Cry, Heart, But Never Break

Written by Glenn Ringtved, Illustrated by Charlotte Pardi, Translated by Robert Moulthrop

WARNING: This book and review deals with the topic of death of a loved one.

Thank you for reading my first book review! I am writing these reviews as a part of my exploration of illustrated and picture books and their potential to make a positive impact in the lives of children and young adults. And I guess, adults too. As I embark on this journey, I welcome constructive feedback. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Till then, happy reading!

The publisher, Enchanted Lion Books, shares this blurb on the inside cover of the book:

A sensitive story about learning to say goodbye to those we love, Cry, Heart, But Never Break shows us death as a natural part of life – both necessary and inevitable.

This gentle story found me while I was doing an art course. In many ways, it spoke to me and comforted me when I needed it most. Immediately, I was drawn in by the expressive illustrations in the book. The use of colours, both dark and bright, and the mix of acrylic with water colours make for a unique world. They come together to lend a whimsical touch to the often sombre tone of the story. I loved the playfully drawn cat, crow and sparrow interspersed in the story.

As the story unfolds, we meet four siblings sitting at a table with Death, who’s come for their beloved grandmother. The children, trying to dissuade Death from taking their grandmother away, come up with a clever ploy to save their grandmother by delaying Death till day break but Death, after resting for a short while, decides that it is time. Leah, the youngest of the siblings, grabs hold of Death and asks him why does their grandmother need to die.

It is at this point that, as a reader and aspiring writer, I felt my focus sharpen. I grew up in a house filled with children and have often wondered how to talk to them about death. To my unfolding wonder, I marvelled at the author’s gentle yet masterful touch, when Death begins to tell the children a story. He tells them about two brothers, named Grief and Sorrow, who lived in a gloomy valley and lived sad and melancholic lives. On top of the hills, lived two sisters, Joy and Delight, whose days were filled with happiness but were yet incomplete. When the brothers meet the sisters, they fall in love and decide to get married and live together in the middle of the hills. When they grow old and die, they die together because they couldn’t live without each other.

Through this story, Death shows how life and death are just like day and night, where one cannot exist without the other. The children do not fully understand him but are yet comforted by his words. We see this in action when the eldest brother, Nels, holds back the youngest, Casper, from stopping Death and tells him that this is how life must be.

When the children gather at their grandmother’s deathbed, Death intones, “cry, heart, but never break. Let your tears of grief and sadness help begin new life.” Ever since then, the caress of a gentle breeze from an open window would remind the children of their grandmother’s touch. As the book ends, we are left with a sense that it is alright to mourn the loss of our loved ones and that it need not break us. It’s only when we accept both sides of life that we truly become whole too.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has experienced death closely but also to anyone who is having a hard time finding joy and delight after a period of sorrow and grief. I bought this book from Bookswagon.com at X price. Money well spent!