BOOK REVIEW - DECEMBER 2012
"THE ART OF HEARING HEARTBEATS"
BY
JAN-PHILIPP SENDKER
Book Description (from Amazon.com)
Fiction
336 pages
A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats spans the decades between the 1950s and the present. 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.
MY REVIEW:
This book found it's way to me in a very special way. One day as I was shopping at a local holiday boutique recently, I ran into someone I know. We began chatting about things and she asked me about my blind 8 year old son Josh. The cashier overheard us and said to me "Have you ever read The Art of Hearing Heartbeats? You HAVE to read it please!" I didn't know this woman but there was something about her and something about her plea that made me drive immediately over to the library and check it out. Due to the fact that I am a book reviewer and blogger, I am given Advanced copies of books from publishers, and other people recommend books to me all of the time, most of which I never read. But this time I just felt compelled. I read this entire book in only 3 days. By the end of the 2nd chapter I knew that I was reading something really special. As I turned the last page, with tears in my eyes, this book had made my top ten all time list! This book is a sweeping epic with the most remarkable and unforgettable characters. The story will leave you feeling inspired and uplifted, and in today's world I think that we could all use that! Thank you to Renee Noy, my new friend, whose beautiful spirit touched mine and who has given me the gift of a book that I will never forget!
