Our Missing Hearts: A Novel follows twelve-year-old Bird Gardner, a quiet boy living with his father, a former linguist now working in a university library. Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet, disappeared when he was nine, leaving behind only banned books and unanswered questions.

When Bird receives a mysterious letter containing a simple, cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a risky search for the truth. His journey leads him back to the folktales his mother once told, into an underground network of courageous librarians, and on to New York City, where he must confront what happened to his mother and what their future might hold.

Blending emotional family drama with a chillingly recognizable near future, the novel explores how fear can reshape a supposedly civilized society, the quiet courage of those who resist, and the lasting imprint parents leave on their children. It also highlights the power of words and art to expose injustice and spark change.

Themes and features

• Dystopian setting with strong contemporary relevance
• Mother–child bond and family legacy
• Censorship, banned books, and state control
• Resistance through storytelling, poetry, and libraries
• Reflective, character-driven literary fiction

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