The Road to Tender Hearts

“The Road to Tender Hearts is absurdly over-the-top in plot, yet warms like a heated seat.”—The New York Times

“A long-suffering family finds joy. A clairvoyant cat has premonitions of death and other supernatural talents. Vultures are hoping two orphaned children will stay alive. A dead daughter’s hat talks to her father. A miraculous novel—an actual and spiritual road trip you won’t forget.”—John Irving

“A feel-good, feel-sad, warm, dark, and funny road-trip story, in the grand tradition of Little Miss Sunshine … I fell in love with the characters individually but also as one big, messy family, which is what this tenderhearted book is all about.”—Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Sandwich

“ This novel will leave you thinking about your own journeys—both the ones taken and the ones still ahead. It’s a moving, unforgettable story about the power we have to change our lives.”—Alison Espach, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding People

“Annie Hartnett writes like no one else. Her knack for spinning a tale both hilarious and gritty, fantastical yet incisive, is on full display in The Road to Tender Hearts. I loved every page of this wild, weird, bighearted book.”—Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

“Annie Hartnett has given life to one of my favorite characters I have ever read: PJ Halliday. At sixty-three, in Birkenstocks and a zip-up sweater stitched with polar bears, good with women despite his flatulence, and charmingly dependent on his ex-wife and her new husband, PJ is, like “The Dude” in The Big Lebowski, one of those iconic characters you just can’t help falling in love with and who will live on in your heart long after the book is over.”—Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo’s Got Money Troubles

“The Road to Tender Hearts is the ultimate road trip novel: a zany, heartfelt blend of dysfunction, humor, healing, and Annie Hartnett’s signature poignancy and wit. This story of family, forgiveness, and moving forward is a balm for anyone who’s ever been too hard on themselves, offering a compassionate reminder that we’re all just figuring it out as we go. I was moved, delighted, and captivated from start to finish.”—Emily Habeck, author of Shark Heart

“A beautiful reminder that the world is full of tragedy, but life-changing joy and connection might be just around the corner.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Hartnett’s signature blend of humor and deep emotional resonance shines through on every page. Balancing whimsy with raw emotion, Hartnett has a gift for turning life’s messiest, saddest moments into something weirdly funny and downright beautiful. Hartnett’s fans will find much to love here.”—Booklist, starred review

Annie Hartnett is the author of Unlikely Animals, which won the Julia Ward Howe Prize for fiction and was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. She is also the author of Rabbit Cake, a finalist for the New England Book Award and a Kirkus Reviews best book of the year.

Hartnett has been awarded fellowships and residencies from the MacDowell Colony, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Associates of the Boston Public Library. Along with writer Tessa Fontaine, she co-runs the Accountability Workshops for writers, helping them commit to routines and embrace the long, slow, joyful, terrible process of doing the work.

She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.