Our Missing Hearts

Our Missing Hearts

• Genre: Fiction; Contemporary Dystopian Mystery
• Originally Published: 2022
• Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
• Structure/Length: Approximately 331 pages; 9 hours and 51 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: In Our Missing Hearts, Bird Gardner, a 12-year-old boy, lives with his father, longing for his mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who disappeared when he was nine. His resentment towards her grows as he discovers her books are banned. When Bird receives a mysterious letter, he embarks on a quest to find her. His journey takes him through folktales, an underground network of librarians, and to New York City, where he hopes to uncover the truth about his mother’s disappearance and their future together.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Racism, violence

Celeste Ng, Author

• Bio: Born 1980 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; child of Hong Kong immigrants; parents were scientists; raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio; graduated in English from Harvard University in 2002; earned a Master’s of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan in 2006; gained recognition with her short story “Girls, at Play”; Authored best-selling novels, including Everything I Never Told You (2014) and Little Fires Everywhere (2017); active on social media; advocate for social justice causes
• Other Works: Everything I Never Told You (2014); Little Fires Everywhere (2017)
• Awards: New York Times Notable Book of 2022

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Power of Storytelling
• The Dangers of Racism in Society
• The Importance of Family

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the genre and historical contexts regarding dystopian literature and current events that Ng draws on within the novel.
• Discuss paired texts and their brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Dangers of Racism in Society and The Power of Storytelling.
• Research a period in American history in which children and/or families were separated that connects to the context in which the novel was written and the theme of The Importance of Family.
• Analyze character details and plot elements to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the relationship between action and inaction and storytelling.