A Manual for Heartache was exactly the kind of book I needed to read right now, it was honest, thoughtful and also light-hearted despite the subject manner. It made me think a lot about life and things that are happening and how to cope with that.

Cathy Rentzenbrink experienced a painful and traumatic loss of her brother at the age of 17 which has impacted on the rest of her life. This book is not about that experience, but how we are all human and that heartbreak is natural and expected in our lives. It is about what we can say to people going through tough periods in their lives, and what we can do if we are experiencing painful moments; whether that be bereavement, family illness, our own illness or even a painful break-up. Pain is not confined to a specific event, and we should not judge others for how they experience and deal with their pain. Cathy speaks about heartache in a very poignant way as she discussed how we view that there is a hierarchy of pain. We often see some painful moments of people's lives as more worthy than others, when in fact we are all allowed to suffer and we are all allowed to deal with pain in our own ways. The pain we all feel should be recognised and accepted equally.

This book felt like a comforting blanket that offered peace and acceptance. It made it okay to laugh and to cry and to feel the pain you are experiencing. I could relate to the book and feel like it was very important in my life.

It also has some beautiful quotable sections especially, particularly about love and heartbreak:

"Love widely, love often I'd say. Love with your whole heart even as you fear it wouldn't survive the loss. Anything else is not being fully alive."

"The world can feel like a cruel place sometimes but allow yourself to feel your feelings, ask for help, notice kindness and look for currants in the cake."

"We don't need to be unbroken. Our first step is simply to stop trying to hide our scars. Heartache is human."