Our Missing Hearts

Locations
Call Number: Adult Book / Fiction / General / Ng, Celeste, Fiction / Ng, Celeste
On Shelf At: Malletts Creek Branch, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

"From the number one bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere, a deeply suspenseful and heartrending novel about the unbreakable love between a mother and child in a society consumed by fear Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard University's library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve 'American culture' in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic--including the work of Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old. Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn't know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn't wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is drawn into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change. Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It's a story about the power-and limitations-of art to create change, the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Okay submitted by zmclaugh on June 17, 2023, 8:35am This was good and definitely believable, but a little too on the nose for me.

A Covid-Era take on the lengths people go to be "American Enough" submitted by JJM.Deucher on July 2, 2023, 7:32am The style felt very different from Little Fires Everywhere. I felt less attached to the characters, but very interested in the story. There were aspects that were a bit fantastical, but also in our current world it mirrored what I'm sure are real fears as many protections and safeguards we seem to have in place slip away and "fear" turns into justification for attacking the ideas and humanity of others.

Memorable submitted by leah karr on July 5, 2023, 11:28pm This book and the themes presented stayed with me for quite a few weeks after reading this book. Worth the wait on the hold list!

Heavy and hearty submitted by Bethybeth07 on July 19, 2023, 7:57am Very heavy book, excellent read and makes you think. Great example of the influence media has on our thoughts and opinions

Not sure submitted by pratibhamahesh on July 29, 2023, 11:37am This book was very heavy for me and I am not sure if I engaged with the story…