Heart of the Cross by Emily Madden
Genre: Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction
Read: 17th May 2021
Published: 19th August 2019
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
From Ireland to Kings Cross, a legacy of loss and hope echoes across the generations ...
Tinahely, Ireland, 1959 Rosie Hart is content leaving her home behind to follow her new husband to Australia. But she soon discovers there is no room for her or their young son in the life he has built in vibrant Kings Cross. As their marriage crumbles, Rosie will need to fight for the golden future her son deserves.
Rose Bay, 1984 Haunted by her past, Rosie is determined her daughter Maggie will follow the path she has set out for her. But Maggie has plans of her own, and Rosie can only pray the grief that plagues the Hart name won't follow her.
Sydney, 2017 When her grandmother dies and leaves Brianna Hart a secret apartment in Kings Cross, Brie wonders what else Rosie was keeping from her. As Brie chases the truth of Rosie's past she uncovers an incredible story of passion, violence, love and tragedy. Is the Hart family's legacy of loss inescapable, or has Rosie gifted her granddaughter with a future of hope?
MY REVIEW:
What a delightful dual (plus one) timeline story spanning sixty years and three generations. I've had this book on my shelf for two years and finally decided to delve into it...and I was not disappointed. Emily Madden is a new-to-me author and given that she is Aussie (like me) in my hometown of Sydney I was excited to get lost in the Cross of the 1950s and 1960s. I knew there would be some colourful characters which was sure to liven things up on the Golden Mile.
Rosie Hart's story begins in Tinahely, Ireland in 1955 where she is an apprentice dressmaker. On a night out with best friend Sinead, she meets charismatic Englishman Tom Fuller and falls in love with him. Although Sinead had her sights set on him and is immediately put out that her charms have not worked on Tom as his attention remains firmly on Rosie. As a result, Sinead turns her back on her friend and when Rosie really needs her, Sinead is no longer there. When Rosie falls pregnant, Tom marries her in a hasty ceremony before setting off to Australia where he works hard to build a life for them there.
In 1959, Rosie emigrates to Sydney with her young son Jimmy to join Tom, settling in Kings Cross. Rosie is both excited and anxious about starting a new life in a new country where she knows no one but Tom, whom she hasn't seen for three years. She has told Jimmy all about his Pa and the little boy is overwhelmed with excitement at meeting him. However, upon arrival, the loving man she knew and fell in love with in Ireland has become cold, cruel and indifferent. While he was meant to be building a life for her and their son, now it appears he doesn't want either of them around and spends all his spare time (and money) at the pub or gambling. Jimmy is at first oblivious to his father's indifference for which Rosie is grateful. But as a stout Catholic, Rosie is adamant in giving her marriage a go.
Despite the vast change in her husband, Rosie has made many friends in the community including her neighbour Dulcie Hawkins who runs the brothel next door and her granddaughter Mary, as well as flamboyant Floss from the terrace house on the other side who, as confided to Rosie, was born Floyd Rogers. One day whilst Dulcie was minding Jimmy for her while she went to the market, Rosie sprains her ankle when her bag snaps and both she and her groceries tumble everywhere. She is assisted by a kindly American named Jack Reid who owns the American diner she took her tumble in front of. Despite her independence, Rosie finds comfort and friendship in these people and their kindness.
Then one night, Tom's brutality reaches its peak and Rosie is sure he is going to kill her. But instead he flees into the night and never returns, leaving a huge debt behind. So Rosie becomes resourceful and puts her knowledge to good use, turning Dulcie's brothel into Rosie's House in offering a service that will always be sought after.
In 1984, Rosie's 16 year old daughter Maggie joins the story. A smart and incredibly academic young woman, she is pushed by her mother to excel and become a doctor. But Maggie has other plans. She wants to travel to London with her friend Sharon who has already left school and signed up for secretarial college, landing herself a job soon after graduating. Maggie compromises with her mother to allow her to travel for a year after completing her HSC before going to University. When Rosie appears to renege on their agreement, Maggie packs her bags and leaves home to share a room with Sharon and gaining a job at one of the Cross' many establishments as a bartender. She is amazed by how well the job pays and soon has enough to travel...however Sharon, who is topless waitress at the same club, does not. Her money has been spent elsewhere and soon Maggie finds herself in situation she had not thought possible.
In 2017, Brianna Hart returns to Sydney upon the death of her beloved grandmother Rosie to organise her estate as well as the funeral. A free spirit and photojournalist, Brie travels the world chasing and photographing the devastation natural disasters leave behind. But now she has returned home to a plethora of memories and a wealth of hidden secrets her grandmother has left behind. The first being the sale of the house she grew up in. Why did her gran not tell her?
Within a couple of days Brie, who has felt she doesn't belong anywhere, meets Tam and her husband who incidentally bought the last of Rosie's string of cafes - Abli and Ruby's. The two women instantly become friends as they share their memories of Rosie. But they are to discover that they have far more in common that they at first thought.
Brie was raised by her grandmother after the tragic death of her mother when she was only 4 but Rosie has always remained tight-lipped about the past, looking instead to the future and encouraging Brie to follow her dreams. Which included leaving her boyfriend at the time, Josh Cooper, behind to study in New York. So when Brie chases up an address that her mother's solicitor had given her in King's Cross she is surprised to discover Josh running the cafe she was lead to that Rosie had kept secret. But why? Brie had only ever known life in the house in Rose Bay. So what is Rosie's connection to Kings Cross? And why did she keep it secret?
In her quest for answers, Brie uncovers a tale wrought with passion, violence, love, loss, heartbreak and tragedy...
“Are you saying that secrets are a good thing? Secrets are just like telling lies.”
“All I’m saying is that if you dig, be prepared for the sting.”
Wow! This book really tugs at the heartstrings at times but it is thoroughly enjoyable and unlike anything I've read before. With the main setting being Kings Cross, there were always bound to be some colourful and quirky characters and there most certainly were. Known colloquially as "the Cross" by Sydneysiders, it is mostly known for is dark side - the golden mile of topless bars, strip clubs, doormen enticing passersby inside to discover their wares, prostitutes, gay, lesbians and transgenders - but by day there was a diversity in ethnicity, cafes and grocery stalls where a community gets to know each other.
A tale spanning sixty years, HEART OF THE CROSS is heartbreaking and yet beautiful in its own way. There is drama, mystery, love, loss and so many secrets to uncover. It is about family, friendship, love and a sense of belonging as three women over three generations prove their strength, their tenacity and their resilience in the face of heartbreak.
Told across three timelines, the story predominantly features Rosie's and Brie's narrative with Maggie's coming in a little later as those secrets begin to come to light. Although there are three timelines, it very easy to follow as each layer of each secret is peeled away.
HEART OF THE CROSS is an emotional read that I could not put down and while is reasonably heartbreaking, the ending is heartwarming and beautiful. My only regret is that I didn't pick it up sooner.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book to fans of historical fiction, particularly dual timelines.
I would like to thank #EmilyMadden, #Netgalley and #HarlequinAustralia for an ARC of #HeartOfTheCross in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Emily wrote her first story at eight and was horrified when she was made to read it out aloud at her school assembly. She dabbled with poetry before returning to writing novels, albeit many years later. Emily lives in Sydney with her two girls and husband. She loves coffee and is forever frequenting her local coffee haunts. She has an unnatural obsession with needing to be close to the ocean, but is terrified of deep water.
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