The Truth About Love    by Josephine Hart Order:  USA  Can Vintage, 2010 (2009) Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth A teenage boy dies a tragic death in a small Irish village in the Republic of Ireland. Sissy, the boy's mother, can't accept that her lovely boy is dead. Olivia, the boy's sister, works to keep her brother in her family's memories. This is when Olivia begins to ponder love. What could it be? What triggers it? How important is it? She sees love in her father's eyes as he tends poor Sissy. She realizes the anguish love can bring and she questions why this must be so. She recognizes the love that the Irish have for their country and the desire of many that Northern Ireland and the Republic be reunited. Reading is her lifeline and she absorbs the classics and gains some insight into this thing called love. The Irish have an intense love for their heroes. And we read of them. All the while, life is happening around Olivia. The Truth About Love is a discourse on the interaction of love for each other and love of country. This unique novel possibly makes the point that love makes life worth living. No matter the love for whomever or whatever, love gives us all something to hang onto when events turn bad. Why else would we continue to walk the path we have chosen in life? Grief is terrible. But as Sissy is to learn, we can come out on the other side. The grief does not go away. We simply learn how to handle it and trudge on. The Truth About Love is gently written with great insight and introspection. It's a wonderful expression of love. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews