Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

The violence, the horror, the terrorism and the fear coming out of the war in Israel is difficult comprehend. The pictures of the young people killed at the music festival, and the stories of small children being murdered is what is most shocking. The fact that such evil exists in 2023 is unfathomable, and I pray that peace can be found. But the fear will forever remain. The fear in the hearts of the children reminded me of this powerful book, "Our Missing Hearts" by Celeste Ng. The author did not expect to write this story about a little boy searching for his mother in a dystopian world. But then the pandemic happened, and she saw anti-Asian racism rear its ugly head in America, because of the rumored origins of the Covid-19 virus. As the child of a mixed raced family, Ng felt the need to speak up. She pivoted her narrative in an effort to expose a world in her book which legalizes racism and outlaws dissent. Ng set her main character, Bird, and his librarian father in Cambridge, Mass., in a claustrophobic world much like the "Handmaiden's Tale." In an article in "Time" magazine, Ng said she hesitated to write this book because it would be political, and it would put her "out there." But sometimes the boldest step one can make in the face of fear, is to become part of the conversation. Ng infuses Bird with the desire to search for his Chinese American poet mother, when others have told him to forget her. Bird flies in the face of fear in a quest for love and acceptance. A beautiful sentiment, especially during this horrifying time in the world. To buy this book on Amazon click here.