Our Gifted Hearts by Jennifer Kennedy
- SecretWorldOfaBook
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Just finished Our Gifted Hearts by Jennifer Kennedy (pub date: 14 Oct 2025) and I’m still lingering in its shadows.
From the very first page I was enraptured by the gothic atmosphere - the isolation of the island home, the hidden tunnels beneath the walls, the creaking floorboards, and the ever-present dread hovering just under the surface. Kennedy doesn’t skimp on mood: this is a tale steeped in witch-trial fear, family secrets, trapped women and the uncanny.
The main character, Fortune Blyth, kept me enchanted all along. Her back-story - having lost a secret child at sixteen and then living quietly with her birds and her mother before being forced to marry to save her neck - sets up so much emotional weight and complexity. Her first-person narrative voice felt intimate: I was inside her thoughts, her fears, her wonder at the strange new world she’s thrust into. The isolation, the distrust of the housekeeper and mother-in-law, the inexplicable bird-familiar moments - all of it felt unnervingly close.
And speaking of bird familiars: I absolutely loved little Purdie (the familiar bird) in the story. If I could have chosen one companion from a book world to crawl into and keep me safe, I would’ve asked for my own bird familiar just like that. The way Fortune’s bond with her birds lifts the gloom and adds a magical thread into the gothic tapestry is so clever and so of the book’s soul. (Also yes, I’m kind of a little jealous.)
Although, maybe Hei Hei and Stella count? They are always reading with me??
The twist at the end? I didn’t see it coming. And yet when it happened, it felt entirely earned. That moment of revelation changed everything and left me re-thinking many earlier scenes. It’s clever, unexpected and very satisfying.
A few specific points I adored:
The setting: isolated island, storms, the house with tunnels hiding secrets. All the classic gothic tropes done so well, but with fresh voice.
The feminist under-current: this isn’t just a haunted house story; there’s something sharp about women, power, secrets, survival.
The pacing: slow-burn, atmospheric, but when the tension peaks it truly pays off.
The voice: first person made it immersive; I felt Fortune’s confusion, dread, longing, and ultimately strength.
In summary: If you crave a beautifully eerie, richly atmospheric Gothic read, filled with magic (in subtle form), unsettling secrets and a heroine who holds her own - even when the walls are closing in - then Our Gifted Hearts is absolutely for you. It’s one of my favourites this season.
#qotd - Last five star read you enjoyed?
Happy reading,
C xx
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