With Your Crooked Heart is one of many novels by Helen Dunmore, who primarily writes books for kids. It’s a very dark and moody read—maybe not your first choice if you need something uplifting. It also isn’t the author’s best, but it’s interesting, to say the least.
The novel centers around the life of Louise, a woman who was once very beautiful and highly coveted. She finds herself torn between two brothers who have completely opposite personalities.
Louise is actually married to Paul, the responsible rich brother, but she’s irresistibly drawn to Johnnie, his younger and reckless brother. Louise and Paul’s daughter Anna is actually Johnnie’s daughter—the result of a one-night stand. But Paul is raising Anna, as he can provide more stability and a better life for her than his brother Johnnie. Meanwhile, Louise drowns herself in alcohol to cope with her unhappiness.
With Your Crooked Heart starts out really strong. Its prose is stunning and beautiful. It’s also written very intimately, which makes it somewhat easy to relate to Louise. My favorite quote from the book is about Louise, on page 13, when she gazes at herself in the mirror and thinks about being slightly overweight:
Her image looks at her angrily, as if it blames her for what it has become.
‘We used to like each other, you and me. Look at what you’ve done to us.’
As time goes by, Louise realizes she needs more out of her seemingly pathetic life. When Johnnie gets in major trouble with the mob, Louise decides to go on the lam with him, and she runs off, leaving Anna and Paul behind. Meanwhile, Anna grows up in a stable household with Paul and her stepmom.
The novel becomes increasingly more depressing as the book goes on. I’m sad to say it doesn’t get better. I’ve loved other books by Helen Dunmore, but With Your Crooked Heart simply isn’t a very good story. Its ending is abrupt and the writing feels vague and cloudy. The story behind Johnnie’s demise isn’t fleshed out very clearly, and I still don’t get what happened to his character.
When I finished this book, I felt supremely disappointed. I remember sitting there in disbelief, staring at the book in my hands, thinking “That’s it?!”
I’ve also reviewed Zennor in Darkness by Dunmore, which was pretty good!
Other books by Helen Dunmore include:
- The Lie (2014)
- Exposure (2016)
- Birdcage Walk (2017)
What did you think about With Your Crooked Heart?
Last Updated on January 13, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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