Our Missing Hearts
Fiction
Penguin Press
October 4, 2022
Advance reader copy
352
Free from publisher via BookBrowse
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.
My review:
I feel like this book doesn't need anything said except:
JUST READ IT
However for those who may need a bit more proof (or prodding), I offer my thoughts. This book is set in a dystopian world that is scarily comparable to where we may be heading. Many of the themes are ones that have already occurred, are presently happening, and could happen if we continue down the path some people in power want us to follow. This is a dark look at what happens when the government institutes a new policy, and you either follow along or suffer the devastating consequences. The characters in this book are ones that I will remember (and worry about) for a long time to come. The writing is beautiful, and the protagonists are so well developed. The ending is devastating, yet somehow also manages to convey a sense of hope for the future. I absolutely loved the role of the librarians, major kudos to all of you! Such an impactful novel about family bonds, and trying to change a broken system.
I'm keeping this review vague on purpose because I don't want to give any kind of spoilers (or start on a political rant). Suffice it to say that this book should make you very fearful of the future. An amazing book that I hope everyone gets their hands on.
