Fiction

Our Missing Hearts

Our Missing Hearts

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-10-03 07:51:44
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Celeste Ng
  • ISBN：0593652762
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Summary

"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"--

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Reviews

Christine ，

4。5

Debbie ，

Celeste Ng's newest novel Our Missing Hearts。 This was really a departure from her previous two novels Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You。 This book is a bit dark and depressing in parts and touches on some political issues you might see in the news these days。 I loved Ng's writing style in this book as always。 My favorite character was Bird。 ⁣ Celeste Ng's newest novel Our Missing Hearts。 This was really a departure from her previous two novels Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You。 This book is a bit dark and depressing in parts and touches on some political issues you might see in the news these days。 I loved Ng's writing style in this book as always。 My favorite character was Bird。 ⁣ 。。。more

Fabian Broicher ，

Book of the year so far， without a doubt！‚Ich verspreche， dass ich zurückkomme， hatte sie gesagt， aber jetzt wird ihm klar: Sie hatte nicht gesagt， wann。 Nur dass sie zurückkommt。 Und davon ist er nach wie vor überzeugt。 Sie kommt zurück。 Irgendwann， irgendwie。 In irgendeiner Form。 Er wird sie finden， wenn er nur genau hinsieht。 Schließlich passierten ständig seltsame Dinge。 Sie könnte dort sein， irgendwo， in einer anderen Gestalt， wie in Märchen: getarnt als Vogel， als Blume， als Baum。 Wenn sie Book of the year so far， without a doubt！‚Ich verspreche， dass ich zurückkomme， hatte sie gesagt， aber jetzt wird ihm klar: Sie hatte nicht gesagt， wann。 Nur dass sie zurückkommt。 Und davon ist er nach wie vor überzeugt。 Sie kommt zurück。 Irgendwann， irgendwie。 In irgendeiner Form。 Er wird sie finden， wenn er nur genau hinsieht。 Schließlich passierten ständig seltsame Dinge。 Sie könnte dort sein， irgendwo， in einer anderen Gestalt， wie in Märchen: getarnt als Vogel， als Blume， als Baum。 Wenn sie genau genug hinsehen， werden sie sie finden。 Und während er das denkt， meint er， sie zu sehen: in der Birke， die ihre Blätter sanft auf sie herabwirft， in dem Falken， der am Himmel segelt und seinen durchdringenden， melancholischen， herrlichen Schrei ausstößt。 In der Sonne， die sich langsam ihren Weg durch die Bäume fädelt und allem einen schwachen goldenen Glanz verleiht。‘‚Vielleicht， denkt sie， ist das Leben nichts anderes als eine endlose Liste von Verfehlungen， die das Schöne nicht aufwogen， sondern es schlicht überlagerten， sodass beides sich miteinander vermischte und verschmolz， all die kleinen Momente， die das Mosaik eines Menschen， einer Beziehung， eines Lebens ergaben。‘‚Irgendwo dort draußen hatten sich， wie man wusste， reiche Menschen in ihren Festungen verbarrikadiert， satt und warm， wenn nicht sogar glücklich， aber nach einer Weile dachte man auch an sie nicht mehr。 Man dachte überhaupt nicht mehr an andere。 Auch daran gewöhnte man sich irgendwann， so wie man sich daran gewöhnte， dass Menschen verschwanden: zurück nach Hause， anderswohin， in der Hoffnung auf Besseres， manchmal waren sie auch einfach weg。‘ 。。。more

Jo Rawlins ，

As a HUGE fan of both the book and the series 'Little Fires Everywhere' I was really eager to read this。 Clearly a dystopian novel， this book is incredibly timely。 Set in a parallel America we see the impact of the abuse of power on minority groups and how the masses can be manipulated。 Ultimately though， there is a message of hope: despite everything humanity is able to overcome cruelty and continental in the face of extreme discrimination。 Overall， I enjoyed the beginning and the end more as I As a HUGE fan of both the book and the series 'Little Fires Everywhere' I was really eager to read this。 Clearly a dystopian novel， this book is incredibly timely。 Set in a parallel America we see the impact of the abuse of power on minority groups and how the masses can be manipulated。 Ultimately though， there is a message of hope: despite everything humanity is able to overcome cruelty and continental in the face of extreme discrimination。 Overall， I enjoyed the beginning and the end more as I felt the middle dipped a little with perhaps too much reflection from Margaret on the past。 I would have liked to see Bird's character develop further as I thought he was very interesting and the relationship between him and Sadie could have done with more exploration。 I was pleasantly surprised by Margaret's reaction at the end of the novel to what was happening in society and her attempt to break the silence。Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more

Jana ，

Celeste Ng is one of my favorite authors and I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book for months。 It is exquisite。 Ng managed to paint a picture of not-quite-our-world but still a very believable world with characters that I will be thinking about for a long， long time。 The writing is gorgeous and evocative。 Ng also addresses the painful realities of how children are currently used and have been used as pawns by our government in her afterword。 One of my favorites of the year， by far。

Lilli ，

I just screamed so loud when I saw this was available as an ALC through Libro。fm this month！ Narrated by Lucy Liu no less！ Um YES！ I am about to start this immediately！

Linda ，

This book is about to start some serious discussions。 Reese Witherspoon has chosen it as the October 2022 book club title， so lots of people will discover this fictional treasure。 Although Our Missing Hearts is fiction， it’s easy to see how current news and historical events have done grave damage to innocent people。 Celeste Ng has written an important book which I hope many readers will embrace。

Jane ，

So proud and excited to be reading Our Missing Hearts for Reese’s Book Club in October。 Celeste Ng has written a powerful and profound story that I can’t stop thinking about。 I hope it sparks many conversations through the month and beyond 🤍

Lexie Lou ，

Although I have one of Celeste Ng’s books on my shelf， this is my first time reading her work。 For Our Missing Hearts， she’s created a dystopian era that feels like it could happen in an instant， and I hope it’s a world we never see。 The novel is centred around a young boy growing up in a post-Crisis world， living under a strict regime of pro-American indoctrination and suppression， which comes at a great and ultimate cost to any （perceived or real） foreigners living in the US。 Ng draws on real Although I have one of Celeste Ng’s books on my shelf， this is my first time reading her work。 For Our Missing Hearts， she’s created a dystopian era that feels like it could happen in an instant， and I hope it’s a world we never see。 The novel is centred around a young boy growing up in a post-Crisis world， living under a strict regime of pro-American indoctrination and suppression， which comes at a great and ultimate cost to any （perceived or real） foreigners living in the US。 Ng draws on real world instances， histories and stories handed down to craft a horrifying and compelling tale of a world gone wrong。 I read it in a day。 Thank you Hachette AU for the ARC。 。。。more

Fides ，

3。5 sterne

Maddie Gleeson ，

This book was very well written and also hard to read。 It is a depressing look at a futuristic dystopian USA where people are under watchful eyes on the chance you are caught being Anti-American。 There is strong discrimination against Asian Americans and China in general， and the brutality against any Asian is written off。 In this world， children are taken from parents if they are accused of these Anti-American views and are never returned。 The main character is a young boy who lives with his fa This book was very well written and also hard to read。 It is a depressing look at a futuristic dystopian USA where people are under watchful eyes on the chance you are caught being Anti-American。 There is strong discrimination against Asian Americans and China in general， and the brutality against any Asian is written off。 In this world， children are taken from parents if they are accused of these Anti-American views and are never returned。 The main character is a young boy who lives with his father but his mother was removed from the house due to her Chinese heritage and her published work of poetry which is misconstrued as Anti-American。 He goes on a quest to find her and when he does， is surprised at what he sees。 I couldn't decide if this book was trying to manipulate the reader into believing that our world was on the brink of this nightmare。 It seemed very 1984 meets Handmaid's Tale。 。。。more

Yılmaz ，

https://www。ustankapida。com https://www。ustankapida。com 。。。more

Lee Cornell ，

Bird is a 12-year-old whose mother Margaret Miu was forced into hiding when he was nine。 How did this happen？ She is of Chinese heritage and a line from one of her poems has become a rallying cry for revolutionaries hoping to reunite families whose children had been taken from them in the name of national security。Bird and his father Ethan have disavowed her， though Ethan still lost his position as a professor at Harvard and now shelves books in the school’s library。 And he and Bird have been al Bird is a 12-year-old whose mother Margaret Miu was forced into hiding when he was nine。 How did this happen？ She is of Chinese heritage and a line from one of her poems has become a rallying cry for revolutionaries hoping to reunite families whose children had been taken from them in the name of national security。Bird and his father Ethan have disavowed her， though Ethan still lost his position as a professor at Harvard and now shelves books in the school’s library。 And he and Bird have been allowed to live in a dorm room on campus。Celeste Ng has given us a story of a dystopian future that is， perhaps， not very far from our own lives。 The separation of children from their parents has been a repeating part of American history 。。。 from slavery to Native American boarding schools to people seeking asylum on our southern border。 And the animosity toward Asian Americans did not just start with the “Kung Flu” political rhetoric。 By the early 1920s， various Congressional exclusionary acts kept virtually all Asian immigrants from citizenship， marrying Caucasians， or owning land。 And， of course， the Japanese internment camps were established during World War II。 And so many things are done in order to “preserve American culture”。An important heroic presence in the novel are the libraries and the librarians， that can help us to keep all the stories alive。Our Missing Hearts is a truly wonderful novel about family， love， and courage。 。。。more

TBS ，

Celeste Eng has written her most ambitious book yet: an American dystopia set in the near future that nudges the boundaries of horror by virtue of being all too plausible。 With the eye of an experienced surveyor， she again explores the territory of abandonment， a constant in her previous books， though this time， in addition to family and friendship ties/bonds， it also covers the abandonment of a country to it’s democratic ideals。 The force largely responsible for doing this is the government man Celeste Eng has written her most ambitious book yet: an American dystopia set in the near future that nudges the boundaries of horror by virtue of being all too plausible。 With the eye of an experienced surveyor， she again explores the territory of abandonment， a constant in her previous books， though this time， in addition to family and friendship ties/bonds， it also covers the abandonment of a country to it’s democratic ideals。 The force largely responsible for doing this is the government mandated PACT， The Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act。 Its provisions， taught to all schoolchildren， include “Outlaws promotion of un-American values and behavior。 Encourages all citizens to report potential threats to our society。 Protects children from environments espousing harmful views。”PACT originated after an economic crash devastated the country， which spiraled into chaos and the disintegration of social order， with finger pointing gradually settling on China for America’s reliance on its products， its commerce， and its global markets。 This gave rise to a systemic and virulent anti-Asian bias， cloaked in patriotism and self-righteousness。 Sound familiar？ Eng knows we might already be on this terrain， she is just a bit further down the road。 It is frightening and we are unable to look away。 What makes it especially compelling is that this is seen through the eyes of a preternaturally sensitive child， 12 year old biracial Bird， aka Noah （both names are heavily weighted with symbolism）， who lives in a cold student dorm with his father， a former language professor， now demoted to a university library shelver。 His father’s survival strategy， which he insists Bird follow is to keep his head down and become invisible。 Bird （has a lonely life， he follows his father’s rules， is bullied for his Asian features by other students and also， to a degree， his teachers。 He is both angry with and grieving for his missing Chinese mother， Margaret， who walked out of their lives 3 years ago。 Margaret， a poet， is considered a dangerous revolutionary， for lines in a poem she wrote years ago about the scattered seeds of a pomegranate which has become the rallying cry for a protest against PACT。 More specifically， “our missing hearts” has become a symbol， for the practice of removing children from the homes of those deemed unpatriotic and unfit to raise children， which effectively encompasses anyone that speaks out or comments against any government policy or practice。 Bird’s one outspoken friend Sadie， bounces between foster homes after being suddenly taken from her parents because of their anti-PACT journalism。 And then she is gone and Bird receives a strange cartoonish drawing in the mail with a tantalizing clue， which leads Bird on a harrowing quest to find his mother。，As with Ng’s other books， character development， heavily vested in the inner life， is slow， deliberate， and assured; it is near impossible to not become intricately bound up with the fates of those she writes about。 Another strength is that for the most part， the villainy remains faceless。 Terrible things happen to innocent people， the consequence of a well-oiled machine of fear， hatred， and jingoism， but without creating a face and personality for the powers behind PACT， it is insidious， ubiquitous and devastating。 But a counter movement is afloat， which harnesses art as it’s messenger-streets painted red; sculptures of hearts， trees covered in red yarn and strung up with knit children dolls。 The acts of artistic rebellion are treated like crime scenes and a counterpoint to the God Bless All Loyal American signs displayed on every business。 Even stopping to long to look at it is suspect。 Eng expertly parrots the necessary mindspeak used to buttress this regime: “PACT is not about race， the president was always saying， it is about patriotism and mindset。” Her lazar sharp satiric writing is so full of fire and fury that it is easy to forget that Eng is talking about a fictional construct， though one， that could perhaps come to pass or whose beginnings might already be present in the recent wave of crime and violence directed to the Asian community。 As Bird comes closer to finding what he is looking for， though a series of sometimes improbable clues and coincidences， involving libraries and librarians， the story shifts to Margaret’s voice。 Margaret is a poet and her voice and thoughts and imagery while stirring， also changes the pace of the narrative。 It circles back on itself， often covering the same terrain and sometimes stalls in a series of beautiful though repetitive observations。 The chase is on for Bird and Margaret and the tension alternates between Bird’s bird’s eye view of events and Margaret’s anguished conflict between her duty as a long-absent mother and that of a symbol of political protest in a most dangerous time。 Can art save us？ Eng asks many uncomfortable and essential questions in this powerhouse of a book。 During the course of the novel， you may find your answer changes more than once。 My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy 。。。more

Suellen ，

• ModernMrsDarcy。com 2022 Fall Book Preview #MMDSummerReading #MMDBookClub

ElphaReads ，

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！ Celeste Ng is probably one of my favorite literary authors writing today， as her style and aesthetics and descriptors really speak to me。 I wasn't sure what to expect of OUR MISSING HEARTS， and once I was reading it I realized that it was even more off the beaten path of my expectations， but in a good way。 Set in a world that is kind of like ours， but not quite， this book is a dystopian America where China has become a daunting Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！ Celeste Ng is probably one of my favorite literary authors writing today， as her style and aesthetics and descriptors really speak to me。 I wasn't sure what to expect of OUR MISSING HEARTS， and once I was reading it I realized that it was even more off the beaten path of my expectations， but in a good way。 Set in a world that is kind of like ours， but not quite， this book is a dystopian America where China has become a daunting superpower， a vague Crisis rocked American society ten years previously， and Asian Americans are targeted for hate and scorn because of both facts。 But as we follow our protagonist Bird as he searches for the Chinese American mother who supposedly abandoned him， and whose poem became a rallying cry for resistors， we see a novel that is as much about love and identity and hope as much as it's about a bleak dystopian America that feels all too realistic。 Ng jumps into a newish genre pretty well， and while it wasn't what I expected， I ended up enjoying it。 OUR MISSING HEARTS is sure to be on many end of year lists， and it's great seeing that Celeste Ng still knows how to surprise readers。 。。。more

Lilie125 ，

Inhalt:Nach der einer großen Krise wird in Amerika „PACT“ eingeführt， ein Gesetz， das für Stabilität sorgen soll。 Dies führt dazu， dass vor allem asiatisch-stämmige Menschen diskriminiert werden und dass Kinder ihren Eltern weggenommen werden， wenn diese „unpatriotisch“ sind。 Der zwölfjährige Bird lebt bei seinem Vater und hat seine Mutter seit drei Jahren nicht mehr gesehen。 Als er einen Brief von ihr erhält， macht er sich auf die Suche nach ihr。 Meine Meinung:Der Roman ist eine Dystopie， die h Inhalt:Nach der einer großen Krise wird in Amerika „PACT“ eingeführt， ein Gesetz， das für Stabilität sorgen soll。 Dies führt dazu， dass vor allem asiatisch-stämmige Menschen diskriminiert werden und dass Kinder ihren Eltern weggenommen werden， wenn diese „unpatriotisch“ sind。 Der zwölfjährige Bird lebt bei seinem Vater und hat seine Mutter seit drei Jahren nicht mehr gesehen。 Als er einen Brief von ihr erhält， macht er sich auf die Suche nach ihr。 Meine Meinung:Der Roman ist eine Dystopie， die hochaktuell ist und gar nicht so weit entfernt wirkt。 Gekonnt zeigt Celeste Ng auf， wie sich aus der Krise langsam ein System der Tyrannei entwickelt – getragen von der Mehrheit der Bevölkerung – und wie es funktioniert und von der Angst der Menschen lebt。 Wie eine Gruppe von Menschen den Sündenbock spielen muss。 All das erscheint unglaublich realistisch und nahe， auch weil （wie in der Anmerkung der Autorin benannt） die Dystopie zahlreiche Bezüge zur „realen“ Welt hat。 In diesem Roman glänzt Celeste Ng erneut mit ihrer unglaublichen Sprachgewalt。 Teils fast schon lyrisch， fängt sie die bedrückende Stimmung dieser Dystopie und die Verzweiflung der Menschen ein。 Mit ihren Worten hat sie mich von der ersten Seite an in ihren Bann genommen。 Wie von der Autorin gewohnt， handelt es sich auch diesmal um ein Familiendrama， das insbesondere von der Beziehung zwischen Mutter und Sohn handelt， die sich so lange nicht gesehen haben。 Gleichzeitig geht es in dem Buch aber auch um viel größere Themen wie Rassismus， Meinungsfreiheit， Zensur und Tyrannei。 Dabei bleibt aber immer ein gewisser hoffnungsvoller Ton erhalten， der Glaube an das Gute im Menschen。Die Charaktere fühlen sich real und „menschlich“ an。 Bird， der langsam begreift， dass allein sein Aussehen ihn zum Feind vieler Amerikaner macht， wirkt sehr authentisch。 Aber auch die Sorgen， Ängste und Zweifel seiner Mutter waren sehr gut nachvollziehbar。 Ich konnte mich in beide hineinversetzen und mit ihnen mitfühlen。 Diese unglaublich ernste und wichtige Geschichte ist mit unter die Haut gegangen und wird mich noch eine ganze Weile begleiten。 Für mich war „Unsre verschwundenen Herzen“ ein Jahreshighlight。 Deshalb gibt es von mir auch eine ganz klare Leseempfehlung！ 。。。more

Jeffrey Haskey-Valerius ，

So grateful I got to read this early with a personalized autographed copy！Celeste Ng is a master of writing domestic and family trauma - of truly encapsulating the nuance of human experience in the vein of a bleeding heart。 This time， she's done it again but with an added element: a society in havoc， a MAGA-esque thread of terror， a vague post-apocalyptic theme running along the seams。 But with a boy and his mother at the heart of it， and written - in perfect Ng fashion - with beautiful tender c So grateful I got to read this early with a personalized autographed copy！Celeste Ng is a master of writing domestic and family trauma - of truly encapsulating the nuance of human experience in the vein of a bleeding heart。 This time， she's done it again but with an added element: a society in havoc， a MAGA-esque thread of terror， a vague post-apocalyptic theme running along the seams。 But with a boy and his mother at the heart of it， and written - in perfect Ng fashion - with beautiful tender care， gorgeous prose， and a satisfying leap of faith。10/10 recommend all day long。 。。。more

Kwhitmore ，

“But in the end every story I want to tell you is the same。 Once upon a time， there was a boy。 Once upon a time there was a mother。 Once upon a time， there was a boy， and his mother loved him very much。”Our Missing Hearts， at its core， is a story about a mother’s （Margaret） love for her child （Noah/Bird） and the internal conflict she has between keeping safe and making sacrifices to do the right thing。It is a heavy read， about a dystopian world， that is quite real in many ways。 A world full of h “But in the end every story I want to tell you is the same。 Once upon a time， there was a boy。 Once upon a time there was a mother。 Once upon a time， there was a boy， and his mother loved him very much。”Our Missing Hearts， at its core， is a story about a mother’s （Margaret） love for her child （Noah/Bird） and the internal conflict she has between keeping safe and making sacrifices to do the right thing。It is a heavy read， about a dystopian world， that is quite real in many ways。 A world full of hate， fear， prejudice and distrust。 Where government control goes too far in the name of protection and security。 To a point where children are taken from families for their protection。 It is so dark because of its real life potential。The first half of the book is Bird’s path toward searching for his mother who suddenly left his family several years earlier。 The second half is Margaret’s story。 It’s a sudden shift。 It could really almost be two different books。 The shift is important though， as it is a build up to Margaret’s project and purpose as a voice。I loved the role of librarians in this world as the quiet， under the radar heroes of information sharing。 It was perfection！Ng writes beautifully。 Many parts ripped my gut， especially the stories Margaret shares。 The book doesn’t pull any punches。 There is a lot to think about， and it is ripe for discussion， but it leaves you feeling very sad about our future and it is tough to get through。I both read the book and listened to the audio。 Lucy Liu’s voice is absolutely haunting as the narrator and adds much to the experience。Thank you #NetGalley and #PRH audio for the ARCs！ 。。。more

bianca ，

EH PERDÓN？？？？ NUEVO LIBRO DE CELESTE NG QUE SALE EL MES QUE VIENE Y YO ME ENTERO H O Y ？？？？？？？

Becky ，

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Our Missing Hearts is a powerful novel。 Ng writes of an alternate dystopian present， where the Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act （PACT） is law and license to snoop on and report your neighbors in the name of patriotism and to remove children from parents who are accused of sedition。 Books are censored， removed from libraries and stores。 They are not burned， they are pulped into toilet paper。 All so that Americans don't hear or read I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Our Missing Hearts is a powerful novel。 Ng writes of an alternate dystopian present， where the Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act （PACT） is law and license to snoop on and report your neighbors in the name of patriotism and to remove children from parents who are accused of sedition。 Books are censored， removed from libraries and stores。 They are not burned， they are pulped into toilet paper。 All so that Americans don't hear or read something viewed as anti-American。Asian Americans （called Kung-PAOs in the book） are viewed as the reason for the country's crisis period， which led to the passage of PACT， and are abused， verbally and physically。 The main character， Bird， is half Chinese。 His mom fled their home years ago， and he's being raised by his father。 When he receives a letter in the mail that he believes is from his mother， he sets out on a journey to find her。This book is equal parts amazing and terrifying。 I've never read a dystopian novel that hits so close to home。 。。。more

Kaitlin ，

This is absolutely Celeste Ng’s best book to date。 It is moving and heartfelt， full of love for children and books and freedom; I was moved to deep emotion and even tears as I followed the story of Bird and the sacrifices his mother makes， not only for his safety but also for the well-being of other children who have been relocated as a result of having “un-patriotic” parents。 I was taken back to postwar Spain when children were taken from undesirable families and redistributed in the government This is absolutely Celeste Ng’s best book to date。 It is moving and heartfelt， full of love for children and books and freedom; I was moved to deep emotion and even tears as I followed the story of Bird and the sacrifices his mother makes， not only for his safety but also for the well-being of other children who have been relocated as a result of having “un-patriotic” parents。 I was taken back to postwar Spain when children were taken from undesirable families and redistributed in the government’s effort to control their fascist state。 “Our Missing Hearts” reminds us of that type of history， and alerts us to be on guard for people and governments who would have us silence “wayward” opinions， even if it’s for our “freedom。”I received an ARC of this book from Penguin Press in exchange for my honest opinion。 “Our Missing Hearts” will be released on October 4th！ 。。。more

Nancy L ，

This is not your typical Celeste Ng novel。 Our Missing Hearts takes us into a rather bleak dystopian future where PACT is the law， Protect American Culture， a law that allows the government to remove children from homes of people it deems unsavory to American ideals。 We meet Bird， a young son of a Chinese American woman （Margaret） and a White father who had been a university professor （Ethan）。 Margaret wants to stay under the radar and just raise her son but a poem she wrote years ago becomes an This is not your typical Celeste Ng novel。 Our Missing Hearts takes us into a rather bleak dystopian future where PACT is the law， Protect American Culture， a law that allows the government to remove children from homes of people it deems unsavory to American ideals。 We meet Bird， a young son of a Chinese American woman （Margaret） and a White father who had been a university professor （Ethan）。 Margaret wants to stay under the radar and just raise her son but a poem she wrote years ago becomes an anthem for those apposed to PACT。 Rather than have her son taken from them and raised by others she choses to leave her husband and son so at least Bird has his father。The story of love and family is very sad and not just a little scary in these times of blaming "the Other"。 It is understandable why Ng would be drawn to write about how easy it was make laws when people are scared。Bird's quest to know and understand is mother takes us to the underground side of NY and dissidents。 He is a very determined young boy who proves how resourceful youth can be。Thanks to NetGalley for the Advance copy in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more

Jacie Jones ，

Celeste Ng writes a powerful， near future dystopian novel about our surveillance state and rigid nationalism。 Rooted strongly in our past and current events， it can feel all too believable in a quite compelling way。 The prose is beautiful， descriptive without moving too slowly， and the characters are richly written and you can feel their fear， heartbreak， and hope。 I definitely recommend this book！ Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader copy。

Margarethe ，

Celeste Ng ist mir als sehr gute Erzählerin bekannt， feine Charakterzeichnungen und der liebevolle Umgang mit den Charakteren und doch immer wieder sehr "schreckliche" Geschichten。 Anfangs dachte ich bei diesem Buch "och nö eine Dystopie， jetzt gerade in unserem realen Wahnsinn？"， aber ja doch。Die Geschichte könnte in der Gegenwart oder in der nicht allzunahen Zukunft spielen。 Die Ressourcen sind knapp und irgendeiner muss verantwortlich gemacht werden。 Wir haben es bei Corona schon gemerkt， da Celeste Ng ist mir als sehr gute Erzählerin bekannt， feine Charakterzeichnungen und der liebevolle Umgang mit den Charakteren und doch immer wieder sehr "schreckliche" Geschichten。 Anfangs dachte ich bei diesem Buch "och nö eine Dystopie， jetzt gerade in unserem realen Wahnsinn？"， aber ja doch。Die Geschichte könnte in der Gegenwart oder in der nicht allzunahen Zukunft spielen。 Die Ressourcen sind knapp und irgendeiner muss verantwortlich gemacht werden。 Wir haben es bei Corona schon gemerkt， dass gerne Asiaten hergenommen werden als Ursprung des Übels。 Wieso nicht mal alle diskrimieren？ Auch nach 9/11 wurden Volksgruppen als Verursacher verfolgt und alles was nicht irgendwie aussieht wie die Pilgerväter oder Christoph Columbus kann ja kein "richtiger Amerikaner mit der wahren Gesinnung sein"。Das ist das Klima in dem der Roman spielt。Bird muss mit seinem Vater in ärmlichen Verhälntissem aufwachsen， weil er nicht so aussieht wie der weisse Durchschnittsamerikaner und sein Vater ihn schützen will。 Seine Mutter ist weg。 Über seine Mutter wird nicht gesprochen。Dann kommt eine Nachricht von ihr， die er entschlüsselt。 Er macht sich auf die Suche nach ihr。Celeste Ng lässt diese Drohkulisse diesen Zusammenbruch der Zivilgesellschaft auf uns los， aber nicht ohne die zarten und doch vorhandenen Widerstandsbewegungen。 Es gibt einige wenige die sich gegen die neue Gesellschaftsordnung auflehnen， die hoffen auf ein Zurück。Lasst die Herzen wieder leuchten！ 。。。more

Valerie ，

What an incredible work of art！ This book hit really close to home。 Celeste Ng does a good job of mixing fiction from reality。 The story centers around a new world that has basically collapsed and now Asian people in America are targeted with harsh punishments。 It was so heartbreaking to read what happens to people and even worse when you realize that this is not the first time Americans have disenfranchised a community of people。 I felt panic， like I was a part of the story and wondering what w What an incredible work of art！ This book hit really close to home。 Celeste Ng does a good job of mixing fiction from reality。 The story centers around a new world that has basically collapsed and now Asian people in America are targeted with harsh punishments。 It was so heartbreaking to read what happens to people and even worse when you realize that this is not the first time Americans have disenfranchised a community of people。 I felt panic， like I was a part of the story and wondering what would happen next。 。。。more

Kailey （kmc_reads） ，

I did almost 3 hours of audio and don’t really have a desire to finish。 Very character driven and not much happening。

Auderoy ，

QUOTES:Maybe， she thinks， this is simply what living is: an infinite list of transgressions that did not weigh against the joys but that simply overlaid them， the two lists mingling and merging， all the small moments that made up the mosaic of a person， a relationship， a life。When are you ever done with the story of someone you love？

Tiana ，

'our missing hearts' takes place in a dystopian america and tells a touching story about a family broken apart as a result of the government's attempt to preserve american culture （aka restrict the expression of any other culture）。 our main character， bird， discovers a mysterious letter addressed to him， which launches his journey to find his mom， a chinese-american poet who was forced to leave the family when bird was young。 as we follow bird's journey， we begin to learn more about his family a 'our missing hearts' takes place in a dystopian america and tells a touching story about a family broken apart as a result of the government's attempt to preserve american culture （aka restrict the expression of any other culture）。 our main character， bird， discovers a mysterious letter addressed to him， which launches his journey to find his mom， a chinese-american poet who was forced to leave the family when bird was young。 as we follow bird's journey， we begin to learn more about his family and each heartbreaking moment leading up to his mother's departure。 while listed as dystopic， this book doesn't seem so far from our current society; the silencing of those speaking out against the injustices of the world and everyone else's ability to ignore these injustices happening right in front of them。 every aspect of this book moved me so greatly and by the end i was a crying mess。 it's a tale of family and friendship， racial divide， change， and the power of voice。 my serious new fav。thank you penguin press for gifting me an arc to review！rating: 5/5 。。。more

gotlostinpages ，

Unsre Verschwundenen Herzen von Celeste Ng， aus dem amerikanischen Englisch übersetzt von Brigitte Jakobeit， ist der dritte Roman der Autorin。Der 12-jährige Bird lebt mit seinem Vater in einem Amerika， das durch den PACT – den Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act – geprägt ist。 Vor allem Menschen mit asiatischem Hintergrund werden diskriminiert， Kinder werden ihren Familien weggenommen und Informationen sind nicht mehr frei verfügbar。 Nachdem Bird einen Brief von seiner Mutter erhält， Unsre Verschwundenen Herzen von Celeste Ng， aus dem amerikanischen Englisch übersetzt von Brigitte Jakobeit， ist der dritte Roman der Autorin。Der 12-jährige Bird lebt mit seinem Vater in einem Amerika， das durch den PACT – den Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act – geprägt ist。 Vor allem Menschen mit asiatischem Hintergrund werden diskriminiert， Kinder werden ihren Familien weggenommen und Informationen sind nicht mehr frei verfügbar。 Nachdem Bird einen Brief von seiner Mutter erhält， die die Familie vor Jahren verlassen hat， beginnt er seinen Alltag zu hinterfragen und macht sich auf die Suche nach seiner Mutter。Celeste Ng legt ihren neuen Roman nicht in unserem Amerika an， aber um den Titel Dystopie zu verdienen， befindet sich die Handlung fast zu nah an der Wahrheit。 Die Inspirationen für Bird’s Amerika sind klar ersichtlich: Bücher mit „kontroversen“ Themen verschwinden aus öffentlichen Büchereien。 Unter dem Vorwand von Patriotismus und dem Schutz der Kinder verschwinden Themen wie Sklaverei oder Sexualkunde aus den Lehrplänen。Eindringlich malt die Autorin ein Bild einer Gesellschaft geprägt von Misstrauen， Angst und Generalverdacht unter dem Mantel der Fürsorge， denn schlussendlich passiere das alles doch zum Schutz der Bürger！Wie auch in den zwei Romanen vor diesem schafft die Autorin es， trotz dieses kalten und düsteren Hintergrundes， eine Geschichte voll mit menschlicher Wärme zu erzählen。 Die Charaktere sind alle stark und vieldimensional， die Dynamiken zwischen ihnen realistisch und der Zusammenhalt zwischen ihnen einer der wenigen hoffnungsvollen Punkte in der beschriebenen Welt。Ja， die Handlung ist spannend und lässt die Seiten fliegen – im Kopf geblieben sind mir aber die Figuren。Unsre Verschwundenen Herzen festigt Celeste Ng’s Status als eine der Autorinnen， deren Bücher ich auch in Zukunft blind kaufen werde。Große Leseempfehlung！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Our Missing Hearts

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Our Missing Hearts&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Our Missing Hearts&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0