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  • A Heart That Works

  • By: Rob Delaney
  • Narrated by: Rob Delaney
  • Length: 3 hrs and 25 mins
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (1,537 ratings)

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A Heart That Works

By: Rob Delaney
Narrated by: Rob Delaney
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Summary

WINNER OF THE BRITISH RADIO ACADAMY ARIAS AWARD FOR BEST AUDIOBOOK

The comedian and star of Catastrophe's devastatingly moving memoir about his young son's death.

In this devastating, beautiful and deeply moving memoir of the loss of his son, Rob Delaney explores what life really means, and why it matters.

When you're a parent and your child gets hurt or sick, you not only try to help them get better but you also labour under the general belief that you can help them get better. That's not always the case though. Sometimes the nurses and the doctors can't fix what's wrong. Sometimes children die.

Rob's beautiful, bright, deeply alive son Henry died. This is the story of what happens when you lose a child, and everything you discover about life in the process. Why does he feel compelled to talk about it, to write about it, to disseminate information designed to make people feel something like what he felt? What his wife feels? What his other sons feel? Done properly or well, it will hurt them. Why does he want to hurt people?

Because, despite the death of his son, Rob still loves people. For that reason, he wants them to understand.

©2022 Rob Delaney (P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
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Critic reviews

This book is so rich with grief and love and pain and humor and an incandescent, purifying, flame-throwing wrath. Though Delaney can't bring Henry back, he can - and does - show enough of him to the world to make a reader see him a little bit, know him a little bit, and fully love him. What an unbelievable gift (Lauren Groff)
What a read. Its beauty and pain and humour and anger will help many people. This is a beautiful monument (Richard Osman)
The weaving of the joy and pain, the love and loss, the absurdity of grief, is done so beautifully. It feels like a message in a bottle, a despatch, a communication from the depths of suffering and despair that ultimately brings a message of great hope (Cathy Rentzenbrink)

What listeners say about A Heart That Works

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Beautiful

Most most profoundly sad and incredibly funny and utterly beautiful book I've ever read. Brilliant.

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Everyone should read/ listen to this

It’s really hard to find the words to describe how this book will impact you. Its a very hard listen.
It’s beautifully written by Rob Delaney who takes you through the emotions of having your heart ripped from your body as he describes the birth and death of his young son, Henry.
Brace yourself for devastation, humility, anger, love beyond words and humour.

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life changing

It was an honour to hear Rob's story and I'm grateful to him for sharing Henry's memory. Beautiful and painful.

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Beautiful and addictive

I listened to this in 24 hours. Beautiful and raw depiction of grief and read so authentically. Highly recommended.

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Heartbreakingly raw and beautiful

I am in absolute no position to provide a 'review' of "A Heart That Works." All I want to say is thank you Rob Delaney, and I love you and your beautifully strong family.

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Utterly heartbreaking

An honest and heartbreaking account, of a beautiful little boy called Henry. This book will stay with me and make me hold my children even closer.

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Beautiful book

Such a wonderful, thoughtful, funny and heartbreaking listen. Would highly recommend this book to anyone with a heart. Extremely moving in parts but mostly just filled with love and laughter.

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Thank you Rob, thank you Henry xxx

Immensely beautiful - I have told several people I have been listening to this and a strong reaction has been that they couldn't - it feels like it will be too painful to listen to/read. It is. But it is worth every minute, every tear x

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Essential listening…

Crushingly heartbreaking and at times tremendously funny. A poignant and honest celebration of a life cut far too short, and testament to the legacy his brief time on earth leaves behind.

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Heartbreaking, funny, thought provoking all in one

I loved this book. Rob is such a funny, honest, intelligent writer. Death is such a hard topic to cover accurately and I felt like I was sitting on his shoulder while he travelled the journey. Beautifully told

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