REVIEW: If you love in depth studies on family dynamics, this book is for you. The Weight of the Heart by Susana Aikin definitely fits this description and you will want to beg, borrow or buy a copy of this book.

This book was highly descriptive. You really got to know her characters by listening to what is going on in Anna’s head. There has been rifts in the sister’s relationships since the death of their father. The book explores their relationships along with their love interests and how they let their father control them. 

The most interesting character was Delia. She was brought in to cleanse the father’s house the sisters thought might now be haunted since their father died. The book takes place over a long day of rituals, mishaps and a lot of time to think and reflect.

My favorite relationship was the one between Anna and Marcus. It was probably the most messed up relationship in the book. I’m always amazed at what people will do for love!

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you Susana Aikin. 

Synopsis: Set in contemporary Spain, Susana Aikin’s latest novel is a colorful, beautifully written examination of memory, romance, and the intricacies of family duty. 

On a sweltering August day in Madrid, Anna, Julia, and Marion return to their childhood home. The once grand mansion, furnished with exotic objects and art that reflected the cultures of their English father and Spanish mother, once bustled with visitors. But since their father’s death, all three sisters have been reluctant to go back, still feeling the weight of his domineering influence. Julia believes that before the house can sell, it needs to be cleared of negative energy, and she has planned a limpieza, or cleaning ritual. Marion, the oldest, fears what the ceremony might unleash. Anna, the youngest and most capable and ambitious of the trio, is skeptical of the Cuban santeria hired by Julia. Still, she is wary of antagonizing her siblings or of stirring up old resentment. But as the ceremony progresses, guilt and recrimination become impossible to ignore. And if there’s a chance of bringing their house and their lives out of the shadows, it rests in the sisterhood, strength, and indomitable love that remains when the ghosts of the past surrender at last.