Learned By Heart

Donoghue's prose is beautiful and beautifully controlled. Simply and without a shred of sentimentality, she evokes a relationship that is convincing and exquisitely touching. * The Guardian *
The historical setting comes alive in glorious detail . . . over the course of this enthralling novel. * The Irish Times *
Offers a refreshing perspective on a celebrated figure in LGBTQ+ history * Sunday Express *
A slow burning love story of first love. The girls do not so much discover love as feel they are inventing it. * The Times Literary Supplement *
An exquisite coming-of-age love story * The Times, 'Historical Fiction Book of the Month' *
Spellbinding . . . A moving portrait of two young women who are willing to risk everything for love' * Independent *
A richly imagined novelistic account of a 19th century love affair * Vogue *
A fascinating . . . love story that's both queer and multiracial * The Washington Post *
A master of plot * Time *
A writer of great vitality and generosity * The New Yorker *
Set against a vividly realised 1800s England, this spellbinding novel is a stunning character exploration that will move even the steeliest of readers. -- Armistead Maupin, Attitude
Donoghue has created a gripping story of the blistering connection between Anne and Eliza Raine . . . This is richly told and built on meticulous research. * Sainsbury's Magazine *
Emma Donoghue’s writing is superb alchemy -- Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler’s Wife
Donoghue delights in the intensity of girlhood . . . The book wears its painstaking research like the light shifts the schoolgirls sleep in. * Financial Times *
Donoghue is a superb stylist – her prose is stirring and tender * The Sunday Times *
She can do everything: be funny, be moving, be unflinching yet sensitive, write beautifully nuanced sentences and utterly gripping stories. She can write powerful historical fiction and be absolutely contemporary. And she’s unable to write a line you don't believe -- Joseph O’Connor, author of Star of the Sea
Emma Donoghue is a genius of compassion. With her, the ethical imagination is always paramount. In our fractured world she brings a great sense of repair to us all. Her stories bind us back together -- Colum McCann, internationally bestselling author of Let the Great World Spin