Told through the eyes of Bird, the mixed race son of Margaret and Ethan, the anti immigrant sentiments of a contemporary America, echoes the growing anti-Asian sentiment following the Covid pandemic. Bird's mother labelled a dissident after her poetry is quoted by radicals, abandons her son as a young child to secure his safety with his Caucasian father. However, their life is still limited and restricted as Ethan is forced to take a lower paid job as a Librarian living in a tiny apartment. Beautifully written, the family's story unfold in flashbacks as Bird feels compelled to discover the truth of his 'missing' mother. Secrets are exposed, both on the personal and political level with a worryingly ominous future of a blinkered society unwilling to rock the boat.

SOMETIMES it can be hard to spot a dystopian society at first. It can seem completely normal until you spot something that’s a bit off, something that’s not quite right, like a Government sanctioned sign encouraging the reporting of neighbors, friends or family you suspect are being un-patriotic, or a pile of books spied being burned in the town square.
Margaret Atwood has said that inspiration for The Handmaid’s Tale were societies in the world that were already breaching human rights on an everyday basis. You only need to look at North Korea to be reminded that there is a whole “hermit” country from which escape for its citizens is near impossible and the myriad countries in the Middle East and Africa that condemn homosexuality as a crime punishable by death.
Iran has been in the international news lately for its “morality police” killing Mahsa Amini, a woman who died while in their custody after refusing to wear a hijab and subsequent protests have resulted in the deaths of over 200 more people, many of them young women sick of being treated as second-class citizens.
Sometimes it’s harder for us in the Western, largely white world to remember that societies around the world continue to deny basic human rights as a matter of practice, although that is worryingly changing now, especially when we point our eyes towards what was once self-proclaimed as the free world.
The overturning of Roe V Wade is an enormous step backwards for reproductive rights, as is the seemingly uncontrolled racism that is rife in America, although there is some hope to be gleaned from results of the mid-term elections.
But like Ernest Hemmingway once said about bankruptcy, the descent into dystopia happens “gradually, then suddenly”, and it’s no wonder authors, particularly female authors, have used the background of an alternative society to convey the subtle comparisons with their own.
In Our Missing Heart’s alternative America, the differences between hers and our US are tenuous but recognizable. There is a tolerated hatred of a minority race, in this case Asians, who have been blamed for a global crisis that results in the formation of a Government policy called PACT – the Preserving of American Culture and Tradition Act.
The world unfurls through the eyes of Bird, a twelve-year-old boy who lives with his father in faculty accommodation on a university campus. A former academic who speaks multiple languages and had studied and taught etymology, Bird’s father now works in the library sorting and stacking books, for reasons that are revealed as the story continues.
Bird’s mother is a Chinese-American artist who abruptly left her husband and son a few years earlier. When Bird receives a letter from her with some cryptic clues to solve, he sets about trying to find her, leading him on a voyage of discovery about the true nature of her departure and the dangerous world in which he lives.
Ng specializes in measured, un-dramatic writing that unfurls the plot in a controlled way and then punches you in the gut with reveals and revelations, filling gaps in when you least expect it and introducing new themes when she sees fit.
When the story of Bird’s parents is being told, along with it questions are asked of the reader of the artist’s role in society, and light is shone on the importance of literature and art as a political tool, where needed and wanted. As well as the book itself being a cry for help for tolerance and peace, it is a love letter to art and artists.
Sometimes when an adult book has a child protagonist it can veer into spoon-feeding its message territory, but here the child’s point of view helps us see the destruction of a healthy upbringing under a dystopian rule, what it can do to society, community, a family, an individual.
Little details come to light that would only be noticed by someone hyper observant like a child, or indeed an artist, and the overall narrative is bolstered by the combining of those nuances. Our Missing Hearts is another accomplished novel, and one that is likely to join the high ranks of others in its genre.

I had such high expectations for this title, and unfortunately it didn't live up to any of them. Having adored both of Ng's previous titles, I was sure that she could produce a dystopian novel that stood out amongst the masses we are constantly inundated with (spoiler alert: I'm not a fan of dystopian novels). And in that I was initially captivated by the relevance of the America within 'Our Missing Hearts' - shortly after starting it I read that a school district in Pennsylvania "banned 'Girls Who Code' in its purging of books, saying the series encouraging girls to get into STEM is too 'activist'", god help us - it became monotonous and meandering quite quickly. I am hoping for a return to the contemporary in Ng's next book.

It almost doesn't matter what the book is about, this write knows her craft. I love her writing and the way she poetically describes things. Its a beautiful, powerful read that unfolds with great subtlety.

The story itself almost feels dystopian. Bird is 12 and lives a quiet life with his father. His mother, a notorious American Asian poet, left when he was 9 and he never got to say a proper goodbye. He misses her like crazy. They live in a time of crazy prejudice against anything Asian, as Asia has been "held responsible" for the darkest of recessions. And supporting anything anti-American, or pro-Asian, can result in extreme punishment, with families being torn apart. One day Bird receives a cryptic drawing in the mail. He knows its from his mom, and it begins a quest to find her and understand his past.

Its unpredictable, unusual and intriguing at all times with many powerful messages about prejudice, blame, abused power and the inspiration of art, Even the smallest cog can have an impact.

I enjoyed reading this although it followed the well-trodden paths of the dystopian novel. However it is so well written that the thinness of the story - which is at its heart excessively simple - is overwhelmed by the beautiful language it is told in.

Having loved her previous novels, I was very excited to be given the opportunity to read this. It is very different in tone to Ng's recent work; it is quite bleak and verging on dystopian, while at the same time feeling scarily prescient. In the not too distant future, America has had a crisis and has turned inwards on itself, distrusting anything 'non-American' or exotic. A gripping and scary read - highly recommended.

Set in a dystopian future, the story focuses on Bird Gardner, a 12 year old boy who lives with his father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard's library. They live in an apartment on campus and live a quiet life. Bird knows he shouldn’t stand out too much 🤫 Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet left the family when he was 9. When Bird receives a letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is drawn into a quest to find his mother and understand why she left him.

This story was heartbreaking and thought provoking 💔😞 It’s told through the eyes of Bird first, and then Margaret. I loved the character of Bird so much 🥹 The setting is a dystopian future where PACT law is enforced which preserves only American tradition and culture. Anyone of Asian origin is at risk, especially if you say anything that goes against PACT. I’m not going to say anything about the plot as that would give spoilers 🫢 I’ll just say that the world this is set in is terrifying, albeit not completely fictional. The writing is beautiful and the story explores abuse of power, hope, family and the power of art.

Truly a powerful read and one I highly recommend 👏🏻

This was so eerie, and believable. It follows Bird, a 12 year old mixed race boy and his Asian American mother Margaret. Margaret leaves her family when Bird is 9, after America passes Anti-Asian laws that basically make any non-American values and cultures illegal. Her poetry becomes the face of the rebellion, and so she has to leave. The book tells Bird's and Margaret's stories throughout an economic crisis and the resulting blame and laws. It had echoes of the pandemic (I.e. when Trump was calling it China Virus), which I found to be so terrifying because it didn't take much of a leap to imagine the events in this book actually happening. Celeste Ng is such a talent, this work is a departure from her previous but is perhaps the most ambitious and hard hitting.

What can I say about this timely, heart-breaking novel? I wish I could press this into everyone's hands. An urgent story perfectly told.

A fantastic and timely read.

This book is gripping and a difficult read. However, ultimately intelligent. Each word is necessary. Phenomenal, as expected by Celeste Ng.

I have purchased several copies for my library and will recommend this to students and staff.

Reese’s Bookclub’s new pick 🤩⁣
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Set in a dystopian near future, OUR MISSING HEARTS centres around 12 year old Bird. Bird’s Chinese American poet mother, Margaret, who disappeared when he was 9. Since then, he and his father having been try to go unnoticed and blend in to all those who are watching to ensure everyone conforms with to a true American life.⁣
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We’re taken on a journey through Bird’s past and present as he tries to make sense of everything going on around him. Filled with so many heavy and important topics (anti- Asian discrimination, motherhood, social inequality and police brutality), it’s devastatingly sad story - but beautifully written and with a glimmer of hope. It reminded me somewhat of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS// Jessamine Chan. So, if you enjoyed that- pick this up, you won’t be disappointed!⁣
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Ps. Thanks to @litt for my lovely bundle to celebrate this one’s release! Tote bag not pictured today but I’ll be using it a ton 👀⁣
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💭 Have you read this yet? What did you think? Which one is your fave Celeste Ng book? 👇🏻👇🏻

I find Celeste Ng's writing completely engaging and was hooked on Bird's story.
Set in an America of the future, where PACT rule, the first part of the book is told from the point of view of Bird. A boy living with his father.
We then learn more about how PACT came to be and the decisions made by his mother.
A gripping read.

Far and away my favourite Celeste Ng book - a beautiful exploration of a mother's love through a near-future America marred by anti-Asian violence.

What a beautifully written, emotionally touching story this is - it did take me a few chapters to fully engage but as you learn more about Bird and what is going on around him you are hooked in. Disturbing in the fact that the society and events in the story aren't completely unrealistic.

I didn't want it to end.

Tkanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Our Missing Hearts

I don't think I could have loved this book more and was utterly bereft when I reached the last page and had to say goodbye to Bird. Fabulous writing and a deeply moving story.
Set in the near future in America, the book depicts an all too believable situation where, following an economic crisis, society has broken down and extreme racism masquerades as patriotism. It's both powerful and thought-provoking.

Disturbing futuristic novel.
Well described and so easily imagined.
Asiatic people made scapegoats when economy crashes and blame needs to be placed.
Children are removed from families suspected of actions against PACT, jobs are lost and families separated.
There are underground workers trying to establish facts and ultimately reunite families. It is a dangerous world.
Two children are the main characters, bird and sadie, they are united in their grief for their missing parent or parents.
Not an easy read.

I finally got the opportunity to experience for myself why so many people are obsessed with Celeste Ng’s writing. In Our Missing Hearts, she creates tangible characters without reverting to caricatures, and evokes emotion without manipulation.

This is a story of a world gone mad - much like ours, really, only perhaps the madness is more legislated. It is a story of families torn apart by racism and prejudice and nationalism. This is a story of the people who live with injustice, and those who live against it - those who fight loudly, and those who resist quietly.

The premise of Our Missing Hearts is so realistic that it took me a while to realise that it is actually dystopian. I don’t want to say that the plot is immaterial, because it is not, but it certainly is secondary to that which occurs in the consciousness of the characters, and how Ng teases it out. In this way, Our Missing Hearts really becomes transferrable to the reader’s reality.

Ng has a gift for creating characters that are really quite ordinary - by which I mean, quite like “us” - and yet to colour them as the main characters we all believe ourselves to be. Because an ordinary literature professor who teases the meaning from words, and an ordinary small-press poet who accidentally becomes the mouthpiece of a revolution, and an ordinary boy who just wants his mom back: aren’t those all really extraordinary, after all?

[Speaking of colouring: CATS! A fable told to Bird by his mom is called The Boy Who Painted Cats. There are no real cats in Our Missing Hearts, but just the mention of walls filled with the paintings of cats, earns this book a spot on my “books about cats” shelf.]

Another favourite element of mine in the book is libraries and librarians. I love that they play such an important - almost heroic - part in the story.

I love the way Ng portrays political awakening. Grief. Motherhood. Otherhood. LOVE. Life during the end of the world, and what the end of the world means - which rings strangely true, on the tails of COVID. It is a book about stories, about imagination, and about truth. It is about desertion and rediscovery. It is about opening your eyes just a little wider than the day before, every day.

sadly this reads like a thinly rendered dystopian novel that comes across as very didactic. while i can appreciate dystopian works that echo real life issues here ng's leaves little room for interoperation or nuance...which is a pity. the characters suffer because of it.

Not a read for me. A book I kept picking up and putting down without taking in the storyline. That’s probably just me as I am sure that many readers will enjoy the read and find it thought provoking.

Our Missing Hearts is both incredibly timely and imaginable whilst also being a scary dystopian fable.. I will be thinking about it for a long time and how, in this current world climate, we are never far from a similar ‘Crisis’ that sparks the events in the story and the knock-on censorship and removal of basic rights. This is my favourite of all Celeste Ng’s novels. Fans of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ will love it. It is beautifully written and ultimately a story full of love.