Book Notes: Harvesting the Heart

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Let me preface this review by saying, this was Picoult's second book. The whole time I was reading it I was waiting for the complexity and surprises like in her 11th book, My Sister's Keeper. I read My Sister's Keeper 3 years ago, and have been meaning to pick up another Picoult book all this time. In that sense, Harvesting the Heart was a let down, but it did have some redeeming qualities.
One of the main characters, Nicholas, is a Cardiac Surgeon. I was sure, based on the title, someone close to him would die, and he would have to take their heart. Instead, this was a story of moving on, growing, and forgiveness. The story was not complicated and had few characters, but it did illustrate the characters changing their ways to make room for new family members. If you want a light read with some feeling, give this book a try.

Below are some of my favorite passages from the book.
Page 88, Paige accommodating Nicholas, "When he did stumble into the apartment, starved and blind with fatigue, Paige so seamlessly fed him, disrobed him, and loved him to sleep that he began to expect the treatment and sometimes forgot that Paige was connected to it."

Page 275, Paige thinking about her mother that abandoned her at five years old, "When you don't keep looking back, it's that much easier not to trip and fall."

Page 401, Paige ran out of the hospital convinced her infant son had died, she began pleading to God, "'I grew up with You," I cry. "I believed in You., I even trusted You. But You are not a forgiving God." As if in answer, the wind whistles over the glowing windows of an office building. "When I needed Your strength, You were never there. When I prayed for Your help, You turned away. All I ever wanted was to understand You," I shout. "All I ever wanted were answers."

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