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Our Tiny, Useless Hearts (Toni Jordan, Text)

Following the romantic capering of Fall Girl and the historically set Nine Days, Toni Jordan’s Our Tiny, Useless Hearts is a highly entertaining romp through the complexities of modern relationships. Janice is desperately trying to keep the peace while her sister Caroline’s marriage implodes, and things get much more complicated when her own ex-husband Alec turns up and a neighbour—Craig, a caricature of a suburban lothario—surprises her in bed. A classic farce in the style of Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, complete with physical comedy, exaggerated situations and a spot of class commentary in the form of suburban satire, Our Tiny Useless Hearts is loads of fun and clever too. Jordan has infused this screwball comedy plot with great warmth, as Janice—a scientist who prefers the simplicity of her bacteria samples to the chaos of relationships—is forced to confront her own shortcomings over the course of this madcap weekend. Among the shattered glass, the bed-switching and the verbal sparring, it is gratifying to find most characters enjoying a happy ending. Our Tiny, Useless Hearts is a relationship drama with a deftly light touch, and will appeal to fans of romance and screwball comedy.

Portia Lindsay is general manager for Seizure Online and a former bookseller

 

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