Join us for a virtual poetry webinar on Friday, January 13th at 6:00 pm! This Zoom adventure compliments our Book Club chat for Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, but pre-reading is not required for this event…

Local Chicago poet (Sarah Rae) will be reading and discussing / analyzing some of her own poetry and readings from other favorite poets. She will field any questions you might have too! NOTE: A percentage of the proceeds for this event will directly support this talented artist.

Psst... If ya didn't read the story with our Book Club, there's still time to pick up a physical copy, audiobook, or Book Box with curated reading pairings below before the event OR join us for the webinar before you dive into the book - your choice!

NOTE: We’ll send you a ZOOM LINK for this event after you complete your purchase!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. His mother Margaret, a Chinese American poet, left the family when he was nine years old without a trace. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, his family's life has 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.

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 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 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.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Grown-Ups

OUR BOOKS ARE LISTED BY AGE GROUP to indicate that the content is engaging and appropriate for those selected ages. PLEASE NOTE: They may not be the appropriate reading level for every individual at those ages or may extend beyond the brackets.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Publisher: Penguin Press

Publish Date: October 04, 2022

Pages: 352

Dimensions: 6.22 X 9.21 X 1.18 inches | 1.25 pounds

Language: English

Type: Hardcover

Condition: NEW