, Nell's housemate and best friend, who joins forces with Lot on a bizarre, comedic but grim roadtrip.
It's a fairly short book (I would have been happy to spend more time on it) but one that will stay with me for a long time - perhaps even for a re-read at some point.
Tasmanian sisters Lot and Nell are 8 years apart in age, but closer than you'd expect due to their circumstances - close enough that they often imagine they can read each others' minds. Which is lucky, because older sister Lot has paid an eyewatering amount for them both to attend a silent retreat in the countryside; something they've been talking about doing for 10 years or so. Finally they are here. Between them they have a lot to deal with, not least the premature death of their mother when Nell was only 14, thrusting Lot into the role of parent and leaving Nell unable to blithely look out of windows unless it was a very bright day, lest she should see the ghost of her mother...
Within a few short chapters we become aware that something has happened. Something big.
The timeline jumps around a bit, but without any confusion, slowly revealing events of the distant past, the immediate past, and the bit that comes after. Both sisters are enormously complex, sympathetic characters who absolutely wrung my heart to pieces. I also loved Josh, Nell's housemate and best friend, who joins forces with Lot on a bizarre, comedic but grim roadtrip.
It's a fairly short book (I would have been happy to spend more time on it) but one that will stay with me for a long time - perhaps even for a re-read at some point.
June 4, 2024
When someone we love dies, many of us find ourselves coexisting within two very different worlds – one, the corporeal world of human existence, the other, the ethereal world of ghosts and the afterlife. Heartsease, by Kate Kruimink, skilfully explores both these worlds with paradoxical lightness and depth, sensitivity, and a hilariously rendered idiosyncrasy that is often particular to sibling relationships.
Heartsease revolves around the final days of Nelly (Ellen) 32, a loveable, irreverent misfit with a wicked sense of humour, who has grudgingly agreed to meet her older sister Lot (Charlotte) at a meditation retreat in Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, but sneaks out to drink whiskey and take acid instead.
Nelly lost her mother at the age of 14 when she was depressed, alienated and at odds with her mother. Lot, eight years older, abandoned her dreams of overseas study to look after her troubled younger sister. The siblings are very close and often read each other’s thoughts and finish each other’s sentences. The abiding bond and affection between them, while rarely stated, is palpable.
Kruimink performs a great piece of literary head fuckery with an unusual narrative device; Nelly’s story is told through a first person point of view in one chapter and is set before her death, while Lot’s is told through the third person in the next chapter, in the immediate aftermath of Nelly’s death. This makes for a jarring contrast at first, when we realise in Lot’s first chapter, that the immensely likeable Nelly, with whom we’ve just bonded, has died. The reader bounces back and forth between Nelly’s life story, told through her own perception, and her after-death story as seen through her sister’s eyes.
Heartsease therefore explores the old, complicated grief the sisters hold from their mother’s demise 18 years prior, and the fresh, acute grief that Lot suffers over the sudden death of her younger sister. Kruimink states in her acknowledgements that Heartsease is a personal story for her and it certainly contains the ring of truth and authenticity within its pages. What is particularly impressive is that she avoids sentimentality, instead allowing the pain and love between the sisters to simmer as an ever-present subtext beneath their hilarious banter.
While sitting on the toilet seat Lot has just used, Nelly says, ‘I love you Lot.’ When Lot laughs and asks why, she says, ‘You have the warmest bum.’ Later we learn that Lot feels guilty that she didn’t reply with an ‘I love you’. Yet the love is implicit in every interaction between the two. It’s such a delight to read a book about grief and loss that intermingles humour with pathos on every page.
Kruimink’s depiction of character is multilayered and wonderfully distinctive in its details. Nelly gets through her troubled teens by drinking Fruity Lexia and listening to Nick Cave. She is not haunted, but comforted by the spectre of her mother, who visits her often. She wears boiler suits and Blundstones, and meets her best friend Josh at a special school for troubled youth. They bond over Venn diagrams and MDMA and, after Nelly’s death Josh bonds with Lot over Tim Tams, acid, bioluminescence and their shared grief.
Nelly and Josh love each other, but their relationship is unconsummated because Josh is asexual. Lot is a former bulimic and dissatisfied lawyer, who believes the removal of pubic hair is the result of internalised misogyny and is in love with an old friend called Amita. These details paint a unique picture of complex contemporary characters with much light and shade.
The dialogue is wonderfully contemporary, sparkling and hilarious, and the prose is often beautifully poetic in its evocation of Cradle Mountain, the natural and spiritual world, and the description of the Heartsease pansy, which we discover is a crucial motif that will help Nelly forgive her mother. The ending is beautifully satisfying, insightful and profound.
Heartsease is one of those books that makes you feel deeply connected and somehow a better person for having read it. Its warm characters become your best friends, and you care deeply about their fate. It acts as a balm for anyone suffering the rawness of fresh grief or still wading through the guilt and complexity of old grief. Best of all, it’s a page turner and a hugely entertaining read. Kudos to Kruimink for crafting such beautifully realised characters and story.
Thanks to Macmillan Australia for the review copy of this beautiful book.
Heartsease revolves around the final days of Nelly (Ellen) 32, a loveable, irreverent misfit with a wicked sense of humour, who has grudgingly agreed to meet her older sister Lot (Charlotte) at a meditation retreat in Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, but sneaks out to drink whiskey and take acid instead.
Nelly lost her mother at the age of 14 when she was depressed, alienated and at odds with her mother. Lot, eight years older, abandoned her dreams of overseas study to look after her troubled younger sister. The siblings are very close and often read each other’s thoughts and finish each other’s sentences. The abiding bond and affection between them, while rarely stated, is palpable.
Kruimink performs a great piece of literary head fuckery with an unusual narrative device; Nelly’s story is told through a first person point of view in one chapter and is set before her death, while Lot’s is told through the third person in the next chapter, in the immediate aftermath of Nelly’s death. This makes for a jarring contrast at first, when we realise in Lot’s first chapter, that the immensely likeable Nelly, with whom we’ve just bonded, has died. The reader bounces back and forth between Nelly’s life story, told through her own perception, and her after-death story as seen through her sister’s eyes.
Heartsease therefore explores the old, complicated grief the sisters hold from their mother’s demise 18 years prior, and the fresh, acute grief that Lot suffers over the sudden death of her younger sister. Kruimink states in her acknowledgements that Heartsease is a personal story for her and it certainly contains the ring of truth and authenticity within its pages. What is particularly impressive is that she avoids sentimentality, instead allowing the pain and love between the sisters to simmer as an ever-present subtext beneath their hilarious banter.
While sitting on the toilet seat Lot has just used, Nelly says, ‘I love you Lot.’ When Lot laughs and asks why, she says, ‘You have the warmest bum.’ Later we learn that Lot feels guilty that she didn’t reply with an ‘I love you’. Yet the love is implicit in every interaction between the two. It’s such a delight to read a book about grief and loss that intermingles humour with pathos on every page.
Kruimink’s depiction of character is multilayered and wonderfully distinctive in its details. Nelly gets through her troubled teens by drinking Fruity Lexia and listening to Nick Cave. She is not haunted, but comforted by the spectre of her mother, who visits her often. She wears boiler suits and Blundstones, and meets her best friend Josh at a special school for troubled youth. They bond over Venn diagrams and MDMA and, after Nelly’s death Josh bonds with Lot over Tim Tams, acid, bioluminescence and their shared grief.
Nelly and Josh love each other, but their relationship is unconsummated because Josh is asexual. Lot is a former bulimic and dissatisfied lawyer, who believes the removal of pubic hair is the result of internalised misogyny and is in love with an old friend called Amita. These details paint a unique picture of complex contemporary characters with much light and shade.
The dialogue is wonderfully contemporary, sparkling and hilarious, and the prose is often beautifully poetic in its evocation of Cradle Mountain, the natural and spiritual world, and the description of the Heartsease pansy, which we discover is a crucial motif that will help Nelly forgive her mother. The ending is beautifully satisfying, insightful and profound.
Heartsease is one of those books that makes you feel deeply connected and somehow a better person for having read it. Its warm characters become your best friends, and you care deeply about their fate. It acts as a balm for anyone suffering the rawness of fresh grief or still wading through the guilt and complexity of old grief. Best of all, it’s a page turner and a hugely entertaining read. Kudos to Kruimink for crafting such beautifully realised characters and story.
Thanks to Macmillan Australia for the review copy of this beautiful book.
June 2, 2024
Why I chose it: The cover initially caught my eye – it’s absolutely stunning and flowers on a cover will always get me.
Themes: Grief, family, sisters, love, organ donation, the mother load (ie. mothers who do more harm than good to their offspring).
For fans of: Literary fiction with a touch of the paranormal to it.
The good: The writing is beautiful, passages of deeply felt, well written emotion and introspection. Josh and Lot were a highlight in terms of characters, particularly as they bonded through their grief. And the ghosts. I thought that aspect of the story was really well done.
The not so good: It took about a quarter of the book to really be able to follow the narrative structure.
In brief: There is a dark humour to this novel that gently balances the raw emotion. There was a possibility that this novel would have become weighted down by its own sadness and multiple layers of grief, but the author infused enough rays of hope, humour, and love into the narrative to lighten it all up. It’s an emotional read, for sure, but not a depressing one.
Thanks for the review copy goes to: Pan Macmillan Australia.
Themes: Grief, family, sisters, love, organ donation, the mother load (ie. mothers who do more harm than good to their offspring).
For fans of: Literary fiction with a touch of the paranormal to it.
The good: The writing is beautiful, passages of deeply felt, well written emotion and introspection. Josh and Lot were a highlight in terms of characters, particularly as they bonded through their grief. And the ghosts. I thought that aspect of the story was really well done.
The not so good: It took about a quarter of the book to really be able to follow the narrative structure.
In brief: There is a dark humour to this novel that gently balances the raw emotion. There was a possibility that this novel would have become weighted down by its own sadness and multiple layers of grief, but the author infused enough rays of hope, humour, and love into the narrative to lighten it all up. It’s an emotional read, for sure, but not a depressing one.
Thanks for the review copy goes to: Pan Macmillan Australia.
October 21, 2025
4 / “Oh Nelly, you don’t have the monopoly on inner turmoil you know, you didn’t invent it.” Charlotte (Lot) 8 year older sister/guardian of Ellen (Nelly) says to her at a tavern on their nighttime escape from a silent retreat. Coming together again after time and life has kept them apart they are reconnecting and learning new things about each other.
Their relationship dynamic is interesting, shared grief of their mothers passing 18 years earlier, age gap and sibling/carer struggles. Also being raised by a mother who was the eldest child of strict parents and was found lacking added even more layers.
As others have said I also found the chapters are a bit jarring but it is worth continuing as this book is an insight into the lives of siblings dealing with grief, loss, expectation and even miscommunication. I feel we got to know the characters without being inundated with everything about them, which I love.
A book to revisit, well written, contemporary and poignant.
Below are a few of my favourites
“The thing was at this point just to remain upright and follow Lot and not howl at the mountain or the moon or any other grand metaphors available.”
“We were in the midst of reinvention, just shaking the diamonties of the previous edition of ourselves. We were stripping away the innocent glamour of stars you put on your cheekbones.”
“People have been angsting since the dawn of time, modelling how to be sad to their children who watch and memorise.”
4 ⭐️ Audiobook read by Eva Seymour
Their relationship dynamic is interesting, shared grief of their mothers passing 18 years earlier, age gap and sibling/carer struggles. Also being raised by a mother who was the eldest child of strict parents and was found lacking added even more layers.
As others have said I also found the chapters are a bit jarring but it is worth continuing as this book is an insight into the lives of siblings dealing with grief, loss, expectation and even miscommunication. I feel we got to know the characters without being inundated with everything about them, which I love.
A book to revisit, well written, contemporary and poignant.
Below are a few of my favourites
“The thing was at this point just to remain upright and follow Lot and not howl at the mountain or the moon or any other grand metaphors available.”
“We were in the midst of reinvention, just shaking the diamonties of the previous edition of ourselves. We were stripping away the innocent glamour of stars you put on your cheekbones.”
“People have been angsting since the dawn of time, modelling how to be sad to their children who watch and memorise.”
4 ⭐️ Audiobook read by Eva Seymour
June 4, 2024
There's not a lot of reviews for this yet so please take my review with a grain of salt: I am not a fan of literary fiction for the most part.
What I expected from the blurb: 2 sisters reconnecting at a silent retreat, having to navigate their grief together without the use of words, maybe some flashbacks for context and an exploration of their relationship.
What I got: 2 sisters meeting at a silent retreat for 10 minutes and then heading to the pub and (not really a spoiler but not in blurb) then So that was a shock. We do get flashbacks and an exploration of their relationship, but it was so hard to tell what was going on most of the time because it jumped around so haphazardly.
I put this down at around the 80 page mark and determined not to pick it up again but because it was less than 300 pages I pushed on. The metaphors all got a bit much for me at times (something about gumtrees being fascists?) but the biggest disappointment was how forgettable it was.
What I expected from the blurb: 2 sisters reconnecting at a silent retreat, having to navigate their grief together without the use of words, maybe some flashbacks for context and an exploration of their relationship.
What I got: 2 sisters meeting at a silent retreat for 10 minutes and then heading to the pub and (not really a spoiler but not in blurb) then So that was a shock. We do get flashbacks and an exploration of their relationship, but it was so hard to tell what was going on most of the time because it jumped around so haphazardly.
I put this down at around the 80 page mark and determined not to pick it up again but because it was less than 300 pages I pushed on. The metaphors all got a bit much for me at times (something about gumtrees being fascists?) but the biggest disappointment was how forgettable it was.
June 25, 2024
Heartsease is so structurally interesting. At first I was confused by the switches from Nelly’s first person narrative to Lot’s third person perspective (in which Nelly has just died no less). But these perspective shifts allow us to explore the layers of grief and connection between these two sisters who lost their mother far too young. Another challenge Kruimink gives herself is to set the first section of Nelly’s perspective in a silent retreat. Once you start to appreciate the perspective shifts and timeline you can just enjoy getting to know and understand these women and how they navigate through the world. The prose is beautifully written. This was a delightful surprise of a novel that caught me off guard with its close examination of grief, old and new.
December 18, 2024
Set in Tasmania this novel is about grief and relationships. Charlotte (Lot) and Ellen (Nelly), are two sisters, once very close after the loss of their mother, who now come together at a retreat.
I have really mixed feelings about this novel. The structure is very interesting with Nelly’s story told in chapter's set in the hours before her death, and Lot’s in chapters in the present i.e. after the tragic event. One in first person, one in third person. I am not sure why the author chose this structure but for me it highlighted the fact that we live our lives with our past ever present. There were some beautiful passages but then there were times when I felt the novel was a little overwritten. Times when I couldn't put it down and others where I needed to put it aside. As I said mixed feelings, but I am glad that I read it and I will remember that opening:
"I saw my mother for a long time after she died. I would see her out windows, or in the corner of my eye. Always in the periphery, always a dim blur, but unmistakably my mother, the herness skating through every line and flicker."
I have really mixed feelings about this novel. The structure is very interesting with Nelly’s story told in chapter's set in the hours before her death, and Lot’s in chapters in the present i.e. after the tragic event. One in first person, one in third person. I am not sure why the author chose this structure but for me it highlighted the fact that we live our lives with our past ever present. There were some beautiful passages but then there were times when I felt the novel was a little overwritten. Times when I couldn't put it down and others where I needed to put it aside. As I said mixed feelings, but I am glad that I read it and I will remember that opening:
"I saw my mother for a long time after she died. I would see her out windows, or in the corner of my eye. Always in the periphery, always a dim blur, but unmistakably my mother, the herness skating through every line and flicker."
December 31, 2025
December 2025: Updating to 5 stars. Still thinkijg about this book. 4.5 stars. Oof, my heart wasn't ready for that. Beautifully written, deeply moving and darkly funny. Reminds us of the ephemerality of life. To think I only picked it up because it was set in Tasmania ...
January 30, 2026
There’s a darkness that permeates Tasmania. It’s like this little island is drenched in pain & sadness & trauma. Through genocide, colonisation & the convict years, through isolation, poverty & raw resilience.
It’s etched into so many inhabitants. It’s etched into this story about love, loss & grief.
Kate allows us to enter the inner-most recesses of mental illness & addiction, shame & guilt, but also a world of love, loyalty & adoration.
A memorable read. Unlike other readers I had no problem navigating the disjointed chronology of the chapters- this felt the right way to convey the storyline & the impermanence & fractures of memory
It’s etched into so many inhabitants. It’s etched into this story about love, loss & grief.
Kate allows us to enter the inner-most recesses of mental illness & addiction, shame & guilt, but also a world of love, loyalty & adoration.
A memorable read. Unlike other readers I had no problem navigating the disjointed chronology of the chapters- this felt the right way to convey the storyline & the impermanence & fractures of memory
Read
November 18, 20243.75 stars
January 11, 2026
Had some beautiful passages but overall it felt a bit overwritten. Nothing really happened, the metaphors felt wanky, and the story felt disjointed. I wanted more silent retreat time!
March 8, 2025
Stunning, metaphor rich writing (without being annoying or pretentious).
January 9, 2025
This is a book about grief, about being haunted by those who have passed. It’s the story of two sisters who have experienced the loss of their mother in very different ways. It explores human relationship, familial bonds, and the idiosyncrasies of sibling connections.
The story is told in dual POVs, by each of the sisters, one leading up to a traumatic event, the other after that
event (don’t want to give anything away). The characters are complex, contemporary and relatable.
The writing is beautiful - it exudes raw emotion, sorrow but also dark humour. In its sadness there are plenty of light moments and glimmers of hope.
This is a book that invites reader to ponder their own relationships.
Thanks to @macmillanaus for the gifted copy.
Let’s also take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this book cover is.
The story is told in dual POVs, by each of the sisters, one leading up to a traumatic event, the other after that
event (don’t want to give anything away). The characters are complex, contemporary and relatable.
The writing is beautiful - it exudes raw emotion, sorrow but also dark humour. In its sadness there are plenty of light moments and glimmers of hope.
This is a book that invites reader to ponder their own relationships.
Thanks to @macmillanaus for the gifted copy.
Let’s also take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this book cover is.
October 5, 2024
Charlotte ('Lot') and Ellen ('Nelly') are sisters who were once so close, but a great deal has changed since their mother's death, years before. Clever, beautiful, gentle Lot has been a dutiful older sister for much younger Nelly, who’s still haunted by their mother in her early thirties. When the pair meet at a silent retreat in a strange old house in the Tasmanian countryside, the spectres of memory are unleashed.
Not gonna lie, it took me a while to understand the structure of this book and where it was going. While this was a contemporary book, figuring out the alternating chapters and how they clicked together was a mystery for me to solve. Once I realised what was going on though, it was a lightbulb moment, and I immediately understood the story.
The scenes and dialogues were deceivingly ‘simple’, with the unsettling retreat and Nelly’s haunting mother playing in the background. I loved that the line between reality and imagination was blurred. At the end of the day, it was a heartbreaking, heartfelt story.
This was a beautifully written book, even if it required more efforts from the readers to fully understand.
(Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
Not gonna lie, it took me a while to understand the structure of this book and where it was going. While this was a contemporary book, figuring out the alternating chapters and how they clicked together was a mystery for me to solve. Once I realised what was going on though, it was a lightbulb moment, and I immediately understood the story.
The scenes and dialogues were deceivingly ‘simple’, with the unsettling retreat and Nelly’s haunting mother playing in the background. I loved that the line between reality and imagination was blurred. At the end of the day, it was a heartbreaking, heartfelt story.
This was a beautifully written book, even if it required more efforts from the readers to fully understand.
(Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
June 14, 2024
This wonderful book is the story of two sisters Lot and Nelly, bonded through tragedy, yet written with humour and lightness of touch. A novel set partially on a silent retreat in Tasmania, with characters who need to be there but can’t. It was the book I needed, serendipity writ large.
‘Heartsease’ is meticulously realised, there is not a word out of place. Kate Kruimink makes observations that would make the most viral Twitter user proud, but fires them at you page after page. The cumulative effect, along with a narrative about the deep things in life (growing up, feminiity, chaos and death) means you have one my favourite books ever, instantly.
Will you like it? Hard to say. You’re probably not asexual, and prone to psychosis and have a yearning for local references. But just maybe the idea of ‘growing up troubled’ is ultra universal, and it’ll be part of your own changing day (to paraphrase Dr. Phil).
At the very least, if the chaotic world conspires to dangle it in front of you, you can go ‘Huh, that was the book Giles was banging on about’. From then on it’s up to you to change your own story.
Yes, it’s that good.
‘Heartsease’ is meticulously realised, there is not a word out of place. Kate Kruimink makes observations that would make the most viral Twitter user proud, but fires them at you page after page. The cumulative effect, along with a narrative about the deep things in life (growing up, feminiity, chaos and death) means you have one my favourite books ever, instantly.
Will you like it? Hard to say. You’re probably not asexual, and prone to psychosis and have a yearning for local references. But just maybe the idea of ‘growing up troubled’ is ultra universal, and it’ll be part of your own changing day (to paraphrase Dr. Phil).
At the very least, if the chaotic world conspires to dangle it in front of you, you can go ‘Huh, that was the book Giles was banging on about’. From then on it’s up to you to change your own story.
Yes, it’s that good.
December 15, 2024
I really enjoyed this book and felt totally immersed in the emotional and physical journey the author took us on in this rich immersive story of two sisters coming together at a retreat in Tasmania.
Kate Kruimink cleverly weaves the past , present and future into a pivotal period in two sister’s lives . A very clever and immersive experience for the reader as we jump from memories and perspectives of two sisters still struggling with the grief of the loss of their mother and exploration of the ways it has impacted them both and then an unexpected but early reveal of a second major tragedy.
Despite the deep and often raw emotional punch this story packs , it is beautifully balanced with clever layers of humour and realism that many people will relate to . Layers of grief, love , tragedy , all interjected with quirky comedy make this beautifully written novel one will be one I will always remember .
A brilliant second novel from this aspiring author . It’s easy to see why she’s winning so many prizes .
Kate Kruimink cleverly weaves the past , present and future into a pivotal period in two sister’s lives . A very clever and immersive experience for the reader as we jump from memories and perspectives of two sisters still struggling with the grief of the loss of their mother and exploration of the ways it has impacted them both and then an unexpected but early reveal of a second major tragedy.
Despite the deep and often raw emotional punch this story packs , it is beautifully balanced with clever layers of humour and realism that many people will relate to . Layers of grief, love , tragedy , all interjected with quirky comedy make this beautifully written novel one will be one I will always remember .
A brilliant second novel from this aspiring author . It’s easy to see why she’s winning so many prizes .
October 24, 2024
As usual, there is possibly an additional star here due to Tasmanian partiality. I did enjoy the descriptions of familiar characters, and places I love - like the end of this line about the mountain, but like this quote, I found a decent chunk of the novel overly burdened with metaphor:
“It had grown dark by the time we got home from our arguably horrible walk halfway to the metaphor, back to the place where we had lived with a sledgehammer shaped like a woman and a man like a desk lam, bright but bowed. The stars crystallised in an extravagant sweep and the mountain’s gigantic white shoulders hung suspended.”
The relationships between sisters Nell and Lot, and Lot and Josh were beautifully written, and balanced joy, love and grief.
I liked the unusual stylistic device, the decision not to pair up Lot and Josh, and the ven-diagram joke (unlucky fishermen+sunbathers=catching rays).
“It had grown dark by the time we got home from our arguably horrible walk halfway to the metaphor, back to the place where we had lived with a sledgehammer shaped like a woman and a man like a desk lam, bright but bowed. The stars crystallised in an extravagant sweep and the mountain’s gigantic white shoulders hung suspended.”
The relationships between sisters Nell and Lot, and Lot and Josh were beautifully written, and balanced joy, love and grief.
I liked the unusual stylistic device, the decision not to pair up Lot and Josh, and the ven-diagram joke (unlucky fishermen+sunbathers=catching rays).
July 24, 2024
Charlotte (Lot) and Ellen (Nelly) are sisters , and when they meet at a silent retreat in the Tasmanian countryside, all of their grief from the loss of their mother is unleashed. Heartsease is a story of family, love, grief and loss.
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I loved the setting of the Tassie countryside- and the weaving of dark humour, particularly at the silent retreat, I was caught giggling quite a few times. It’s also a part coming-of-age story, there’s good character development and reflections. If you enjoyed The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, then you may enjoy Heartsease.
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I loved the setting of the Tassie countryside- and the weaving of dark humour, particularly at the silent retreat, I was caught giggling quite a few times. It’s also a part coming-of-age story, there’s good character development and reflections. If you enjoyed The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, then you may enjoy Heartsease.
August 9, 2024
A lovely story of sisterhood, loss, grief and trauma. It took a while for me adjust to the format of chapters written in present and past and switching names but in all a beautifully written if not wholly engrossing tale.
September 11, 2024
Audiobook - a moving, beautiful story of love, death and grief. One I will revisit again.
Narration speed was too fast for me to follow properly on free Borrowbox app. So I bought the audiobook through Audible which allows slowing of narration speed. I liked the narration then.
Narration speed was too fast for me to follow properly on free Borrowbox app. So I bought the audiobook through Audible which allows slowing of narration speed. I liked the narration then.
January 13, 2026
Exploration of layers of grief
August 24, 2024
Beautiful, clever writing - sad, funny, and often profound. An unusual structure which took me a while to get into, but I warmed to it.
June 23, 2025
What an unexpected delight is HEARTSEASE (Picador 2024) by debut author Kate Kruimink, a beautifully captured tale of grief, family, sisterhood, love, memory, life and what comes afterwards.
Sisters Lot and Nelly, eight years apart, grew as close as siblings can be when the death of their mother ensconced Lot (Charlotte) as Nelly’s (Ellen’s) carer through her adolescence. Lot is a sensible, dutiful, conservative lawyer, while Nelly is a troubled teen who grows into a troubled adult, and who still sees visions of her mother into her thirties.
The story begins when the two sisters agree to meet for a silent retreat at an unusual and haunting old house in rural Tasmania. The other half dozen participants are a weird mix, and the ‘no speaking’ rule discombobulates everyone. Lot and Nelly don’t even last a day before they have escaped for an evening at the local pub.
The novel is told from the perspectives of both key characters, and alternates in time between the ‘present’ (at the retreat) and a backwards countdown that begins fourteen hours before something – some momentous incident occurs – although we are initially not sure what event is yet to be revealed. These chapters are simply titled (as an example) ‘eleven and a half hours to go’, alluding to a mysterious, possibly sinister or tragic event to which we are not privy.
The writing is lyrical, soft and luminous, the characters are well developed and endearing, the story is surprising, unexpected, tender and gentle. It is slow but propelled by the impending ‘incident’.
HEARTSEASE explores themes of intergenerational trauma, family relationships, siblings, love, grief, loss, estrangement, parenting, depression and the preciousness of life. It examines ingrained childhood narratives or beliefs that are dispelled (sometimes accidentally) in adulthood by the reasoned knowledge of another or the gradual realisation of misunderstandings and misinterpretations. The novel examines other themes but to say more would be a spoiler.
The last part of the story is thoughtful and warm, and I would have liked this extended; I feel it was cut short during a most interesting section. But I also appreciate the author’s decision to stop when she did, as it mirrors the way of life (and death): the sudden cessation of forward motion.
The other great aspect of HEARTSEASE is its sharp and unexpected humour and wit throughout the most ordinary (and extraordinary) circumstances. The dialogue is spot-on, taut and direct, and the prose style is that of a more experienced author.
This is an original, funny, heartbreaking and poignant novel that is a slow burn filled with love and care for the characters that people its pages, their dreams and nightmares, their ambitions and desires, their loves and passions. A gorgeous and profound book.
Sisters Lot and Nelly, eight years apart, grew as close as siblings can be when the death of their mother ensconced Lot (Charlotte) as Nelly’s (Ellen’s) carer through her adolescence. Lot is a sensible, dutiful, conservative lawyer, while Nelly is a troubled teen who grows into a troubled adult, and who still sees visions of her mother into her thirties.
The story begins when the two sisters agree to meet for a silent retreat at an unusual and haunting old house in rural Tasmania. The other half dozen participants are a weird mix, and the ‘no speaking’ rule discombobulates everyone. Lot and Nelly don’t even last a day before they have escaped for an evening at the local pub.
The novel is told from the perspectives of both key characters, and alternates in time between the ‘present’ (at the retreat) and a backwards countdown that begins fourteen hours before something – some momentous incident occurs – although we are initially not sure what event is yet to be revealed. These chapters are simply titled (as an example) ‘eleven and a half hours to go’, alluding to a mysterious, possibly sinister or tragic event to which we are not privy.
The writing is lyrical, soft and luminous, the characters are well developed and endearing, the story is surprising, unexpected, tender and gentle. It is slow but propelled by the impending ‘incident’.
HEARTSEASE explores themes of intergenerational trauma, family relationships, siblings, love, grief, loss, estrangement, parenting, depression and the preciousness of life. It examines ingrained childhood narratives or beliefs that are dispelled (sometimes accidentally) in adulthood by the reasoned knowledge of another or the gradual realisation of misunderstandings and misinterpretations. The novel examines other themes but to say more would be a spoiler.
The last part of the story is thoughtful and warm, and I would have liked this extended; I feel it was cut short during a most interesting section. But I also appreciate the author’s decision to stop when she did, as it mirrors the way of life (and death): the sudden cessation of forward motion.
The other great aspect of HEARTSEASE is its sharp and unexpected humour and wit throughout the most ordinary (and extraordinary) circumstances. The dialogue is spot-on, taut and direct, and the prose style is that of a more experienced author.
This is an original, funny, heartbreaking and poignant novel that is a slow burn filled with love and care for the characters that people its pages, their dreams and nightmares, their ambitions and desires, their loves and passions. A gorgeous and profound book.
July 22, 2025
This novel deals with themes of loss, generations of grief, and relationships with family. It is a portrait of what it is to be human, and ultimately mortal, and it is about ways in which people are there for one another. What makes this book unique is that structurally it is partly told in first person from the perspective of someone who dies after we have got to know them, allowing the reader to feel some of the loss and be drawn into the circle of grief as well, whilst also reading from the perspective of those left behind. The characters are very three-dimensionally brought to life through detailed description of their quirks, habits, vices, flaws and past.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2024
Lot and Nelly are sisters but more than sisters. When their mother died some years earlier, Lot, several years older than Nelly, who was a troubled teen struggling with mental health issues, became her guardian. So, their relationships are like mother/child as well as sister/sister.
After a period in which they had drifted apart, they arrange to meet at a silent retreat. When Nelly finds this almost impossible, they make a break for the local pub. Time splits - an event occurs, and we see the effects in two timelines - before and after.
I found the writing beautiful, the relationships very real and the whole quite compelling.
After a period in which they had drifted apart, they arrange to meet at a silent retreat. When Nelly finds this almost impossible, they make a break for the local pub. Time splits - an event occurs, and we see the effects in two timelines - before and after.
I found the writing beautiful, the relationships very real and the whole quite compelling.
November 25, 2024
The ideas and concepts in this book were intriguing and I thought that I would live this book and get alot from it.
Unfortunately, I found the book very disjointed. It jumped from the distant past, to the present, to the recent past and not in any consistent order.
The ending didn't give any closure.
This could have been a great booklet sadly it wasn't.
I have been generous in giving it 2 stars.
Unfortunately, I found the book very disjointed. It jumped from the distant past, to the present, to the recent past and not in any consistent order.
The ending didn't give any closure.
This could have been a great booklet sadly it wasn't.
I have been generous in giving it 2 stars.
March 3, 2025
Exhausting, emotional. Not an easy read, but a worthwhile read. Beautifully written - a real change from Kate Kruimink's first (excellent) book and showing amazing breadth of talent. I enjoyed the blending between Nelly (in her afterlife) and Lot. An intense story of life, death and love. My only quibble is that I would have preferred more of Josh as I found him to be an enigmatic interesting character who felt a bit underwritten. Another great Tasmanian novel.
February 15, 2026
This book is funny, sad, lively, heartfelt, profound and moving. In the last few pages I had to stop reading a couple of times because I was crying too much to see the page. I love that Kate is not afraid to write about death and family and love and the big themes that literary fiction can sometimes shy away from in the name of more cerebral topics like identity and social relations.
I can't wait to read whatever Kate writes next.
I can't wait to read whatever Kate writes next.
August 12, 2024
Ebook. Lovely depiction of sisters’ relationship, warm and funny while deeply tragic. I found the writing, often poetic, at times difficult to grasp. Raw and screamingly painful grief. The insertion of a story within the story was meaningless to me and I skipped over it.
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