The Art of Hearing Heartbeats: A Novel
The first book in the Art of Hearing Heartbeats series, this is a passionate love story, a haunting fable, and an enchanting mystery set in Burma. When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter Julia has any idea where he might be...until they find a love letter he wrote many years ago, to a Burmese woman they have never heard of. Intent on solving the mystery and coming to terms with her father's past, Julia decides to travel to the village where the woman lived. There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm the reader's belief in the power of love to move mountains.
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Community Reviews
Synopsis of review: I picked up this book from the table at a book sale, and the women next to me said that it was excellent, so I bought it on this stranger's recommendation. I enjoyed it very much. It was a perfect vacation read.
Story: 4 stars - I generally enjoy the tales from Asian culture (The Joy Luck Club, Peony in Love, etc.) The combination of superstitions, traditions, and rituals are something I find interesting. I also can believe the story lines involving spiritual and superstitions (vs. magic or fantasy). I was interested in this story from the first page. I felt that the tale of Tin Win and Mi Mi was told in a novel way.
Spoilers: There are some holes that bug me, like the the story of Tin Win in America - why did he marry Judith? Why didn't he ever contact Mi Mi when he was free of his uncle?And that ending - ugh.
Writing: 3.5 stars. The writing is very good. Sendker has a knack for not only putting you in a place, but also to make you feel what the characters are feeling. The pace of the story is just right - not too fast, not too slow.
Characters: 3 stars. We learn everything about Tin Win and Mi Mi from other characters - wife and children - this means that there is a lot left unknown. Very few details of other characters - Julia, U -Ba, and Su Kyi - are revealed. It's frustrating, because I would have like to understand them more - their motivations, what they felt.
Learning: 3 stars. While this book is not historical fiction, you do learn about the culture of Burma at that time.
Ending: 2 stars. I hated the ending. I had already figured out the part of the twist - the what, but not the who. I would have liked an explanation of how U-ba knew to wait for Julia. What about the Julia's brother? He's barely a footnote. I don't need everything wrapped up or even a happy ending, but I felt that there was more to tell.
Entertainment: 4.5 stars. This book overall was a very good read. I wanted to find out what happened. I enjoyed the writing - it wasn't a distraction from the story. I would recommend this book to anyone.
Story: 4 stars - I generally enjoy the tales from Asian culture (The Joy Luck Club, Peony in Love, etc.) The combination of superstitions, traditions, and rituals are something I find interesting. I also can believe the story lines involving spiritual and superstitions (vs. magic or fantasy). I was interested in this story from the first page. I felt that the tale of Tin Win and Mi Mi was told in a novel way.
Spoilers: There are some holes that bug me, like the the story of Tin Win in America - why did he marry Judith? Why didn't he ever contact Mi Mi when he was free of his uncle?And that ending - ugh.
Writing: 3.5 stars. The writing is very good. Sendker has a knack for not only putting you in a place, but also to make you feel what the characters are feeling. The pace of the story is just right - not too fast, not too slow.
Characters: 3 stars. We learn everything about Tin Win and Mi Mi from other characters - wife and children - this means that there is a lot left unknown. Very few details of other characters - Julia, U -Ba, and Su Kyi - are revealed. It's frustrating, because I would have like to understand them more - their motivations, what they felt.
Learning: 3 stars. While this book is not historical fiction, you do learn about the culture of Burma at that time.
Ending: 2 stars. I hated the ending. I had already figured out the part of the twist - the what, but not the who. I would have liked an explanation of how U-ba knew to wait for Julia. What about the Julia's brother? He's barely a footnote. I don't need everything wrapped up or even a happy ending, but I felt that there was more to tell.
Entertainment: 4.5 stars. This book overall was a very good read. I wanted to find out what happened. I enjoyed the writing - it wasn't a distraction from the story. I would recommend this book to anyone.
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