You Can Do It With a Broken Heart – poems chosen by Ana Sampson – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: poems for healing broken hearts.
YA book title: You Can Do It With a Broken Heart.
YA author: Ana Sampson.
Genre: poetry anthology for young adults.
Published by: First Ink.
ISBN: 9781035078981.
Recommended for children aged: 12+.
First published: October 2026.
This YA novel is ideal for: teens going through heartbreak, whether its first time breakup, love that isn’t mutual or a loss of friendship. Young adults new to poetry or those who enjoy contemporary and classic poetry.
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Our review:
You Can Do It With a Broken Heart is a compassionate, beautifully curated anthology that treats teenage heartbreak with the seriousness it deserves. Drawing on her own adolescent diaries, Ana Sampson recognises that a first heartbreak is uniquely overwhelming, and she has no patience for grown-ups who brush it off with tired clichés. Instead, she gathers poets from across the centuries to show young readers that the greatest writers have suffered just as they have. The collection is thoughtfully arranged to follow the journey of a broken heart: from the moment love begins to slip away, through the hollow days of longing and the blazing anger that follows, to the slow, gentle work of recovery and, finally, a hopeful new beginning.
What makes the anthology so effective is its range. Voices such as Audre Lorde, Kae Tempest, Ada Limón and Jackie Kay sit alongside classic poets, offering words for every mood, whether readers want to wallow, rage or rediscover small joys like friendship, good food and sunshine after rain. Sampson’s warm, witty introduction sets the tone perfectly, validating the pain without ever becoming bleak, and gently reminding readers that heartbreak, however devastating, is a road everyone walks and eventually leaves behind.
Our verdict:
This is a must-have for any teenager nursing a bruised heart, and a wonderful gateway into poetry for readers who might not usually reach for it. Accessible, relatable and genuinely comforting, it feels less like a textbook anthology and more like a trusted friend who understands exactly what you’re going through.
Its appeal also stretches well beyond its 12+ readership. Adults will find plenty to treasure here, as well as a poignant reminder of their own first heartaches. Perfect for school libraries, classrooms exploring love poetry, or as a thoughtful gift, You Can Do It With a Broken Heart proves that while heartbreak is universal, no one has to face it alone.
Many thanks to First Ink for the review copy.
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