Heft

By: Liz Moore

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne, Keith Szarabajka

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Literary Fiction, 2013

A heartwarming novel about larger-than-life characters and second chances....

Former academic Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn’t left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade. Twenty miles away in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising baseball career - if he can untangle himself from his family drama. The link between this unlikely pair is Kel’s mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur’s. After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene’s unexpected phone call to Arthur - a plea for help - that jostles them into action. Through Arthur and Kel’s own quirky and lovable voices, Heft tells the winning story of two improbable heroes whose sudden connection transforms both their lives. Like Elizabeth McCracken’s The Giant’s House, Heft is a novel about love and family found in the most unexpected places.

©2012 Liz Moore (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A suspenseful, restorative novel from one of our fine young voices.” (Colum McCann, National Book Award–winning author)

“In Heft, Liz Moore creates a cast of vulnerable, lonely misfits that will break your heart and then make it soar. What a terrific novel!” (Ann Hood, best-selling author of The Red Thread)

“This is the real deal, Liz Moore is the real deal - she’s written a novel that will stick with you long after you’ve finished it.” (Russell Banks, Pulitzer Prize finalist)

Ultimately, Hope

I was captivated by all the characters, especially Arthur and Kel, and was very interested in their eventual outcomes. I liked their individual story lines and would have even liked to hear a little more about the time after their lives intersected. I was glad that despite their challenges, ultimately I was hopeful about their futures.

I thought the two narrators were very good and captured the frailties and strengths of their respective characters and allowed them to be believable, likeable, and respectable.

Excellent!

I was completely immersed into the characters' lives. It is really well written and narrated.

I did not expect YA!

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

After listening to Kel's YA hemming and hawing, I wanted a different ending for him and Arthur. I was really disappointed that Liz Moore, after so much great character development, copped out by not exploring her characters' trajectories. There was so much left undone that it leads me to wonder whether she is writing a book 2 and planning to make this a series.

What does Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Arthur's character was so amazingly represented and well written. I enjoyed listening to the narration for his character. Kel's character was also well narrated.

Who was the most memorable character of Heft and why?

Arthur Opp was wonderful and I appreciated his complexity but I enjoyed spending time with Yolanda. She was bright, knew how to explore opportunities without taking advantage, and seemed to really get Arthur.

Any additional comments?

Kel Keller's chapters took this book deep into YA territory, which is a genre I have been trying to avoid lately.

Excellent book! Awesome narrators!

I usually don’t write reviews, but for this book I feel compelled to write one. Once I started with it I couldn’t stop. It was so well written I felt connected to the characters. The narrators are my new favorites. I look forward to listening to or reading more from this author.

could not put this book down!

If you could sum up Heft in three words, what would they be?

Captivatingly-Addictive, Charming, and Heart-Wrenching

What was one of the most memorable moments of Heft?

Kell went through what no child should go through and I couldn't stop listening. I felt so bad for him. Poor Kid!

Who was the most memorable character of Heft and why?

I found myself not being able to put the book down because I just couldn't wait to see what Kell was going to do next. At times, I wanted to coach him on, "Pick up the phone Kell" "Calm Down Kell" and other times I wanted to come through the pages and embrace him. Liz Moore did at supper job at making her characters realistic and memorable.

Okay book, easy listening

This is one of those books that you are waiting for something to happen, but nothing really does. It kept my interest as an easy listening, multi-tasking kind of book. The ending just "stopped", I had to actually go back to make sure I didn't miss anything. Not good, not bad, just was.

I liked the depth of the characters, but not a highly recommend.

Story of shut-in obese man.

Narration: appropriate for resigned mood. Quite melancholy..

Content: he don't get no support. Am drawing blank.

Great story!

Great story! Loved the voice of the main character. I look forward to getting more books from this author!

Heft is a must read.

Loved the character development. Early on I felt like they were people I had known for a long time. My only complaint was that it ends abruptly—maybe that indicates a sequel. I hope so.

Masterful character development

I realized nearing the end of this book that I was saying a silent prayer: Please don't end please don't end... I want to follow these people's lives forever. Arthur and Kel's characters were so deftly rendered that there was never a hint of self-pity or melodrama about them. I haven't felt such empathy for fictional characters in a long time. This wonderful book deserves more than five stars.