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Anxious Hearts
“Evangeline,” he repeated, calling at a whisper. “Evangeline.” He was not calling that she may hear, he was calling that somehow her soul might know that he was devoted entirely to her, only to her. “Evangeline, I will find you.”
Eva and Gabe explore the golden forest of their seaside Maine town, unknowingly tracing the footsteps of two teens, Evangeline and Gabriel, who once lived in the idyllic wooded village of Acadia more than one hundred years ago. On the day that Evangeline and Gabriel were be wed, their village was attacked and the two were separated. And now in the present, Gabe has mysteriously disappeared from Eva.
A dreamlike, loose retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous love poem “Evangeline,” Anxious Hearts tells an epic tale of unrequited love and the hope that true love can be reunited.
Eva and Gabe explore the golden forest of their seaside Maine town, unknowingly tracing the footsteps of two teens, Evangeline and Gabriel, who once lived in the idyllic wooded village of Acadia more than one hundred years ago. On the day that Evangeline and Gabriel were be wed, their village was attacked and the two were separated. And now in the present, Gabe has mysteriously disappeared from Eva.
A dreamlike, loose retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous love poem “Evangeline,” Anxious Hearts tells an epic tale of unrequited love and the hope that true love can be reunited.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2010
8 people are currently reading
2262 people want to read
About the author
Tucker Shaw
30 books134 followersTucker Shaw's novel, WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME, follows two gay teenagers during the height of the AIDS crisis in New York City in 1990. In hard times, nothing is more powerful than friendship.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
April 8, 2025
First, I want you all to know that I read this book IN ONE SITTING. That never happens. Usually, even the most riveting book will eventually elicit a yawn from me (I do most of my reading at night, you see). This book was so addictive, so encompassing that I literally could not put it down. I just had to find out what happened to the characters. That is an incredibly big deal for a reader like me - who is most of the time ruled by practicality - and so that counts toward the final rating.
This book is an expanded retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem "Evangeline" and I really do suggest you google it before reading this book. Several times throughout the story I "gave it the benefit of the doubt" because I was familiar with the overall tone of urgency and devotion. Most retellings divert somehow from the original source material, and so I wasn't surprised that this one does, too. The way this book is set up, you have two love stories that are told simultaneously through rotated chapters: the first one takes place in the mid-18th century in Acadia (note to Mr. Shaw: why in the world do you call it "Cadia?" You're missing an 'A') and is supposed to correlate to the poem; the second story is in the present, narrated by the main girl. I wasn't in love with the story's format: every other chapter switched perspectives/settings, regardless of what was going on in the plot, and so it made the transitions really choppy at times. The writing wasn't anything noteworthy, either. The stories blended really well, BUT they didn't follow a traditional literary structure - what I mean is, there was no climax and so you kind of feel like you're running around the pool 20 times.
This book is first and foremost a romance, and I commend Tucker Shaw for creating not one but two incredibly emotional and captivating stories. Like I said before, I was hooked from page 1. Now these two romances: Evangeline/Gabriel (past) and Eva/Gabe (present) are not supposed to be realistic, and so character actions are little contrived. And at the end... I totally cried. I told you - I'm a sucker! If you've read the poem... this story...is relatively faithful to the original ending. I'm not going to tell you which story - the 18th century one or the present one - I'm talking about, though. You'll have to read it for yourself!
However, I do feel the need to address some issues regarding content. I did a little "research" on goodreads and currently none of the other reviews mention what I'm about to disclose. I find that really shocking, because usually this kind of stuff is mentioned...but anyway.
There is a sex scene pretty early in the story, and for a YA, it's pretty *graphic* (graphic, for me, means "detailed descriptions"- like an ESPN play by play) Now you all know me - I never do backflips over sex in YA, but especially here it seemed incredibly random and out of place. And graphic.
Final Rating: 4/5. I started out giving this a 3.5 because of the choppy transitions and the content, but then I bumped it up just because you know, I did enjoy this book. It gets props for capturing my COMPLETE attention from beginning to end. Bearing in mind the content issue (which I personally feel obligated to inform you all about) this was a good book and I recommend it to all over-16 year olds - the mature ones, that is.
This book is an expanded retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem "Evangeline" and I really do suggest you google it before reading this book. Several times throughout the story I "gave it the benefit of the doubt" because I was familiar with the overall tone of urgency and devotion. Most retellings divert somehow from the original source material, and so I wasn't surprised that this one does, too. The way this book is set up, you have two love stories that are told simultaneously through rotated chapters: the first one takes place in the mid-18th century in Acadia (note to Mr. Shaw: why in the world do you call it "Cadia?" You're missing an 'A') and is supposed to correlate to the poem; the second story is in the present, narrated by the main girl. I wasn't in love with the story's format: every other chapter switched perspectives/settings, regardless of what was going on in the plot, and so it made the transitions really choppy at times. The writing wasn't anything noteworthy, either. The stories blended really well, BUT they didn't follow a traditional literary structure - what I mean is, there was no climax and so you kind of feel like you're running around the pool 20 times.
This book is first and foremost a romance, and I commend Tucker Shaw for creating not one but two incredibly emotional and captivating stories. Like I said before, I was hooked from page 1. Now these two romances: Evangeline/Gabriel (past) and Eva/Gabe (present) are not supposed to be realistic, and so character actions are little contrived. And at the end... I totally cried. I told you - I'm a sucker! If you've read the poem... this story...is relatively faithful to the original ending. I'm not going to tell you which story - the 18th century one or the present one - I'm talking about, though. You'll have to read it for yourself!
However, I do feel the need to address some issues regarding content. I did a little "research" on goodreads and currently none of the other reviews mention what I'm about to disclose. I find that really shocking, because usually this kind of stuff is mentioned...but anyway.
There is a sex scene pretty early in the story, and for a YA, it's pretty *graphic* (graphic, for me, means "detailed descriptions"- like an ESPN play by play) Now you all know me - I never do backflips over sex in YA, but especially here it seemed incredibly random and out of place. And graphic.
Final Rating: 4/5. I started out giving this a 3.5 because of the choppy transitions and the content, but then I bumped it up just because you know, I did enjoy this book. It gets props for capturing my COMPLETE attention from beginning to end. Bearing in mind the content issue (which I personally feel obligated to inform you all about) this was a good book and I recommend it to all over-16 year olds - the mature ones, that is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2010
Reviewed by Samantha Clanton aka "Harlequin Twilight" for TeensReadToo.com
There's always going to be those stories that capture your heart. Whether it's something that is heartbreaking and sticks with you, or something that is so pure and enticing that your heart envelops it; one way or another your heart becomes involved with the words and the characters inside. ANXIOUS HEARTS by Tucker Shaw is not only one of those stories, it's the latter of the two. It's the one that runs through your mind over and over again; it's the one that's so pure that you become one with the story.
In 1847, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published a poem, "Evangeline," that has now become one of his most notable works, and also one of the most commonly taught poems in English classes. This beautiful poem inspired Tucker Shaw to write ANXIOUS HEARTS, and for that I must thank Mr. Longfellow (Yes, I am going to thank a man who's been dead for somewhere around, oh, 125+ years).
ANXIOUS HEARTS begins the story of Eva and Gabe, two teenagers who lost touch in each other's lives, only to pick back up years later as they explore the forests surrounding their seaside town. They follow the same paths, and are exploring the same tranquil forests, as Evangeline and Gabriel, two young lovers who did the same over one hundred years before them. On the day of Evangeline and Gabriel's wedding, their village was attacked by enemies and they were separated from one another. In the present, Gabe suddenly disappears from Eva and it seems as if their love will mirror that of the two lovers torn apart on their wedding day.
The first couple of chapters threw me for a loop. I'm used to alternate points of view, but I don't think I've ever read anything that is not only alternate voices, but also alternate time periods. Eva and Gabe's story is told by Eva, while Gabriel and Evangeline's tale is told by Gabriel, some hundred years earlier. It only took a few chapters in for me to not only get used to the change, but to also welcome the bits of each tale I got.
The imagery in ANXIOUS HEARTS is something I've not seen in a long time, not since AP English in high school. It's got the air of one of those old stories your teacher forces you to read, then you're thankful in the end. It's pure, beautiful, and vivid in the words that flow across the page. The beauty in Longfellow's tale weaves into Shaw's and the characters, both new and old, come alive on the page and leap into your mind.
I found it really hard to find the words to describe ANXIOUS HEARTS. There were moments that made me laugh and smile, then there were the ones that made my jaw drop and stay hanging open in fear and pain for the characters that had woven themselves into my heart in fewer than 300 pages. Eva, Gabe, Evangeline, and Gabriel all found their own place in my heart, and I found myself understanding them in different ways and wanting the best for them.
If you've never read "Evangeline" then I advise you not to read it until after you've read ANXIOUS HEARTS. It's been years since I've read it, but once I started reading the story of these lovers those years faded away and the story was there again. The story behind Shaw's words is just as important as the words themselves. This book is beautiful and lyrical; it flows with a fluid grace that enamors and captures the soul, all in the same page.
ANXIOUS HEARTS speaks to the hopeless romantic in all of us. It contains the purest love I've read in a long time. I didn't want the story to end, even though I knew it had to. If there's one romance that should be on everyone's shelf, it should be the timeless beauty that is this novel. Even those who aren't big fans of romance will have no other choice but to fall in love with these characters and the stories they have to tell.
There's always going to be those stories that capture your heart. Whether it's something that is heartbreaking and sticks with you, or something that is so pure and enticing that your heart envelops it; one way or another your heart becomes involved with the words and the characters inside. ANXIOUS HEARTS by Tucker Shaw is not only one of those stories, it's the latter of the two. It's the one that runs through your mind over and over again; it's the one that's so pure that you become one with the story.
In 1847, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published a poem, "Evangeline," that has now become one of his most notable works, and also one of the most commonly taught poems in English classes. This beautiful poem inspired Tucker Shaw to write ANXIOUS HEARTS, and for that I must thank Mr. Longfellow (Yes, I am going to thank a man who's been dead for somewhere around, oh, 125+ years).
ANXIOUS HEARTS begins the story of Eva and Gabe, two teenagers who lost touch in each other's lives, only to pick back up years later as they explore the forests surrounding their seaside town. They follow the same paths, and are exploring the same tranquil forests, as Evangeline and Gabriel, two young lovers who did the same over one hundred years before them. On the day of Evangeline and Gabriel's wedding, their village was attacked by enemies and they were separated from one another. In the present, Gabe suddenly disappears from Eva and it seems as if their love will mirror that of the two lovers torn apart on their wedding day.
The first couple of chapters threw me for a loop. I'm used to alternate points of view, but I don't think I've ever read anything that is not only alternate voices, but also alternate time periods. Eva and Gabe's story is told by Eva, while Gabriel and Evangeline's tale is told by Gabriel, some hundred years earlier. It only took a few chapters in for me to not only get used to the change, but to also welcome the bits of each tale I got.
The imagery in ANXIOUS HEARTS is something I've not seen in a long time, not since AP English in high school. It's got the air of one of those old stories your teacher forces you to read, then you're thankful in the end. It's pure, beautiful, and vivid in the words that flow across the page. The beauty in Longfellow's tale weaves into Shaw's and the characters, both new and old, come alive on the page and leap into your mind.
I found it really hard to find the words to describe ANXIOUS HEARTS. There were moments that made me laugh and smile, then there were the ones that made my jaw drop and stay hanging open in fear and pain for the characters that had woven themselves into my heart in fewer than 300 pages. Eva, Gabe, Evangeline, and Gabriel all found their own place in my heart, and I found myself understanding them in different ways and wanting the best for them.
If you've never read "Evangeline" then I advise you not to read it until after you've read ANXIOUS HEARTS. It's been years since I've read it, but once I started reading the story of these lovers those years faded away and the story was there again. The story behind Shaw's words is just as important as the words themselves. This book is beautiful and lyrical; it flows with a fluid grace that enamors and captures the soul, all in the same page.
ANXIOUS HEARTS speaks to the hopeless romantic in all of us. It contains the purest love I've read in a long time. I didn't want the story to end, even though I knew it had to. If there's one romance that should be on everyone's shelf, it should be the timeless beauty that is this novel. Even those who aren't big fans of romance will have no other choice but to fall in love with these characters and the stories they have to tell.
July 12, 2010
This book is inspired by the original poem "Evangeline" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It follows the story of Eva and Gabe sharing both points of views but with a twist Eva's is set in the modern day and Gabe's is set about 200 years ago. I found it to be a beautifully written love story. It was a quick read that I did like it however it lacked that something special and I was never really drawn into the story.
Overall, it was good but not great. Fans of romance should enjoy this short and sweet story.
Overall, it was good but not great. Fans of romance should enjoy this short and sweet story.
April 20, 2010
Anxious Hearts is a heartbreaking tale of two couples more than a hundred years apart living the same love and loss. This is an intriguing story line that leaves you questioning if these are supposed to be fated lovers living their love over and over. After having finished this novel I don t know that this was intended. [return][return]This was a very quick and enjoyable story. Although, throughout this story I was haunted by a feeling that something was missing. The characters while enjoyable where not complete. I don t feel that we totally knew the characters; which leaves the reader with a very noticeable feeling of being the outsider. This is just one of several things that stand out in my mind, and drew my attention away from this story. The setting was a disturbing aspect of this novel. Evangeline and Gabriel are supposed to be a couple from long ago; while Eva and Gabe were supposed to be, I believe, present day. While reading this story, I would find myself confused about the time line because it would seem something's were inappropriate for the suggested era. Without exact placement of time in a story, it is very easy to lose a reader with the writing. Lastly, Anxious Hearts does not seem to have a very noticeable climax point. I was suffering from a feeling of wandering through the pages. You come away with a feeling of running around the pool twenty times, but never having jumped right in the middle to know what the water is like. Really I have to reign in back in here and tell you that I did enjoy this story. I just can not offer it the best rating because I have particular problems with the story. It is easier to enjoy this story when you don t put a whole lot of thought in it. Read it primarily for enjoyment, and you will do fine. It is when you try to analyze this book that you will find yourself with a world of questions. [return][return]As we all know BookWhisperer is a Cover Freak. So, I have to say that I love this cover. The attention grabber for me with this book was the cover alone. This is one that does not take much thought for the meaning behind the cover, but it is still BEAUTIFUL. [return][return]
April 10, 2010
I am declaring my bias upfront. I tend to judge a book by its reading atmosphere. In this book's case, I read it while lonely, on a gray day, with a cup of tea.
In intersecting narratives, two sets of young lovers live and woo and get lost in the same Maine wood. Forces split them apart. In the modern telling, Eva is the huntress, seeking Gabe, who leaves on his own accord. In the historical plot, Gabriel is robbed of his Evangeline by brute colonists.
The romantic tension is palpable and at times left me breathless. The choice to have both couples call their loves "beloved" only melted my heart more, as it recalled for me the biblical writer John addressing readers as beloved.
While the novel's exploration of what "home" means (answer: your love) has been done and is expected, I found the familiarity comforting. It lacks a star because I was more engrossed in the historical ballad of Gabriel and Evangeline; the former's devotion feeling more tender. Eva and Gabe's relationship is a developed modern teen romance, but typical and not as consciousness-altering to stand as the modern tragic lovers.
In intersecting narratives, two sets of young lovers live and woo and get lost in the same Maine wood. Forces split them apart. In the modern telling, Eva is the huntress, seeking Gabe, who leaves on his own accord. In the historical plot, Gabriel is robbed of his Evangeline by brute colonists.
The romantic tension is palpable and at times left me breathless. The choice to have both couples call their loves "beloved" only melted my heart more, as it recalled for me the biblical writer John addressing readers as beloved.
While the novel's exploration of what "home" means (answer: your love) has been done and is expected, I found the familiarity comforting. It lacks a star because I was more engrossed in the historical ballad of Gabriel and Evangeline; the former's devotion feeling more tender. Eva and Gabe's relationship is a developed modern teen romance, but typical and not as consciousness-altering to stand as the modern tragic lovers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 14, 2011I've been thinking a lot about début novels recently. When I read début novels, they (mostly) follow all the rules. Interesting beginning/hook, interesting characters, good solid plot with actual conflict and obstacles to overcome...
And then I thought about subsequent novels, and how some authors just really start lacking the same finesse they had in their début novels. Granted, début novels can often take years to write, years to hone, and years to sell: and then once the author has his or her foot in the door, they're pretty much allowed to write any old drivel for their subsequent novels. If you're a mega best-seller like Stephen King and JK Rowling, you can write a book as long as you like and the publishers will still fawn all over you knowing it's going to sell even if every second page has HERP DERP written in size 48 Comic Sans font.
Anxious Heart is not Tucker Shaw's first novel, and quite frankly it shows. It prologue and epilogue are written in 2nd person and are more than completely unnecessary. The book is written in alternating chapters between a modern day teen girl in first person present (which, quite honestly I hate) and a boy form 200 years ago in third person limited. I am pretty sure that if this was a début novel, it would never have gotten anyone's attention, but because Shaw is already an established author of books for teens, he can pretty much get away with the HERP DERP.
This book is compared to Twilight on the front cover. I mean, they don't say "Fans of Twilight will love this!" No, it says, "The blustery landscapes and their intimate connection to the characters' plight are reminiscent... of certain scenes spent in seaside forests by a similarly thwarted vampire/human teen couple."
If I had read that on the cover, I wouldn't have requested to win this book from First Reads.
First of all, the only thing this book has in common with Twilight is that absolutely nothing interesting happens for about the first 150 pages. I THINK it's supposed to be a teen romance, but there is nothing romantic about this. It's meant to be based on some famous poem called Evangeline by some old guy, but I've never read the poem let alone heard about it. I actually thought, from the blurb, that it was going to be a mystery - a modern day teen couple trace the footsteps of their ancestors, discovering what happened to them, or something. THAT would have been a cool book.
It's not just that nothing happened in the book, but also there were way too many inconsistencies. I'm talking about writing that an editor should have rapped the author over the back of the head for trying to get away with. Now, I've never heard of Shaw, so I don't know how influential he is - we all know Meyer and King and Rowling can pretty much get away with anything. If you read my status updates, you'll see I point out small inconsistencies:
""I sit at the desk by my window and stare out into the starlit meadow beyond the barn. I don't think, or wonder, or fret. I just relive the kiss a million more times, and wonder if Ada is right." I wish I had the power to not wonder and wonder at the same time."
And then there's the random
Which is almost as bad as the
Almost worse than the was the completely unnecessary and totally half-hearted attempt to inject some kind of romantic conflict with a Mostly I think nowadays authors are expected to do that kind of thing, even if it completely fails, because it's an easy way to show conflict in a relationship that really should be smooth sailing. It's lazy plotting and very, very uninteresting to me as a reader.
I could handle the alternating chapters. I didn't like the inconsistency in their length because often nothing at all would happen in a chapter and it wouldn't inspire me to read on. It took me almost ten days to read this book, and it's only 242 pages.
I hated the ending. It was just a complete let down.
I don't even really want to bitch about the romance because I'm sure some people will find it interesting, but I'm totally not into Maybe that's just me, because I never really find fictional love interests interesting or attractive.
The last thing I'm going to mention is the page art. Eva's chapters were told on cream paper, and Gabriel's were told on this grey kind of paper. Eva's had tribal-like artwork all around the pages that I found kind of distracting. I mean, it's already clear enough by the chapter titles exactly who it is we're following, so I get the feeling that the page artwork is completely unnecessary and just in there to try and make the book prettier - which it certainly is pretty... but prettiness isn't everything. A book has to have substance, which this one surely, and sorely, lacked.
The only thing this book has going for it is that Shaw actually knows how to compose a sentence, even if a lot of them are overly-flowering and purple-prosey. And there was a very clear and distinct difference in the voices of each protagonist that surprised me at the beginning of the novel.
And then I thought about subsequent novels, and how some authors just really start lacking the same finesse they had in their début novels. Granted, début novels can often take years to write, years to hone, and years to sell: and then once the author has his or her foot in the door, they're pretty much allowed to write any old drivel for their subsequent novels. If you're a mega best-seller like Stephen King and JK Rowling, you can write a book as long as you like and the publishers will still fawn all over you knowing it's going to sell even if every second page has HERP DERP written in size 48 Comic Sans font.
Anxious Heart is not Tucker Shaw's first novel, and quite frankly it shows. It prologue and epilogue are written in 2nd person and are more than completely unnecessary. The book is written in alternating chapters between a modern day teen girl in first person present (which, quite honestly I hate) and a boy form 200 years ago in third person limited. I am pretty sure that if this was a début novel, it would never have gotten anyone's attention, but because Shaw is already an established author of books for teens, he can pretty much get away with the HERP DERP.
This book is compared to Twilight on the front cover. I mean, they don't say "Fans of Twilight will love this!" No, it says, "The blustery landscapes and their intimate connection to the characters' plight are reminiscent... of certain scenes spent in seaside forests by a similarly thwarted vampire/human teen couple."
If I had read that on the cover, I wouldn't have requested to win this book from First Reads.
First of all, the only thing this book has in common with Twilight is that absolutely nothing interesting happens for about the first 150 pages. I THINK it's supposed to be a teen romance, but there is nothing romantic about this. It's meant to be based on some famous poem called Evangeline by some old guy, but I've never read the poem let alone heard about it. I actually thought, from the blurb, that it was going to be a mystery - a modern day teen couple trace the footsteps of their ancestors, discovering what happened to them, or something. THAT would have been a cool book.
It's not just that nothing happened in the book, but also there were way too many inconsistencies. I'm talking about writing that an editor should have rapped the author over the back of the head for trying to get away with. Now, I've never heard of Shaw, so I don't know how influential he is - we all know Meyer and King and Rowling can pretty much get away with anything. If you read my status updates, you'll see I point out small inconsistencies:
""I sit at the desk by my window and stare out into the starlit meadow beyond the barn. I don't think, or wonder, or fret. I just relive the kiss a million more times, and wonder if Ada is right." I wish I had the power to not wonder and wonder at the same time."
And then there's the random
Which is almost as bad as the
Almost worse than the was the completely unnecessary and totally half-hearted attempt to inject some kind of romantic conflict with a Mostly I think nowadays authors are expected to do that kind of thing, even if it completely fails, because it's an easy way to show conflict in a relationship that really should be smooth sailing. It's lazy plotting and very, very uninteresting to me as a reader.
I could handle the alternating chapters. I didn't like the inconsistency in their length because often nothing at all would happen in a chapter and it wouldn't inspire me to read on. It took me almost ten days to read this book, and it's only 242 pages.
I hated the ending. It was just a complete let down.
I don't even really want to bitch about the romance because I'm sure some people will find it interesting, but I'm totally not into Maybe that's just me, because I never really find fictional love interests interesting or attractive.
The last thing I'm going to mention is the page art. Eva's chapters were told on cream paper, and Gabriel's were told on this grey kind of paper. Eva's had tribal-like artwork all around the pages that I found kind of distracting. I mean, it's already clear enough by the chapter titles exactly who it is we're following, so I get the feeling that the page artwork is completely unnecessary and just in there to try and make the book prettier - which it certainly is pretty... but prettiness isn't everything. A book has to have substance, which this one surely, and sorely, lacked.
The only thing this book has going for it is that Shaw actually knows how to compose a sentence, even if a lot of them are overly-flowering and purple-prosey. And there was a very clear and distinct difference in the voices of each protagonist that surprised me at the beginning of the novel.
January 3, 2011
Shaw’s writing echoed the tone of Longfellow’s Evangeline. The writing was poetic, breathtaking and dramatic. Shaw took a scene and dissected it into different layers if beauty, showing the readers the true meaning of appreciation.
This was more of a show book than a tell book. Shaw knew how to tell a story – less commentary and more on subtle hints of the events taking place. What I really liked was how Shaw made me yearn for what was unwritten, what happened in between chapters and what would complete the puzzle of the story. Told from two perspectives, Gabriel from the past and Eva from the present, the gap in time and in modernity reflected well. The change in the process of courtship was also shown. In old times, there was so much to do, so much to prove contrary to the modern courtship. The love between Gabriel and Evangeline was so strong that it lasted after their parting and fueled Gabriel to find her.
The concept of losing oneself when in love was pushed to the limit. But I could see the point. It happens when you love someone too much, leaving nothing for yourself but a total devotion to your love. What just seemed a little confusing for me was the present Gabriel’s being lost. He was not propelled to find Eva like the past Gabriel, instead he has been around, assuming that Eva would understand. And he was a little strange, having a few words despite the fact that he had an overflowing amount to write in his journal. I was not really able to connect with present Gabriel, unlike with the past Gabriel. I admired the past Gabriel’s love and devotion to Evangeline. For me, it was the ideal trait in a guy.
I also liked the air of mystery around the characters, especially present Gabriel. The advantage of his having little to say was that he became unpredictable. I had no idea what he would do, what would happen to him and even what he might say. This air of mystery eventually led to a satisfying and heartfelt ending. The wave of love and devotion in Anxious Hearts was something inescapable even after I closed the book. This book was powerful and moving.
I read this in a couple of hours. Actually, it was addicting. Once I was pulled in, it was hard to let go. I just had to keep reading to know what would happen. There was a strong emotional pull in this novel. I loved it. Anxious Hearts is a dramatic and overwhelming romance of four hearts. I recommend this to fans of romance and historical novels (because half of this is historical.)
This was more of a show book than a tell book. Shaw knew how to tell a story – less commentary and more on subtle hints of the events taking place. What I really liked was how Shaw made me yearn for what was unwritten, what happened in between chapters and what would complete the puzzle of the story. Told from two perspectives, Gabriel from the past and Eva from the present, the gap in time and in modernity reflected well. The change in the process of courtship was also shown. In old times, there was so much to do, so much to prove contrary to the modern courtship. The love between Gabriel and Evangeline was so strong that it lasted after their parting and fueled Gabriel to find her.
The concept of losing oneself when in love was pushed to the limit. But I could see the point. It happens when you love someone too much, leaving nothing for yourself but a total devotion to your love. What just seemed a little confusing for me was the present Gabriel’s being lost. He was not propelled to find Eva like the past Gabriel, instead he has been around, assuming that Eva would understand. And he was a little strange, having a few words despite the fact that he had an overflowing amount to write in his journal. I was not really able to connect with present Gabriel, unlike with the past Gabriel. I admired the past Gabriel’s love and devotion to Evangeline. For me, it was the ideal trait in a guy.
I also liked the air of mystery around the characters, especially present Gabriel. The advantage of his having little to say was that he became unpredictable. I had no idea what he would do, what would happen to him and even what he might say. This air of mystery eventually led to a satisfying and heartfelt ending. The wave of love and devotion in Anxious Hearts was something inescapable even after I closed the book. This book was powerful and moving.
I read this in a couple of hours. Actually, it was addicting. Once I was pulled in, it was hard to let go. I just had to keep reading to know what would happen. There was a strong emotional pull in this novel. I loved it. Anxious Hearts is a dramatic and overwhelming romance of four hearts. I recommend this to fans of romance and historical novels (because half of this is historical.)
April 6, 2010
ANXIOUS HEARTS left me lovestruck. It is a relatively short novel, but it pulled me in completely and had an almost cinematic quality.
I will admit to liking the present day parts of the novel narrated by Eva better than the ones set in the past and narrated by Gabriel. I liked the epic quality of Gabriel and Evangeline's story, but I didn't feel particularly connected to those two characters. Plus, Gabriel was a little bit too intense for my tastes. I appreciated the fact that his love for Evangeline drove him to such great lengths, but his interest in her before he even knew her bordered on obsession. On the other hand, I found Eva and Gabe's story almost comforting. Their passionate, sudden relationship began in high school, which I find very true to life. Many high school relationships flare to life suddenly and burn brightly. The difference between most high school relationships and Eva and Gabe's is that, even after losing one another for quite some time, their love survived.
In the years that Gabe is absent from Eva's life, she does not wither away or pull away from life. Gabriel, on the other hand, nearly died in his quest to regain his beloved Evangeline. I'm glad that Shaw wrote Eva as a strong character who carried on with life even after losing the love of her life. Eva does go through a difficult time after Gabe goes missing, but she eventually puts the shattered pieces of her life back together and forges on. I think that is a wonderful message to send, especially in a novel that could easily take the route of lovers falling apart when seperated. I like that Eva could be a girl in love and still be resilient.
Grade: A-
Cover Comments:
I love the colors of ANXIOUS HEARTS' cover. They remind me of autumn, which has long been my favorite season. I imagine that it is Evangeline on the cover, rather than Eva. I think it will look beautiful on the bookstore shelves - and my own shelf!
I will admit to liking the present day parts of the novel narrated by Eva better than the ones set in the past and narrated by Gabriel. I liked the epic quality of Gabriel and Evangeline's story, but I didn't feel particularly connected to those two characters. Plus, Gabriel was a little bit too intense for my tastes. I appreciated the fact that his love for Evangeline drove him to such great lengths, but his interest in her before he even knew her bordered on obsession. On the other hand, I found Eva and Gabe's story almost comforting. Their passionate, sudden relationship began in high school, which I find very true to life. Many high school relationships flare to life suddenly and burn brightly. The difference between most high school relationships and Eva and Gabe's is that, even after losing one another for quite some time, their love survived.
In the years that Gabe is absent from Eva's life, she does not wither away or pull away from life. Gabriel, on the other hand, nearly died in his quest to regain his beloved Evangeline. I'm glad that Shaw wrote Eva as a strong character who carried on with life even after losing the love of her life. Eva does go through a difficult time after Gabe goes missing, but she eventually puts the shattered pieces of her life back together and forges on. I think that is a wonderful message to send, especially in a novel that could easily take the route of lovers falling apart when seperated. I like that Eva could be a girl in love and still be resilient.
Grade: A-
Cover Comments:
I love the colors of ANXIOUS HEARTS' cover. They remind me of autumn, which has long been my favorite season. I imagine that it is Evangeline on the cover, rather than Eva. I think it will look beautiful on the bookstore shelves - and my own shelf!
June 14, 2010
** Originally posted at RAO Reviews **
I had high hopes from this book with its premise being woven around one of the world's greatest poems ('Evangeline' by Longfellow), and it's stunning cover (yeah, yeah I judge books by covers lol), but was sadly let down. Anxious Hearts is a story which follows the romance of two couples whom are two-hundred years apart, but yet resemble each other remarkably. It opens with Eva (present day) and follows with Gabriel (200 yrs in the past). This pattern of present day then 200 yrs before continues throughout the entire book, and while I completely understand why it was handled that way, it was rather annoying. If I sat the book down for the evening and picked it up the next day, I was having to give myself a refresher in order to remember what had been going on.
To be honest, I did find myself preferring the story of Evangeline and Gabriel to Eva and Gabe. None of the characters really have much depth to them, but it was much worse with Eva. It felt like she had the depth of a puddle. If the story had continued passed where it ended, I could see how Eva could have developed into a wonderful character. Unfortunately, Anxious Hearts did not allow for her to blossom. The romance between Eva and Gabe also bothered me, and at times I was having unwanted flashes of Edward and Bella. Blah.
Like me, a lot of adults read the YA genre and normally I don't feel older than the material—there's usually something I can relate to—but I really felt my 27 years while reading this. So, if you are looking for a fluffy, syrupy read then this is the book for you. For those who want more meat and less saccharine, I'd advise you to look elsewhere.
I had high hopes from this book with its premise being woven around one of the world's greatest poems ('Evangeline' by Longfellow), and it's stunning cover (yeah, yeah I judge books by covers lol), but was sadly let down. Anxious Hearts is a story which follows the romance of two couples whom are two-hundred years apart, but yet resemble each other remarkably. It opens with Eva (present day) and follows with Gabriel (200 yrs in the past). This pattern of present day then 200 yrs before continues throughout the entire book, and while I completely understand why it was handled that way, it was rather annoying. If I sat the book down for the evening and picked it up the next day, I was having to give myself a refresher in order to remember what had been going on.
To be honest, I did find myself preferring the story of Evangeline and Gabriel to Eva and Gabe. None of the characters really have much depth to them, but it was much worse with Eva. It felt like she had the depth of a puddle. If the story had continued passed where it ended, I could see how Eva could have developed into a wonderful character. Unfortunately, Anxious Hearts did not allow for her to blossom. The romance between Eva and Gabe also bothered me, and at times I was having unwanted flashes of Edward and Bella. Blah.
Like me, a lot of adults read the YA genre and normally I don't feel older than the material—there's usually something I can relate to—but I really felt my 27 years while reading this. So, if you are looking for a fluffy, syrupy read then this is the book for you. For those who want more meat and less saccharine, I'd advise you to look elsewhere.
March 25, 2010
I received this ARC from one of the library trustees who got it at the ALA Midwinter Conference.
Based on Longfellow's poem "Evangeline" (which I never read), this story alternates between the point of view of Eva, a high school senior who enters into a relationship with her childhood friend, the strange Gabe, and Gabriel, who lived at some point in the past and who is deeply in love with the beautiful Evangeline. Gabriel's story follows the plot of the original poem, where he is married to his beloved, but the same day is separated by an invading army and finds his way back to her (if you've read the poem, you know how this plotline ends). Eva's story follows her as Gabe leads her into the forest then jumps off a cliff, and she tries to find him and move on with her life.
I liked the way the stories mirrored each other. While in the original poem it seems like Evangeline is quite passive and seems to just wait, the modern Eva searches everywhere for her love. I also liked the how the setting plays into the story. I thought the actual love between the two teens was a little contrived - Eva knew Gabe as a child but by the time they're in high school she thinks he's weird, but once Gabe talks to her again they were immediately in love. Possibly I could have gotten more out of this if I was familiar with the poem first. However, I think those teens crazy about romantic stories will eat this one up, whether they've read the poem or not.
Based on Longfellow's poem "Evangeline" (which I never read), this story alternates between the point of view of Eva, a high school senior who enters into a relationship with her childhood friend, the strange Gabe, and Gabriel, who lived at some point in the past and who is deeply in love with the beautiful Evangeline. Gabriel's story follows the plot of the original poem, where he is married to his beloved, but the same day is separated by an invading army and finds his way back to her (if you've read the poem, you know how this plotline ends). Eva's story follows her as Gabe leads her into the forest then jumps off a cliff, and she tries to find him and move on with her life.
I liked the way the stories mirrored each other. While in the original poem it seems like Evangeline is quite passive and seems to just wait, the modern Eva searches everywhere for her love. I also liked the how the setting plays into the story. I thought the actual love between the two teens was a little contrived - Eva knew Gabe as a child but by the time they're in high school she thinks he's weird, but once Gabe talks to her again they were immediately in love. Possibly I could have gotten more out of this if I was familiar with the poem first. However, I think those teens crazy about romantic stories will eat this one up, whether they've read the poem or not.
May 12, 2010
Anxious Hearts I was anxious to read. It also has a gorgeous cover! Anyways I got it and started reading it. It was ok but by the end of the book I was wondering why I read it.
**************************SPOILER ALERT********************************
It sounded good. A love story between two different couples with the same names but living 200 years apart. Where could you go wrong right? Evangeline and Gabriel (from 200 years ago) have just gotten married. But then ships approach and take Gabriel away. He awakes and is on a quest to find his Evangeline. So he searches for about two years and finally finds her. I liked this side of the story more than the other side.
The other side is in the present. Eva and Gabe used to be friends but are not anymore. Eventually they talk to each other again and fall in love. But then Gabe leaves and Eva is heartbroken. There really isn't a whole lot going on in this side of the story. Plus I didn't really feel that connected to these characters.
Overall this book was only ok to me. I think if it were longer and gave us more time to see the characters it would be better.
**************************SPOILER ALERT********************************
It sounded good. A love story between two different couples with the same names but living 200 years apart. Where could you go wrong right? Evangeline and Gabriel (from 200 years ago) have just gotten married. But then ships approach and take Gabriel away. He awakes and is on a quest to find his Evangeline. So he searches for about two years and finally finds her. I liked this side of the story more than the other side.
The other side is in the present. Eva and Gabe used to be friends but are not anymore. Eventually they talk to each other again and fall in love. But then Gabe leaves and Eva is heartbroken. There really isn't a whole lot going on in this side of the story. Plus I didn't really feel that connected to these characters.
Overall this book was only ok to me. I think if it were longer and gave us more time to see the characters it would be better.
March 26, 2010
This has a lovely cover, though it isn't particularly original to have a beautiful girl with long hair staring out at you from the cover of a teen novel these days. However, I found the book boring. The plot bounces between two narratives: Gabriel, in the past, is about to marry Evangeline, but then their Acadian village is invaded; Eva, in the present, has a (sudden and unbelievable) romantic obsession with mysterious but attractive loner Gabe. Neither narrative worked well enough to draw me in; either the characters were boring, or the plot was. Though I will say, Shaw did a good job making the two voices distinctive while still having the same undercurrent of poetic romanticism. Romance isn't really my thing, however; I don't doubt that teen girls who love romance will eat this up. I'll be over here rolling my eyes.
August 28, 2010
I don't have much to say about this book because it was a DNF for me. It didn't work for me for many reasons. The love between Eva and Gabe seemed unrealistic and I had a hard time following the story line with all the jumping around between the characters' time periods. I also think Gabe's reaction was unrealistic, you know what I am talking about if you have read the book, or you will if you read it. The cover is beautiful and there are some beautifully written scenes through out what I read but it was sporadic.
Here are some other reviews of this book. I heard another blogger was doing this but I don't know who...so if you link other reviews on your post when you have a DNF please comment and I will add you as the inspiration for this and link you. Enjoy the links.
Here are some other reviews of this book. I heard another blogger was doing this but I don't know who...so if you link other reviews on your post when you have a DNF please comment and I will add you as the inspiration for this and link you. Enjoy the links.
August 31, 2025
*3.25
I finished this book faster than I thought I would. It took me a few rereads but I finally got on it one day and I feel for Eva and Gabe's story. Something about long distance love (whether it's in terms of action proximity or time) just gets me.
I finished this book faster than I thought I would. It took me a few rereads but I finally got on it one day and I feel for Eva and Gabe's story. Something about long distance love (whether it's in terms of action proximity or time) just gets me.
Read
April 1, 2018DNF at page 59
October 24, 2018
I honestly don’t know how to feel. It was a fast read and it did draw me in! There was just something about the writing style that threw me off!!
January 10, 2011
3.5 stars
Notable Quote:
"Her image appeared before him, hanging in the air just above the bow of his canoe, beckoning him ever forward. "Come, my love. Come." He saw her, curls cascading softly around her shoulders, midnight eyes shining with comfort and love. He imagine her alone, waiting for him, quiet and content, carefully tending to their house, to the goats and cider and garden, scanning the seascape of the bay for her beloved like a sea captain's widow in the years after battle. He would not disappoint her." – Page 197
ANXIOUS HEARTS alternates between two couples whose lives intertwine over hundreds of years. It's an achingly romantic book, narrated by characters similar to one another but shaped by the era in which they lived and loved.
The segments devoted to the Evangeline and Gabriel of the past made my heart ache and I was choked up more than once over the depths of their loss. The intensity of Gabriel's love for Evangeline initially seemed over-the-top to me, but he quickly won me over. That passion he truly felt for her jumped off the pages and practically burned my fingertips. Sensing that these two lovers were ill-fated right from the start, their saga became emotional and personal to me. I loved their story and did not close the book with a dry eye. At the end there was a note describing how a French-speaking Acadian community in Nova Scotia was really removed from their lands and dispersed to different locations during the time period depicted in the book. I wasn't familiar with this bit of history prior to reading ANXIOUS HEARTS, nor was I familiar with Longellow's poem. So learning that their story could've really happened actually endeared this book even more to me.
On the other hand, the modernized pairing of Eva and Gabe was definitely the weakest link in my opinion. I often felt confused by Gabe. I didn't understand what his issue was with the way he'd just wander off, leaving Eva alone. I'm afraid that Gabe and I just didn't connect and often wondered whether he was really good enough for Eva. I did love Eva's vitality and strong sense of self, but I kept wondering what it was she saw in him. While I didn't dislike their chapters, it was Gabriel and Evangeline's story from the past that kept me bound to the book with such rapt attention. I devoured it in one evening, knowing I had so many things I should be doing, but not caring one bit. I just couldn't stop until I knew if Gabriel found Evangeline.
I would recommend the book to readers who enjoy dual narratives and romantic historical fiction that alternates from the past to the present. I know many reviewers have mentioned that the alternating perspectives were jarring for them. I've always been a fan of multiple points of view and this was no exception. I think a single narrator would've been too overwhelming, especially with someone like Gabriel. His feelings for Evangeline were so intense that it would've been almost suffocating to live inside his psyche the entire length of the book.
Tucker Shaw's prose was beautiful; it melted off the page like honey. For hopelessly romantic readers, ANXIOUS HEARTS will be a great novel to curl up and enjoy. It's about what happens when love is pushed to the limit. And I guarantee you won't walk away without wiping away a tear or two. Tucker Shaw's lush depictions of nature, coupled with the strength of Gabriel and Evangeline's love, was worth this moving journey of love, loss and redemption.
Cover Comment: ANXIOUS HEARTS has one of the most romantic and well-suited covers I have ever seen- it really captures the mood of the book with its autumn hues and gold typeset. I found myself constantly flipping between the front portrait cover of the past Evangeline and the back photo of the modern-day, feisty Eva as well.
Notable Quote:
"Her image appeared before him, hanging in the air just above the bow of his canoe, beckoning him ever forward. "Come, my love. Come." He saw her, curls cascading softly around her shoulders, midnight eyes shining with comfort and love. He imagine her alone, waiting for him, quiet and content, carefully tending to their house, to the goats and cider and garden, scanning the seascape of the bay for her beloved like a sea captain's widow in the years after battle. He would not disappoint her." – Page 197
ANXIOUS HEARTS alternates between two couples whose lives intertwine over hundreds of years. It's an achingly romantic book, narrated by characters similar to one another but shaped by the era in which they lived and loved.
The segments devoted to the Evangeline and Gabriel of the past made my heart ache and I was choked up more than once over the depths of their loss. The intensity of Gabriel's love for Evangeline initially seemed over-the-top to me, but he quickly won me over. That passion he truly felt for her jumped off the pages and practically burned my fingertips. Sensing that these two lovers were ill-fated right from the start, their saga became emotional and personal to me. I loved their story and did not close the book with a dry eye. At the end there was a note describing how a French-speaking Acadian community in Nova Scotia was really removed from their lands and dispersed to different locations during the time period depicted in the book. I wasn't familiar with this bit of history prior to reading ANXIOUS HEARTS, nor was I familiar with Longellow's poem. So learning that their story could've really happened actually endeared this book even more to me.
On the other hand, the modernized pairing of Eva and Gabe was definitely the weakest link in my opinion. I often felt confused by Gabe. I didn't understand what his issue was with the way he'd just wander off, leaving Eva alone. I'm afraid that Gabe and I just didn't connect and often wondered whether he was really good enough for Eva. I did love Eva's vitality and strong sense of self, but I kept wondering what it was she saw in him. While I didn't dislike their chapters, it was Gabriel and Evangeline's story from the past that kept me bound to the book with such rapt attention. I devoured it in one evening, knowing I had so many things I should be doing, but not caring one bit. I just couldn't stop until I knew if Gabriel found Evangeline.
I would recommend the book to readers who enjoy dual narratives and romantic historical fiction that alternates from the past to the present. I know many reviewers have mentioned that the alternating perspectives were jarring for them. I've always been a fan of multiple points of view and this was no exception. I think a single narrator would've been too overwhelming, especially with someone like Gabriel. His feelings for Evangeline were so intense that it would've been almost suffocating to live inside his psyche the entire length of the book.
Tucker Shaw's prose was beautiful; it melted off the page like honey. For hopelessly romantic readers, ANXIOUS HEARTS will be a great novel to curl up and enjoy. It's about what happens when love is pushed to the limit. And I guarantee you won't walk away without wiping away a tear or two. Tucker Shaw's lush depictions of nature, coupled with the strength of Gabriel and Evangeline's love, was worth this moving journey of love, loss and redemption.
Cover Comment: ANXIOUS HEARTS has one of the most romantic and well-suited covers I have ever seen- it really captures the mood of the book with its autumn hues and gold typeset. I found myself constantly flipping between the front portrait cover of the past Evangeline and the back photo of the modern-day, feisty Eva as well.
March 27, 2010
There’s always going to be those stories that capture your heart. Whether it’s something that is heartbreaking and sticks with you, or something that is so pure and enticing that your heart envelops it; one way or another your heart becomes involved with the words and the characters inside. Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw is not only one of those stories, it’s the latter of the two, it’s the one that runs through your mind over and over again, it’s the one that so pure that you become one with the story.
In 1847, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published a poem, “Evangeline,” that has now become one of his most notable works, and also one of the most common taught poems in English classes. This beautiful poem inspired Tucker Shaw to write Anxious Hearts and for that, I must thank Mr. Longfellow (yes, I am going to thank a man that’s been dead for somewhere around, oh, 125+ years).
Anxious Hearts begins the story of Eva and Gabe, two teenagers that lost touch in each other’s lives, only to pick back up years later as they explore the forests surrounding their seaside town. They follow the same paths, and are exploring the same tranquil forests as Evangeline and Gabriel, two young lovers, did over one hundred years before them. On the day of Evangeline and Gabriel’s wedding, their village was attacked by enemies and they were separated from one another. In the present, Gabe suddenly disappears from Eva and it seems as if their love will mirror that of the two lovers torn apart on their wedding day.
The first couple of chapters threw me through a loop, I’m used to alternate points of view, but I don’t think I’ve ever read anything that is not only alternate voices, but also alternate time periods. Eva and Gabe’s story is told by Eva, while Gabriel and Evangeline’s tale is told by Gabriel, some hundred years earlier. It only took a few chapters in for me to not only get used to the change, but to also welcome the bits of each tale I got.
The imagery in Anxious Hearts is something I’ve not seen in a long time, not since AP English in high school. It’s got the air of one of those old stories your teacher forces you to read, then you’re thankful in the end. It’s pure, beautiful, and vivid in the words that flow across the page. The beauty in Longfellow’s tale weaves into Shaw’s and characters, both new and old, come alive on the page and leap into your mind.
I found it really hard to find the words to describe Anxious Hearts. There were moments that made me laugh and smile, then there were the ones that made my jaw drop and stay hanging open in fear and pain for the characters that have woven themselves into my heart in fewer than 300 pages. Eva, Gabe, Evangeline, and Gabriel all found their own place in my heart and I found myself understanding them in different ways and wanting the best for them.
If you’ve never read “Evangeline” then I advise you not to read it until after you’ve read Anxious Hearts. It’s been years since I’ve read it, but once I started reading the story of these lovers those years faded away and the story was there again. The story behind Shaw’s words is just as important as the words themselves. Anxious Hearts is beautiful and lyrical, it flows with a fluid grace that enamors the soul and captures the soul, all in the same page.
Anxious Hearts speaks to the hopeless romantic in all of us. It contains the purest love I’ve read in a long time. I didn’t want the story to end, even though I knew it had too. If there’s one romance that should be on everyone’s shelf, it should be the timeless beauty that is Anxious Hearts. Even those that aren’t big fans of romance will have no other choice but to fall in love with these characters and the stories they have to tell.
In 1847, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published a poem, “Evangeline,” that has now become one of his most notable works, and also one of the most common taught poems in English classes. This beautiful poem inspired Tucker Shaw to write Anxious Hearts and for that, I must thank Mr. Longfellow (yes, I am going to thank a man that’s been dead for somewhere around, oh, 125+ years).
Anxious Hearts begins the story of Eva and Gabe, two teenagers that lost touch in each other’s lives, only to pick back up years later as they explore the forests surrounding their seaside town. They follow the same paths, and are exploring the same tranquil forests as Evangeline and Gabriel, two young lovers, did over one hundred years before them. On the day of Evangeline and Gabriel’s wedding, their village was attacked by enemies and they were separated from one another. In the present, Gabe suddenly disappears from Eva and it seems as if their love will mirror that of the two lovers torn apart on their wedding day.
The first couple of chapters threw me through a loop, I’m used to alternate points of view, but I don’t think I’ve ever read anything that is not only alternate voices, but also alternate time periods. Eva and Gabe’s story is told by Eva, while Gabriel and Evangeline’s tale is told by Gabriel, some hundred years earlier. It only took a few chapters in for me to not only get used to the change, but to also welcome the bits of each tale I got.
The imagery in Anxious Hearts is something I’ve not seen in a long time, not since AP English in high school. It’s got the air of one of those old stories your teacher forces you to read, then you’re thankful in the end. It’s pure, beautiful, and vivid in the words that flow across the page. The beauty in Longfellow’s tale weaves into Shaw’s and characters, both new and old, come alive on the page and leap into your mind.
I found it really hard to find the words to describe Anxious Hearts. There were moments that made me laugh and smile, then there were the ones that made my jaw drop and stay hanging open in fear and pain for the characters that have woven themselves into my heart in fewer than 300 pages. Eva, Gabe, Evangeline, and Gabriel all found their own place in my heart and I found myself understanding them in different ways and wanting the best for them.
If you’ve never read “Evangeline” then I advise you not to read it until after you’ve read Anxious Hearts. It’s been years since I’ve read it, but once I started reading the story of these lovers those years faded away and the story was there again. The story behind Shaw’s words is just as important as the words themselves. Anxious Hearts is beautiful and lyrical, it flows with a fluid grace that enamors the soul and captures the soul, all in the same page.
Anxious Hearts speaks to the hopeless romantic in all of us. It contains the purest love I’ve read in a long time. I didn’t want the story to end, even though I knew it had too. If there’s one romance that should be on everyone’s shelf, it should be the timeless beauty that is Anxious Hearts. Even those that aren’t big fans of romance will have no other choice but to fall in love with these characters and the stories they have to tell.
December 5, 2010
Read the full review @ Frazzled Book Nommer.
I sat on this review for a while, because I had nothing other than “beautiful” to describe it as. Here I am, a week later, and still only have that one basic adjective to describe such a profound and heart-breaking story.
Anxious Hearts is a retelling of the poem “Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I mention this because I have not read the poem (though I have every intention to because of this book), so my only understanding and interpretation of this story is based on what went on in the book.
At first, I treated Anxious Hearts as I do with any other book: with harsh criticism and a questioning mind. I had to go back several times in a few passages and remind myself that what I was reading was primarily historical fiction, and that the characters and personalities weren’t going to be as realistic as some other books. Because truly, there were a number of things I could have complained about: the lack of description around Gabe’s absence, the implausibility of his personality, and Eva’s odd, barely realistic attraction to him all were at the top of my list. But this book isn’t about realism or character development.
It’s about love. Short and simple. It’s about the beauty of love and the desperation two people will endure to remain together. It’s also about overcoming all odds and reuniting with the one you truly belong with. These two stories were so descriptive and emotional – I was really moved by it. I personally enjoyed Evangeline and Gabriel’s romance more, because it was more fleshed out and their passages were longer than Eva/Gabe’s. Not only that, but Evangeline/Gabriel were the 18th century couple, and you could tell from Gabriel’s character that he respected and adored her, and reading about their love for each other was definitely sweet.
The story of Anxious Hearts covers two different narratives – one from Eva (present) and one from Gabriel (past). I personally liked the dynamic of this narrative, but it left so much to guess about with Evangeline (past) and Gabe’s (present) characters. Then again, that might have been its purpose: to keep the readers guessing, because that’s essentially what this book does. Every time I thought something was finally going to be explained, more questions arose. But on the other hand, this type of narrative made it slightly awkward. Gabriel’s passages would pick up where Eva’s left off storyline wise, and vice versa, and you’d have to piece two and two together. Other times, Gabriel’s story would end, and then Eva’s story would begin, and then we’d get back to where Gabriel’s story left off last time. Does that make sense? No, I didn’t think so. It didn’t while I was reading, either.
My highest praise for this book (aside from the love/romance) was in the descriptions and prose. It wasn’t the most wonderfully descriptive novel out there, but I felt like I was in that “golden” forest filled with birch trees and yellow wood lilies, and could smell the ocean air atop the cliffs. If there was one color I could describe this word as making me feel, it’d be yellow. Or golden. The prose also wasn’t the best I’ve come across, but it was up there. Tucker Shaw had a knack for making me feel both as if I was in the story, yet as if I was also detached from it as well. I think the summary describes it best – it was very dreamlike. His writing captured the mood well, and he used it to his advantage for the story.
I sat on this review for a while, because I had nothing other than “beautiful” to describe it as. Here I am, a week later, and still only have that one basic adjective to describe such a profound and heart-breaking story.
Anxious Hearts is a retelling of the poem “Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I mention this because I have not read the poem (though I have every intention to because of this book), so my only understanding and interpretation of this story is based on what went on in the book.
At first, I treated Anxious Hearts as I do with any other book: with harsh criticism and a questioning mind. I had to go back several times in a few passages and remind myself that what I was reading was primarily historical fiction, and that the characters and personalities weren’t going to be as realistic as some other books. Because truly, there were a number of things I could have complained about: the lack of description around Gabe’s absence, the implausibility of his personality, and Eva’s odd, barely realistic attraction to him all were at the top of my list. But this book isn’t about realism or character development.
It’s about love. Short and simple. It’s about the beauty of love and the desperation two people will endure to remain together. It’s also about overcoming all odds and reuniting with the one you truly belong with. These two stories were so descriptive and emotional – I was really moved by it. I personally enjoyed Evangeline and Gabriel’s romance more, because it was more fleshed out and their passages were longer than Eva/Gabe’s. Not only that, but Evangeline/Gabriel were the 18th century couple, and you could tell from Gabriel’s character that he respected and adored her, and reading about their love for each other was definitely sweet.
The story of Anxious Hearts covers two different narratives – one from Eva (present) and one from Gabriel (past). I personally liked the dynamic of this narrative, but it left so much to guess about with Evangeline (past) and Gabe’s (present) characters. Then again, that might have been its purpose: to keep the readers guessing, because that’s essentially what this book does. Every time I thought something was finally going to be explained, more questions arose. But on the other hand, this type of narrative made it slightly awkward. Gabriel’s passages would pick up where Eva’s left off storyline wise, and vice versa, and you’d have to piece two and two together. Other times, Gabriel’s story would end, and then Eva’s story would begin, and then we’d get back to where Gabriel’s story left off last time. Does that make sense? No, I didn’t think so. It didn’t while I was reading, either.
My highest praise for this book (aside from the love/romance) was in the descriptions and prose. It wasn’t the most wonderfully descriptive novel out there, but I felt like I was in that “golden” forest filled with birch trees and yellow wood lilies, and could smell the ocean air atop the cliffs. If there was one color I could describe this word as making me feel, it’d be yellow. Or golden. The prose also wasn’t the best I’ve come across, but it was up there. Tucker Shaw had a knack for making me feel both as if I was in the story, yet as if I was also detached from it as well. I think the summary describes it best – it was very dreamlike. His writing captured the mood well, and he used it to his advantage for the story.
April 6, 2010
With a beautiful cover and the promise of an equally beautiful story, I had high hopes for Anxious Hearts. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed.
In Anxious Hearts there are two fundamental stories – a modern one and a historical one – that parallel each other. I’ve read books with similar set ups before, but the romances normally only played minor roles in the plot. The expansion of the idea into the sole plot of a novel seemed promising.
Shaw begins by introducing a beautiful landscape and then dives into the two stories that are at the forefront of the novel. The first two chapters switch of time periods and narrators, giving the reader a taste of both stories. At first I liked the switch, believing it to enrich the novel. However, as the switches went on, I quickly grew to hate them.
The constant switching from one period to the next makes the novel a choppy read. This is not helped by the fact that the modern portion of the novel is written from first person POV, while the historical side is written from the limited omniscient POV. Equally frustrating is the length of the chapters. They span anywhere from two to five pages, just allowing you a glimpse of one story before jostling you to the next. Without a main story to ground to the novel, there is no time or development to tie to the reader to any of the characters.
The constant changing of the narrative also caused the book to move at breakneck speed. A great deal of it was spent on descriptive prose, which, while lovely to read, had little to do with the story. This only caused the book to feel even more rushed. Many of the big milestone moments in the book were buried beneath waxing prose and, when they finally came, passed quickly, barely letting the reader grasp them before being tossed into the other story yet again. In addition to this, there were big gaps of time missing, many of which encompassed important moments, which led to a lot of summary.
My final issue with this novel was the characters. They weren’t developed enough to lead to any attachments and, while trying to conform to the details of the story, they were simply unbelievable. Their traits were quite peculiar, so much so that their relationships seemed far-fetched and unbelievable. There was not one character I genuinely liked or cared for.
In the end, Anxious Hearts was a disappointment. Choppy and unbelievable, even a bit creepy at times, it was nowhere near the read I’d hoped for.
1 Star*
Source: Purchased
*As with any review, my opinion of the book may not reflect those of other reviewers and readers. I would strongly urge you not to take my review as a final sentencing on the quality of the novel. It is always a good thing to read other reviews and, if you are so inclined, read the book yourself and develop your own opinions. This is simply my thoughts on the book and something to be considered. I commend anyone who chooses to read this novel and enjoys it.
In Anxious Hearts there are two fundamental stories – a modern one and a historical one – that parallel each other. I’ve read books with similar set ups before, but the romances normally only played minor roles in the plot. The expansion of the idea into the sole plot of a novel seemed promising.
Shaw begins by introducing a beautiful landscape and then dives into the two stories that are at the forefront of the novel. The first two chapters switch of time periods and narrators, giving the reader a taste of both stories. At first I liked the switch, believing it to enrich the novel. However, as the switches went on, I quickly grew to hate them.
The constant switching from one period to the next makes the novel a choppy read. This is not helped by the fact that the modern portion of the novel is written from first person POV, while the historical side is written from the limited omniscient POV. Equally frustrating is the length of the chapters. They span anywhere from two to five pages, just allowing you a glimpse of one story before jostling you to the next. Without a main story to ground to the novel, there is no time or development to tie to the reader to any of the characters.
The constant changing of the narrative also caused the book to move at breakneck speed. A great deal of it was spent on descriptive prose, which, while lovely to read, had little to do with the story. This only caused the book to feel even more rushed. Many of the big milestone moments in the book were buried beneath waxing prose and, when they finally came, passed quickly, barely letting the reader grasp them before being tossed into the other story yet again. In addition to this, there were big gaps of time missing, many of which encompassed important moments, which led to a lot of summary.
My final issue with this novel was the characters. They weren’t developed enough to lead to any attachments and, while trying to conform to the details of the story, they were simply unbelievable. Their traits were quite peculiar, so much so that their relationships seemed far-fetched and unbelievable. There was not one character I genuinely liked or cared for.
In the end, Anxious Hearts was a disappointment. Choppy and unbelievable, even a bit creepy at times, it was nowhere near the read I’d hoped for.
1 Star*
Source: Purchased
*As with any review, my opinion of the book may not reflect those of other reviewers and readers. I would strongly urge you not to take my review as a final sentencing on the quality of the novel. It is always a good thing to read other reviews and, if you are so inclined, read the book yourself and develop your own opinions. This is simply my thoughts on the book and something to be considered. I commend anyone who chooses to read this novel and enjoys it.
December 17, 2011
Wow...wow. I started this book yesterday at school and found myself getting suctioned into the pages. I kinda felt like I was getting 2 books in 1.
I actually thought the dual story thing was amazing. I didn't find myself distracted at all. It seemed to me that it was like glue holding the entire book together. Although, it might be nice to read the present story by itself and then go through and read the past story in its entirety. I honestly believe that as we were revealed more of the past, the connection between Gabe and Eva was developed better.
Also, I really enjoyed the designs that separated the perspectives. Eva's was really pretty and Gabriel's added a feeling of history. {at least I think so} The designs actually improved my overall experience with a book. PLUS,
So, the actual romance between Eva and Gabe seemed to drag a bit and at times I wasn't feeling it, but there were others where I was saying: "Awww!!!" I think their relationship could have been developed just a bit more.
Now to pinpoint a couple things:
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all the little scenery details. A lot of times, I don't, but somehow the way it was written reminded me slightly of Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Just something about the way the woods are is kinda reminiscent of the woods there and how the light shines. I'm glad I took the time to read this book, and as long as you don't get too confused with the past/present perspective change---you should too. =)
I actually thought the dual story thing was amazing. I didn't find myself distracted at all. It seemed to me that it was like glue holding the entire book together. Although, it might be nice to read the present story by itself and then go through and read the past story in its entirety. I honestly believe that as we were revealed more of the past, the connection between Gabe and Eva was developed better.
Also, I really enjoyed the designs that separated the perspectives. Eva's was really pretty and Gabriel's added a feeling of history. {at least I think so} The designs actually improved my overall experience with a book. PLUS,
So, the actual romance between Eva and Gabe seemed to drag a bit and at times I wasn't feeling it, but there were others where I was saying: "Awww!!!" I think their relationship could have been developed just a bit more.
Now to pinpoint a couple things:
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all the little scenery details. A lot of times, I don't, but somehow the way it was written reminded me slightly of Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Just something about the way the woods are is kinda reminiscent of the woods there and how the light shines. I'm glad I took the time to read this book, and as long as you don't get too confused with the past/present perspective change---you should too. =)
December 28, 2015
READ MY REVIEW ON MY BLOG!
3.5 stars!
A page turner all the way to the end.
Anxious Hearts have this gorgeous cover and nobody can help themselves not to expect a lot. I didn't really get the cover though. It was pretty much unrelated to what happened.
Honestly, I don't know what to say. I was definitely chasing the ending, but there wasn't much to chase to begin with. It was like chasing where the prologue ends. But this book already has that. And an epilogue too.
Anyway, what you need to know is that the POV changes between Eva and Gabriel. It's pretty simple: Eva and Gabe are from the present and Evangeline and Gabriel are from two hundred years ago. They have a very similar story to each other.
Now let's move on to breaking down the points:
The story shifted a little bit too much to have a complete understanding on what was happening. The characters didn't really evolve and time moved a little bit too fast.
I wasn't able to have a real connection with any of the characters. Maybe just aside from Ada.
The friendship with Louise didn't really stand out too.
The romance was hazy. Especially between Eva and Gabe. They moved too fast and no sweet stuff happened either. It was all on words, the parts I'd consider sweet, romantic. Gabriel and Evangeline's was much better and felt more real.
Nothing was real. No base. No roots. No whatever.
On the bright side, anyway,
It started out real well. I guess at some page, we took a wrong turn and well, it has become whatever it is now.
The writing was fair.
I love the physical book. Very pretty. Especially the pages during the alteration of the point of views. I love them.
Overall, it was good. Nothing stands out too much. In the end, a lot of my questions were left unanswered. There was a problem with the characters and nothing much about the plot. Maybe it's with the change of points of views that we have took a wrong turn, after all. Nothing grew. I was anxious to find out what was happening. At first I didn't want to see Gabriel and Evangeline but then they faded a bit too. Just when Eva and Gabe's story is finally building up, the POV will change and everything's ruined. The next time we read in Eva's POV again, it's not much anymore.
This is the kind of book that I would recommend on a whim, and definitely not the first book that will come to mind if someone asks me for a recommendation. Something to be read at your own risk.
3.5 stars!
A page turner all the way to the end.
Anxious Hearts have this gorgeous cover and nobody can help themselves not to expect a lot. I didn't really get the cover though. It was pretty much unrelated to what happened.
Honestly, I don't know what to say. I was definitely chasing the ending, but there wasn't much to chase to begin with. It was like chasing where the prologue ends. But this book already has that. And an epilogue too.
Anyway, what you need to know is that the POV changes between Eva and Gabriel. It's pretty simple: Eva and Gabe are from the present and Evangeline and Gabriel are from two hundred years ago. They have a very similar story to each other.
Now let's move on to breaking down the points:
The story shifted a little bit too much to have a complete understanding on what was happening. The characters didn't really evolve and time moved a little bit too fast.
I wasn't able to have a real connection with any of the characters. Maybe just aside from Ada.
The friendship with Louise didn't really stand out too.
The romance was hazy. Especially between Eva and Gabe. They moved too fast and no sweet stuff happened either. It was all on words, the parts I'd consider sweet, romantic. Gabriel and Evangeline's was much better and felt more real.
Nothing was real. No base. No roots. No whatever.
On the bright side, anyway,
It started out real well. I guess at some page, we took a wrong turn and well, it has become whatever it is now.
The writing was fair.
I love the physical book. Very pretty. Especially the pages during the alteration of the point of views. I love them.
Overall, it was good. Nothing stands out too much. In the end, a lot of my questions were left unanswered. There was a problem with the characters and nothing much about the plot. Maybe it's with the change of points of views that we have took a wrong turn, after all. Nothing grew. I was anxious to find out what was happening. At first I didn't want to see Gabriel and Evangeline but then they faded a bit too. Just when Eva and Gabe's story is finally building up, the POV will change and everything's ruined. The next time we read in Eva's POV again, it's not much anymore.
This is the kind of book that I would recommend on a whim, and definitely not the first book that will come to mind if someone asks me for a recommendation. Something to be read at your own risk.
September 5, 2010
An epic tale of fated love across hundreds of years, Anxious Hearts delivers a strong narrative and a fascinating story. It lacks some connection to characters, but the prose is beautiful and the premise interesting.
In the 1700s, Gabriel and his beloved Evangeline, lived on the Cadian shore. On their wedding day, they are separated, and Gabriel must overcome great obstacles to be reunited with his love. Today, Eva and Gabe live in Maine, and their story echoes that which came before. After being separated, can these two pairs of lovers reunite? And must history repeat itself?
Anxious Hearts is based off of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem Evangeline, which I admit to never having read, so I cannot evaluate it on that level. However, as far as a compelling narrative, it’s a winner. Chapters are told in alternating points of view; Gabriel in the past, and Eva in the present. I enjoyed how the “Gabriel” chapters were in third-person past and the “Eva” chapters were in first-person present. The book design was also lovely, with the past sections having a gray, fraying design and the modern scenes having a sleek, elegant design.
The stories interweave, seamlessly for the most part. There are some sections where one of the two sections will get ahead of the other, but they mostly stay in step. While there were sections of each story missing because only one of each pair narrated, the parallel story provided enough information to infer what happened in between.
Characters are perhaps the book’s primary weakness. Because of the constraints of condensing two stories into one novel, there was not enough time for development. I felt that they lacked a connection to the reader, and relied too heavily on the understanding of their being fated lovers. Gabriel and Eva were interesting, but lacked enough detail to be fully fleshed-out; Evangeline and Gabe are pretty much not developed.
The prose is lovely. There are sections where the writing carries the reader away, almost like a poem. The description was evocative, if overly flowery at times, and I was able to picture everything. Whats more, any books that uses the word “kirtle” is a winner in my book.
While it lacks a bit on the emotional connection to the characters, the concept of Anxious Hearts works well enough, allowing two stories to be told. The alternating points of view were interesting and the prose was great.
In the 1700s, Gabriel and his beloved Evangeline, lived on the Cadian shore. On their wedding day, they are separated, and Gabriel must overcome great obstacles to be reunited with his love. Today, Eva and Gabe live in Maine, and their story echoes that which came before. After being separated, can these two pairs of lovers reunite? And must history repeat itself?
Anxious Hearts is based off of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem Evangeline, which I admit to never having read, so I cannot evaluate it on that level. However, as far as a compelling narrative, it’s a winner. Chapters are told in alternating points of view; Gabriel in the past, and Eva in the present. I enjoyed how the “Gabriel” chapters were in third-person past and the “Eva” chapters were in first-person present. The book design was also lovely, with the past sections having a gray, fraying design and the modern scenes having a sleek, elegant design.
The stories interweave, seamlessly for the most part. There are some sections where one of the two sections will get ahead of the other, but they mostly stay in step. While there were sections of each story missing because only one of each pair narrated, the parallel story provided enough information to infer what happened in between.
Characters are perhaps the book’s primary weakness. Because of the constraints of condensing two stories into one novel, there was not enough time for development. I felt that they lacked a connection to the reader, and relied too heavily on the understanding of their being fated lovers. Gabriel and Eva were interesting, but lacked enough detail to be fully fleshed-out; Evangeline and Gabe are pretty much not developed.
The prose is lovely. There are sections where the writing carries the reader away, almost like a poem. The description was evocative, if overly flowery at times, and I was able to picture everything. Whats more, any books that uses the word “kirtle” is a winner in my book.
While it lacks a bit on the emotional connection to the characters, the concept of Anxious Hearts works well enough, allowing two stories to be told. The alternating points of view were interesting and the prose was great.
December 21, 2011
This book was inspired by the epic love poem 'Evangeline' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which tells a story of how love can be strong enough to cross the divides that separate it.
The thing I loved the most about this book, was the way the parallel stories ran alongside each other.Even though they were nearly two hundred years apart, they were totally in sync with each other, showing how timeless love really is. Whatever ever happened in the past could easily be reproduced in the present,
proving that love is timeless.
This book instantly reminded me of a a poster I used to have on my wall as a teenager which had the old saying 'If you love something, set it free, if it comes back it is yours, if it doesn't it never was.' This book shows the truth in that quote.
The Eva and Gabe of now, may live in much more modern times, but they feel the same depth of feelings as the Evangeline and Gabriel of the past. Both Gabriel's are tortured souls - one in search of his lost love, the other, in desperate need to escape the loved ones he feels he hurts. You find that you instantly feel for both. Eva and Evangeline are much stronger and resourceful than the men they love and will never give up hope of reuniting with their soul mates.
This book is beautifully written and is the type of book you get completely lost in as the chapters flow with a poetic style that witnesses dramatic situations. However, even though there are dramatic scenes, this book has a quietness about it, a subtleness that creeps into your mind, slowly engaging you completely.
The book is split into two parts and I was quite shocked by how the first part ended. I wasn't expecting events to occur as they did and spent the first few pages of the second part searching for the truth.
The secondary characters stood out just as strongly as the main characters. Ada and Poc both left me in tears with their actions of loyalty and love.
The settings in the book are quite breathtaking as the author discusses them in a lot of detail. It really is a beautifully written book telling the timeless tale of love conquering all.
The thing I loved the most about this book, was the way the parallel stories ran alongside each other.Even though they were nearly two hundred years apart, they were totally in sync with each other, showing how timeless love really is. Whatever ever happened in the past could easily be reproduced in the present,
proving that love is timeless.
This book instantly reminded me of a a poster I used to have on my wall as a teenager which had the old saying 'If you love something, set it free, if it comes back it is yours, if it doesn't it never was.' This book shows the truth in that quote.
The Eva and Gabe of now, may live in much more modern times, but they feel the same depth of feelings as the Evangeline and Gabriel of the past. Both Gabriel's are tortured souls - one in search of his lost love, the other, in desperate need to escape the loved ones he feels he hurts. You find that you instantly feel for both. Eva and Evangeline are much stronger and resourceful than the men they love and will never give up hope of reuniting with their soul mates.
This book is beautifully written and is the type of book you get completely lost in as the chapters flow with a poetic style that witnesses dramatic situations. However, even though there are dramatic scenes, this book has a quietness about it, a subtleness that creeps into your mind, slowly engaging you completely.
The book is split into two parts and I was quite shocked by how the first part ended. I wasn't expecting events to occur as they did and spent the first few pages of the second part searching for the truth.
The secondary characters stood out just as strongly as the main characters. Ada and Poc both left me in tears with their actions of loyalty and love.
The settings in the book are quite breathtaking as the author discusses them in a lot of detail. It really is a beautifully written book telling the timeless tale of love conquering all.
July 22, 2016
Tucker Shaw’s Anxious Hearts explores the love stories of Evangeline and Gabriel, set in 1755, and Eva and Gabe, set in modern day. These pairs of lovers are both torn apart from their beloved partners, and this novel dives into the hardships they endure in the name of love. Both of these stories are set in the same location, today’s Maine, reflecting the timeless struggle of youth’s passion.
Shaw’s use of ocean imagery throughout the novel is beautiful, effectively using the setting as a means to tie both stories together. The intertwining of the two stories is seamless and the concept of telling two love stories in different times is original. Furthermore, the characters themselves possess idiosyncratic quirks that make them realistic.
However, I found the relationships and plot to be forced and unrealistic. In part, this stems from sentence level word order. In an attempt to emphasize the cultural differences between the two time periods, Shaw went too far and ended up hurting the story’s flow and believability. I also found the relationships, particularly between Gabe and Eva, to be built up too rapidly for my taste. This sense of implausibility made my experience reading less enjoyable and less engaging.
I enjoyed the concept of the seemingly eternal perseverance of young love, but I found this theme and others, such as the idea of home and familial grief, to be told rather than shown. They are thrust into conversations, often awkwardly, and the resulting interactions between characters are unrealistic.
If one looks past these flaws, what emerges are two love stories for the hopeless romantics in all of us. Overall, this novel is a quick and light read, especially good for young teens and idealistic lovers alike.
Reviewed by Lauren A, age 15, Lone Star Mensa
Shaw’s use of ocean imagery throughout the novel is beautiful, effectively using the setting as a means to tie both stories together. The intertwining of the two stories is seamless and the concept of telling two love stories in different times is original. Furthermore, the characters themselves possess idiosyncratic quirks that make them realistic.
However, I found the relationships and plot to be forced and unrealistic. In part, this stems from sentence level word order. In an attempt to emphasize the cultural differences between the two time periods, Shaw went too far and ended up hurting the story’s flow and believability. I also found the relationships, particularly between Gabe and Eva, to be built up too rapidly for my taste. This sense of implausibility made my experience reading less enjoyable and less engaging.
I enjoyed the concept of the seemingly eternal perseverance of young love, but I found this theme and others, such as the idea of home and familial grief, to be told rather than shown. They are thrust into conversations, often awkwardly, and the resulting interactions between characters are unrealistic.
If one looks past these flaws, what emerges are two love stories for the hopeless romantics in all of us. Overall, this novel is a quick and light read, especially good for young teens and idealistic lovers alike.
Reviewed by Lauren A, age 15, Lone Star Mensa
February 13, 2011
Anxious Heats is about Eva and Gabe (present) and Evangeline and Gabriel (past). The story is told in alternating chapters from Eva's point of view and Gabriel's. I enjoyed reading Eva's story the most, maybe because it was set in the present or I just liked her character better, not really sure, but I liked her chapters best. Gabriel's chapters were full of 18th century vernacular and I had a hard time trying to figure out what some things were. Gabriel's writing was beautifully written and the scenery was vivid in my mind but I had a harder time connecting with him, he just seemed so utterly wrapped up in Evangeline and her beauty. There are just so many descriptions of someones beauty and perfection that I can take, and Gabriel was pushing the envelope.
I guess one of the reasons that I didn't love it was the ending, it was really sad. Not giving anything away, but I was very depressed after finishing it. I know not all stories have happy endings but this one just killed me. I think it was like the time when I saw Atonement (I missed the first 5 minutes which are really important) and I was depressed for two weeks afterwards. Like Atonement, Anxious Hearts is a beautiful story and very realistic, but exceptionally sad.
I would only recommend this book if you are in a happy place in your life and can handle a good butt kicking in the emotions department. If life is already kicking your butt (like it is mine) then I suggest that you pass this book up until you're secure in your happiness again.
I guess one of the reasons that I didn't love it was the ending, it was really sad. Not giving anything away, but I was very depressed after finishing it. I know not all stories have happy endings but this one just killed me. I think it was like the time when I saw Atonement (I missed the first 5 minutes which are really important) and I was depressed for two weeks afterwards. Like Atonement, Anxious Hearts is a beautiful story and very realistic, but exceptionally sad.
I would only recommend this book if you are in a happy place in your life and can handle a good butt kicking in the emotions department. If life is already kicking your butt (like it is mine) then I suggest that you pass this book up until you're secure in your happiness again.
March 23, 2014
To be completely honest, this book did not live up to my expectations. The summary had it sounding like some enchanting retelling, but in my point of view, it was a pretty shallow love story with a bit too much mush. I read about 4-5 chapters and had to put it down because I couldn't really get into the story. (I did pick it up to finish later, but this was not a one-sitting, super compelling book.) Anxious Hearts is divided between 2 points of views: Eva in the present day and Gabriel 200 years earlier. My problem with the present day couple was that they were very flat and you didn't really know much about them other than the fact that they were in love. Gabriel and Evangeline (200 years earlier) had a sort of haunting love story that was just flat out creepy. Let me explain: Gabriel likes to watch Evangeline work and sketches her without her noticing because she's just that beautiful. Evangeline is depicted as this beautiful girl but her actions and personality screams spooky. In regards to the writing, it was very pretty. I fell in love with the prologue and epilogue because the poetic language and writing style was just so beautiful. The story itself was pretty, but not exactly my cup of tea. The cover though, let me tell you! That cover is absolutely breathtaking. The formatting of the pages and chapters inside are also pretty amazing. Overall, this book was generally really pretty but "hollow," if you get what I mean.
Read my reviews at:
https://extreemeobsessed.blogspot.com
Read my reviews at:
https://extreemeobsessed.blogspot.com
April 14, 2010
The cover of this book is stunning isn't it? I love it. It's definitely one of the best covers of the year. But that isn't what my review is about. It's about the book of course.
While the writing was lyrical and beautiful the story just didn't do it for me. The chapters alternate between Eva and Gabriel. Gabriel's story takes place 100 years in the past and Eva's in the present. I found the story to be a bit odd at times. I usually have a easy time of suspending disbelief while reading a fantasy book but a lot of the situations came off as unbelievable to me. The writing was good. It was just missing something for me.
Both characters were.....strange. I didn't get there motives. Eva just passively takes everything that Gabe shoves her way. And Gabriel puts all this effort into finding Evangeline, why? I didn't feel this undying love that was supposed to be between them. By the end of the book if I would have heard "Evangeline" shouted one more time I might have strangled someone.
That sounds a little harsh....I'm having a hard time really conveying what I thought about the book without sounding like a hated it, because I didn't. It was okay. Even after all the points I made up there, I still liked the book. I don't regret reading it. It's definitely not going to make it on any favorites lists anytime soon but I think other people will really love. It just lacked something for me. Maybe I should read the poem....
While the writing was lyrical and beautiful the story just didn't do it for me. The chapters alternate between Eva and Gabriel. Gabriel's story takes place 100 years in the past and Eva's in the present. I found the story to be a bit odd at times. I usually have a easy time of suspending disbelief while reading a fantasy book but a lot of the situations came off as unbelievable to me. The writing was good. It was just missing something for me.
Both characters were.....strange. I didn't get there motives. Eva just passively takes everything that Gabe shoves her way. And Gabriel puts all this effort into finding Evangeline, why? I didn't feel this undying love that was supposed to be between them. By the end of the book if I would have heard "Evangeline" shouted one more time I might have strangled someone.
That sounds a little harsh....I'm having a hard time really conveying what I thought about the book without sounding like a hated it, because I didn't. It was okay. Even after all the points I made up there, I still liked the book. I don't regret reading it. It's definitely not going to make it on any favorites lists anytime soon but I think other people will really love. It just lacked something for me. Maybe I should read the poem....
July 22, 2010
Inspired by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem Evangeline, Anxious Hearts is a bittersweet love story that encompasses both Colonial America and today. Or, perhaps I should call it two love stories. It's hard to say. Is this two separate stories, separated by centuries, or is this on story played out over time? Are Eva and Gabe nothing other than Evangeline and Gabriel reincarnate? Or are they their own entities who just so happen to share the names – and the geography? I don't know. I can merely guess at the author's intent.
I felt that the story was a little slow to start, but it wasn't boring. Just didn't move super fast. Plus, honestly, it took me a bit to get into the rhythm of the way it's written – which, I must add, I loved! I loved reading Eva's story from today and Gabriel's story from yesterday. I loved seeing how the two stories paralleled each other and how they were different, too. (And by different, I am not referring to obvious things like modern life vs. Colonial life.) I liked watching them unfold together like that.
This was an excellent story – or set of two stories crafted together in a very poetic way. And, given its inspiration, that's quite fitting. I would recommend this to anyone who likes classic literature as well as anyone who likes romance.
I felt that the story was a little slow to start, but it wasn't boring. Just didn't move super fast. Plus, honestly, it took me a bit to get into the rhythm of the way it's written – which, I must add, I loved! I loved reading Eva's story from today and Gabriel's story from yesterday. I loved seeing how the two stories paralleled each other and how they were different, too. (And by different, I am not referring to obvious things like modern life vs. Colonial life.) I liked watching them unfold together like that.
This was an excellent story – or set of two stories crafted together in a very poetic way. And, given its inspiration, that's quite fitting. I would recommend this to anyone who likes classic literature as well as anyone who likes romance.
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September 19, 2010This was a very interesting story. It was told from two perspectives one, Eva from the present time and two, Gabriel from the poem. It was interesting because the stories were not intertwined but they were similar so it was cool to see two different perspectives on undying love. But it was slightly confusing in the very beginning, but then I got used to the way the book flowed.
Eva and Gabe's story was more relate able I guess because it took place in present time, and had relate able family relationships and cultural understandings. I also liked how Eva dealt with the situations put in front of her, she dealt with the problems in realistic and believable ways.
Evangeline and Gabriel's story was a little harder to follow, and I did not like it as much, but it was still very touching and interesting.
I liked the way that Eva and Gabe's story was told from Eva's side, and how Evangeline and Gabriel's story was told by Gabriel. I liked that contrast between the two stories.
Pros
* 2 different stories
* different narrator for each story
* different premise
Cons
* Format was hard to get into in the beginning
* The middle of the stories were slow
* Somewhat hard to follow at times
Overall I liked the book but I wish it had flowed better at times!
Eva and Gabe's story was more relate able I guess because it took place in present time, and had relate able family relationships and cultural understandings. I also liked how Eva dealt with the situations put in front of her, she dealt with the problems in realistic and believable ways.
Evangeline and Gabriel's story was a little harder to follow, and I did not like it as much, but it was still very touching and interesting.
I liked the way that Eva and Gabe's story was told from Eva's side, and how Evangeline and Gabriel's story was told by Gabriel. I liked that contrast between the two stories.
Pros
* 2 different stories
* different narrator for each story
* different premise
Cons
* Format was hard to get into in the beginning
* The middle of the stories were slow
* Somewhat hard to follow at times
Overall I liked the book but I wish it had flowed better at times!
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