Our Missing Hearts

Author: Celeste Ng

Who Picked the Book: Lindsay

One-sentence summary: A family is separated by a cruel policy, but ultimately brought back together (briefly) by hidden meaning in stories and determination. 

B.A.D. Girls Book Rating: 7

Our favorite thing about it: The theme of stories.

Our least favorite thing about it: Reading about child/family separations.

Main Topics of Discussion: Resistance, Poetry, Parenting, Sacrifice, Separation, Survival

Our favorite quote: "Why did I tell you so many stories? Because I wanted the world to make sense to you. I wanted to make sense of the world, for you. I wanted the world to make sense."

Notes: For many of us, reading this book was simply too real for our current situation in America. We did all enjoy the story. We loved the themes and how the stories we tell lead us back to each other. Even though the story didn't end completely happily (and some of us were annoyed by the decisions made at the end), it was satisfying enough. The characters and all of their motivations - some unclear for most of the book - were interesting and ripe for discussion. The hardest part was reading about children being pulled from their homes. Had we not seen real-life examples of this and were we not seeing it now, this might have hit in a different way. Much of it was just too close to home. This is a very powerful story and so well-written. 

Memorable Meeting Moments: We were able to swim and get in the hot tub at Christina's house. 

What We Ate: Lindsay got Mi Chante Mexican food for us - various dishes - with Elote Street corn, calamari, and churros