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  • Our Missing Hearts

  • Reese's Book Club (A Novel)
  • Written by: Celeste Ng
  • Narrated by: Lucy Liu, Celeste Ng
  • Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (206 ratings)

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Our Missing Hearts cover art

Our Missing Hearts

Written by: Celeste Ng
Narrated by: Lucy Liu, Celeste Ng
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Publisher's Summary

An instant New York Times bestseller • A New York Times Notable Book • Named a Best Book of 2022 by People, TIME Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, Los Angeles Times, and Oprah Daily, and more • A Reese's Book Club Pick • New York Times Paperback Row Selection

From the #1 bestselling author of
Little Fires Everywhere, comes the inspiring new novel about a mother’s unshakeable love.

“Riveting, tender, and timely.” —
People, Book of the Week

"Remarkable . . . An unflinching yet life-affirming drama about the power of art and love to push back in dangerous times." —
Oprah Daily

“Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching . . . I was so invested in the future of this mother and son.” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club Pick)


Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. His mother Margaret, a Chinese American poet, left without a trace when he was nine years old. He doesn’t know what happened to her—only that her books have been banned—and he resents that she cared more about her work than about him.

Then one day, Bird receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, and soon 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 heroic librarians, and finally to New York City, where he will finally learn the truth about what happened to his mother, and what the future holds for them both.

Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It’s about the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and the power of art to create change.

©2022 Celeste Ng (P)2022 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

"Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching . . . It follows the story of a young boy named Bird on the search for his mother Margaret, a poet whose work was deemed unpatriotic. I was so invested in the future of this mother and son, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of this deeply suspenseful story!”—Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club October ’22 Pick)

“Firmly written and well-executed . . . a meditation on the sometimes accidental power of words . . . I won’t give away the splendid conclusion of Ng’s book; suffice it to say . . . It’s impossible not to be moved by Margaret Miu’s courage, or to applaud her craftiness . . . Ng succeeds . . . partly because her outrage is contained and focused, and mostly because she is often captivated by the very words she is using . . . Bird is a brave and believable character, who gives us a relatable portal into a world that seems more like our own every day.”—Stephen King, The New York Times Book Review

“In this riveting, tender and timely book, one mother speaks ‘into the darkness’ with love. Celeste Ng pleads: Listen.”People, Book of the Week

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What listeners say about Our Missing Hearts

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Powerful and oh so relevant!

This story brings into frightening focus the possibility of a law such as “Pact”becoming a possibility as we all strive to live alongside and too understand the increasing cultural diversity of our present western society. Hopefully we are enlightened enough in this century to not be afraid of the “otherness” and rather strive to see what is rich and inherently good in that diversity. I thank Celeste Ng for a timely and beautifully written book. I appreciate her outlining her references and recommended reading and intend to check some of them out.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Kim
  • 2023-09-07

Thought provoking story, great narration

Really enjoyed this book, it’s very well written, puts you into the character’s shoes and the narration was very well performed. I’ll probably pick up the physical book to read it again.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I loved all of it

It was relatable, sad and it draws your heart in. It reminds you of injustices that are current, real and ignored

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book.

This was a great book to listen too. The performance was good and the storyline was really good. It caught my attention right away and I found myself lost in it the whole time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A heavy and important read

This book was a heavy, although very important read. It beautifully illustrates human kind’s ability to band together for a common good and how we can come to each others aid in times of need but also serves as a warning of how insidious and damaging certain political agendas can be when followed blindly and fearfully. While it is technically fiction, it is impossible to ignore the threads that tether it so vividly to reality (past and present). Lucy Liu narrates beautifully. Would definitely recommend this book!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding and troubling

Really moving! Troubling and thought provoking while being beautifully written and engaging. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Powerful & heartbreaking

Reflective of current events in our world and the possibility of others to come and their impact on loving families who are being forcefully separated under the guise of protection of a nation. A must read.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Too descriptive

I found my speeding up the book. Found it way too descriptive. It took so long from Birds arrival at The Duchess house to work his way through the description of of the tables, picture frames, lamps just to get to finally meet her. Story good and disturbing reflecting what is happening now.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A moving and frighteningly real story.

Celeste Ng’s writing is sheer poetry. She uses few words to present this frighteningly real tragedy in this retelling of the experiences of enslaved, indigenous and migrant families.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting premise but slow story

This book was interesting but it did not hold my attention. I kept needing to go back as my mind was wondering.

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