The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. Short summary

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A novel about the injustice that exists in a Catholic environment, the cruelty to sinful people, the lack of mercy. It’s about how the country is undergoing great change.

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The events of the novel are set in post-war Ireland. Back then, society was harsh on all kinds of sexual promiscuity and abortion. A Catholic pastor during Mass publicly denounced Catherine, a young parishioner who had become pregnant before marriage. This resulted in the persecution of the girl, her expulsion from the parish and her own home.

The poor girl is forced to wander, she had to give up her child in favor of a rich family. A boy was born, named Cyril. The father of the family that took him in never tired of reminding him that he was not his biological son, and that he must repay his foster parents for their generosity.

Cyril met a young man with whom he became involved in more than just a friendly relationship. The author showed the emancipation of society, which in just half a century has progressed from criminalizing abortion to legalizing same-sex marriage.