Art of Hearing Heartbeats
Jan-Philipp Sendker
Narrated By: Cassandra Campbell
Duration: 9 hours and 28 minutes
What to expect
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 listener’s belief in the power of love to move mountains.
Genre
Fiction: general and literary, Fiction: general and literary, Contemporary romance, Family life fiction
Listen to a sample
“No matter what I even attempt to say, I can’t possibly capture the absolute magic of this book. Like a spell, it haunts. Like love, it’s going to endure.”
“Powerful language…Touching in the best sense, never kitschy.”
“This book is like chocolate: it caresses the soul.”
“The heart of this sentimental novel is the romance between the teenagers Tin Win and Mi Mi in pre–World War II Burma. Recommended.”
“A strong, interesting, heartfelt story of love and understanding will keep readers glued to the last page.”
“A love story set in Burma and imbued with Eastern spirituality and fairy-tale romanticism…Fans of Nicholas Sparks and/or Elizabeth Gilbert should eat this up.”
“A story at once both poignant and joyous, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats reaffirms how love can transform the harshest of realities into a mystical one. Sendker takes us from contemporary, upscale New York to impoverished Burma, weaving a complex tale that is part romance, part father-daughter story. Reading this book was like reading poetry, with full attention required for each sentence. A thoroughly immersive and enjoyable read.”
“Set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats is a rare novel. Telling the story of a young blind man’s journey through a world of auditory intensity, Jan-Philipp Sendker renews one’s faith in the possibility of real, pure love. I finished the book in tears.”