Learned by Heart

Emma Donoghue2023
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A heartbreakingly gorgeous novel based on the true story of two girls who fall secretly, deeply, and dangerously in love at boarding school in 19th century York, from the bestselling author of Room and The Wonder. Drawing on years of investigation and Anne Lister's five-million-word secret journal, Learned by Heart is the long-buried love story of Eliza Raine, an orphan heiress banished from India to England at age six, and Anne Lister, a brilliant, troublesome tomboy, who meet at the Manor School for young ladies in York in 1805 when they are both fourteen. Emotionally intense, psychologically compelling, and deeply researched, Learned by Heart is an extraordinary work of fiction by one of the world's greatest storytellers. Full of passion and heartbreak, the tangled lives of Anne Lister and Eliza Raine form a love story for the ages.
Photo of Claire E
Claire EApr 15, 2025
3 stars
Easy read
Emotional
Photo of Lindsay
LindsayNov 11, 2023
5 stars
Magnetic
Extraordinary
Beautiful
Emotional
Touching
Tragic
Insightful
Unique