I enjoyed Before My Actual Heart Breaks so much that I approached the author for an interview. I was thrilled when she agreed. Tish Delaney was born and brought up in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. Like many people of her generation, she left the sectarian violence behind by moving to England. Her superb debut novel Before My Actual Heart Breaks explores emotional isolation and the long-lasting repercussions of trauma. Along the way there is plenty of wry Ulster humour to lighten the mood.