Our Missing Hearts

A Novel

De: Celeste Ng

Narrado por: Lucy Liu, Celeste Ng

An instant New York Times bestseller • A New York Times Notable Book • Named a Best Book of the Year by People, TIME Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, Los Angeles Times, and Oprah Daily, and more • A Reese's Book Club Pick • New York Times Paperback Row Selection

“Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching . . . I was so invested in the future of this mother and son.” —Reese Witherspoon

“Riveting, tender, and timely.” —People

"Remarkable . . . An unflinching yet life-affirming drama about the power of art and love to push back in dangerous times." —Oprah Daily

From the #1 bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere, comes the inspiring new novel about a mother’s unshakeable love.

Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. His mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet, left without a trace when he was nine years old. He doesn’t know what happened to her—only that her books have been banned—and he resents that she cared more about her work than about him.

Then one day Bird receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, and soon he is pulled 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 heroic librarians, and finally to New York City, where he will learn the truth about what happened to his mother and what the future holds for them both.

Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It’s about the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children and the power of art to create change.

Ng writes a cautionary tale

This is the second dystopian novel I’ve read this year that is alarmingly close to reality. Celeste Ng’s “Our Missing Hearts” is a story centered around children who have been separated from their parent for political reasons. In Ng’s world, the government can seize children from parents if alleged “subversive” behavior is exposed to children in the home. Ng also adds a xenophobic element of anti-Asian sentiments, especially regarding China. We all know how real that became during the pandemic.

In Ng’s world, “The Crisis” occurred from a worldwide economic breakdown caused by the Chinese, as opposed to the pandemic. Bird Gardner is a twelve-year-old boy, being raised by his father. His mother disappeared after her poetry was deemed provocative against the State. Bird has a best friend, Sadie, who also was removed from her family. Bird’s father does not permit Bird to even mention his mother. All Bird remembers is that his mother loved cats.

PACT (The Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act) is a code of conduct aimed at protecting America. What happens is censorship. Ng shows the slippery slope of government over-reach. She shows how when racism is allowed unchecked, our lives ultimately end in fear for all.

Earlier this year, 2022, Jessamine Chan wrote “The School for Good Mothers” which had a similar theme of government over-reach. Chan’s novel focused on the mothers, how the mothers coped once their children were taken away. In Ng’s story, the focus is on the children, how confusing the world is to children who have their family stability ripped away in the name of politics.

At the end of the novel, Ng wrote that children have been removed from parents throughout history in the name of politics. We are separating children from their parents at our boarders. Social Services can take children away. Indigenous children across the world were taken away and placed in state-run boarding schools. During war, children are separated from their parents.

While there is good reason in many cases when children need protection, especially from physical violence, we as a society must remain vigilant. Ng’s story also shows the impact of racism and bigotry and the danger in allowing those ideals to settle in politics.

A very clever ending involving performance art provided a powerful statement in nonviolent protests. I love Ng’s prose. She uses her voice/pen to improve humanity.

I listened to the audio, narrated by Lucy Liu who was perfect!

Don’t waste your time

It started off as a beautiful story. The writing is first class and the performance was top notch but then came the story as it started to develop. Overall a very boring go nowhere story except, wait for it, the motivation behind the book becomes apparent. It wasn’t to tell a beautiful story, it was to share the authors feelings about recital injustice. While much of what she says in her bleeding heart speech after the book is over may be true. If this isn’t what you’re looking for don’t waste your time. It’s far from a compelling novel. If you want to listen to a story driven by political ideals and have the authors liberal viewpoints shoved down your throat, enjoy.

Amazing book

This book brought me to tears..many times. Every mother and most fathers should read it. Her epilogue is also so spot on. I always enjoyed her books but this one is in a different category altogether.

Good Story but Narrator Cadence Difficult

Enjoyed the book itself but the pacing was constant staccato with each sentence having the exact same cadence. Became difficult to listen to over time.

heartbreaking and scary

there were times when I felt the story moved forward a bit to slowly. but, like Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale', the political environment of our day begs for this cautionary tale. thought provoking.