9780062821775
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American Heart audiobook

  • By: Laura Moriarty
  • Narrator: Luci Christian Bell
  • Length: 11 hours 2 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperCollins
  • Publish date: January 30, 2018
  • Language: English
  • (711 ratings)
(711 ratings)
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American Heart Audiobook Summary

A powerful and thought-provoking YA debut from New York Times bestselling author Laura Moriarty.

Imagine a United States in which registries and detainment camps for Muslim-Americans are a reality.

Fifteen-year-old Sarah-Mary Williams of Hannibal, Missouri, lives in this world, and though she has strong opinions on almost everything, she isn’t concerned with the internments because she doesn’t know any Muslims. She assumes that everything she reads and sees in the news is true, and that these plans are better for everyone’s safety.

But when she happens upon Sadaf, a Muslim fugitive determined to reach freedom in Canada, Sarah-Mary at first believes she must turn her in. But Sadaf challenges Sarah-Mary’s perceptions of right and wrong, and instead Sarah-Mary decides, with growing conviction, to do all she can to help Sadaf escape.

The two set off on a desperate journey, hitchhiking through the heart of an America that is at times courageous and kind, but always full of tension and danger for anyone deemed suspicious.

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American Heart Audiobook Narrator

Luci Christian Bell is the narrator of American Heart audiobook that was written by Laura Moriarty

Laura Moriarty is the New York Times bestselling author of The Chaperone, as well as The Rest of Her Life, While I’m Falling, The Center of Everything, and American Heart. She received her degree in social work before returning for her MA in creative writing at the University of Kansas, and she was the recipient of the George Bennett Fellowship for Creative Writing at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. She currently lives in Lawrence, Kansas, where she is a professor of creative writing at the University of Kansas. Visit her online at www.lauramoriarty.net.

About the Author(s) of American Heart

Laura Moriarty is the author of American Heart

American Heart Full Details

Narrator Luci Christian Bell
Length 11 hours 2 minutes
Author Laura Moriarty
Publisher HarperCollins
Release date January 30, 2018
ISBN 9780062821775

Additional info

The publisher of the American Heart is HarperCollins. The imprint is HarperCollins. It is supplied by HarperCollins. The ISBN-13 is 9780062821775.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Nick

October 12, 2017

Basically because I want to piss off the people who gave this book one star without having read it. So I'm giving it five stars also having not read it. My instinct is always to push back on PC bullshit wherever I encounter it. Have no idea whether this is a good book or not but FIVE STARS!

Aida

October 16, 2017

I just finished reading American Heart last night and I wanted some time to collect my thoughts before posting my review because I went through all reviews on Goodreads and saw all of the negativity posted on there. Do I focus on those negative reviews or do I focus on the book? I will focus on the book. I really enjoyed this book because it gave another view as to what is tearing our country apart. All my life I have relied on my belief that what makes our country so great is the blending of our people, our values and our customs. Only here in America I see the white people filled with entitlement, their heads swelled with the belief that their race is the only supreme race and you are so wrong. This book is wonderful in it's raw honesty and I am a better person for reading it. Read this book first before passing judgement. Freedom of speech is a right we all have but arm yourself with the facts first before passing judgement. it wasn't an easy book to read but I am a better person for doing so. I am but one voice but my one voice can be joined by many. So please join me. Please let your voice be heard. Please stand against the ignorance that has swept across this country that we all call home.

Crystal

October 14, 2017

This is one of the best books I've read all summer! The author does an amazing job of showcasing what could easily happen in this country if we are not careful and vigilant. The characters have incredible depth, making it a "hard to put down" book. The two main characters compliment each other brilliantly, each bringing vulnerabilities and complexity to the story. Each of the characters, especially the two main characters, work together to become friends and allies, saving each other from the harshness of their individual lives. Another great book by Moriarty, can't wait for the next one!

Alida

October 14, 2017

Haven't read it but will do my small part against trolls who are trying to bury this book before anyone gets to read it.

Jéanpaul

October 17, 2017

This is a fine YA novel written by a veteran novelist who took the time and effort to make sure this book was careful with its narrative to be culturally sensitive to all races, creeds, ethnicities, and religions. It is in line with such novels as 1984, Slaughter House Five, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Schindler's List in that it is a social criticism in which it portrays characters that are xenophobic or racist in its criticism of xenophobia and racism. It is an important YA book that will embolden young people to see the hypocrisy and seething hatred of other people who would have you believe that none of us are simply variations of one another. Hooray for someone brave enough and who had the guts to write a YA novel like this in 2017! It is rare indeed.The tinfoil hat backlash against this book is quite puzzling though. I did not realize that gay authors could no longer write about straight characters . I did not realize black Americans could not write about white Americans either. I did not realize that disabled persons who are gay women could not write about characters that were not-disabled, straight, or male. I had no idea that liberals could not write about conservatives. I had no idea conservatives could not write a novel about liberals. Italians, apparently, can no longer write novels about Americans. I did not realize that black American authors could not even make a living writing about the pain and suffering of non-black American personalities that may have lived through the holocaust, civil wars, ethnic purges, or worse. I was horrified to find out Jews could not write about Muslims or Nazi's. I had no idea that the 1st Amendment had been abolished or that there was a litmus test for ethnicity, sex, or color. I was shocked to find out that a soldier returning back from the theater of war was no longer allowed to write a novel about the terror and horror of war. Again, apparently, while I was asleep, society decided that a pacifist could not write a novel about war either. Truman Capote, Alice Walker, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Allen Ginsberg, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Bob Dylan, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, Tony Morrison, Cormac McCarthy, Vladimir Nabokov, Flannery O'Connor, Sylvia Plath, Jesmyn Ward, and Colson Whitehead books have all been banned too. Imagine a world in which black feminists had no voice and could not write about their white oppressors. A world in which victims of sexual abuse could not write about their abusers. A world where a male author could not write about a serial misogynist and rapist. A world in which anyone--white, black, brown, gay, straight, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Agnostic, feminist, pacifist, female, male--were placed in a box and told to stay there for all-time? This is a dystopian world that should be smashed and crushed to pieces for it is a world in which those who hold the power—be it in the White House, the Presidency, the internet, a blog, the radio, in print, or underground—weld their power to crush all those in descent.The latter is what this novel “American Heart” is truly about. And it is something breathtaking to behold! — Jéanpaul Ferro

Alice

October 15, 2017

I was able to get an advance copy of American Heart, by Laura Moriarty, which is due out in January, 2018. I have read all of Moriarty's books because she has such an uncanny talent for giving voice to her young female characters. This book is no exception. I live near the area where the book takes place, in the heart of Missouri. Its population includes poor, mostly White, deeply religious families. The children in these families are often required to learn life lessons pretty quickly--they have few of protections from the adversities of poverty, addiction, violence, etc. (which some might call "coddling") that the developmental literature tells us is so deleterious to wellbeing. Sarah-Mary Williams, the principal character, is a product of such a situation. And Moriarty's gift is that she understands all the intersectionalities of young girl--her age, gender, race, class--and makes her live, so vividly, in a world that was once unimaginable, but now is not. Moriarty is particularly adept at subtly shifting the nuances of Sarah-Mary's thoughts and behavior to reflect her continuous growth and development, as she takes this forbidden journey. Watching her relationship with Sadaf subtly grow and change also, is a reading delight.This book represents two shifts for Moriarty: one is from the adult novel to the YA genre. In this regard, I do not find it particularly suited to only a YA audience. I'm no YA, but I loved it! The other way it represents a shift is that it reflects Moriarty's growing, incredible talent for just nailing the voices of her characters, from the minor ones (in this case, Sarah-Mary's mother, e.g.), to the supporting ones (e.g. Sarah-Mary's brother) to the principal ones, Sadaf and Sarah-Mary. As with The Center of Everything, The Chaperone, and The Rest of Her Life, it is so clear that Moriarty loves her characters, with all of their flaws and foibles, because they jump off the page as fully recognizable human beings, emblematic of their origins, and in the midst of transcendence.

Wendy

October 14, 2017

I cannot wait to read this book. If more people actually followed up instead of insisting they knew what it was without any clue, this world would be far better off.

Ben

October 16, 2017

Just to piss off the PC police, who also haven't read this book, I'm giving it 5 stars. And thanks to them, and Steven Pinker for pointing out their idiocy, I am putting this book on my to read list.

Becky

May 26, 2019

American Heart is an homage to one of my all-time favorite novels: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Huck Finn ends up on banned and frequently challenged lists all the time. I find that most of my favorite books are on these lists. Good literature is often challenging to read. Depressing topics. Nuanced writing that doesn’t spell things out or dumb things down. Not black and white, but grey. Not right or wrong, but neither. Ambiguous. It takes an effort by the reader to read good literature. It’s not there to simply entertain, but to make us think. The best literature is both entertaining and thought provoking. American Heart is both. "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise." --F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Crack-UpLots of people gave American Heart bad reviews on Goodreads months before it had been published. Kirkus retracted its coveted starred review. Why? Because some people--who evidently hadn't even read the novel--were angry that the main character is white and non-Muslim, and that the story of Muslim persecution in America is told from the non-Muslim person's point-of-view instead of from the Muslim character who is being persecuted. Just as people challenge Huck Finn, a story about the persecution of black people told from a white boy's point-of-view. At a Meet-the-Author event I recently attended at the Lawrence Public Library, Moriarty said she modeled American Heart after Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The fact that Moriarty’s novel is stirring up controversy akin to Twain’s masterpiece is not a coincidence. I have read the book. It is that good. Ms. Moriarty should take the challenge as a compliment. Sarah-Mary (rhymes with Huckleberry - get it?) is the white, non-Muslim protagonist at the heart of the controversy. At fifteen, she’s been abandoned by her narcissistic mother and her alcoholic father. She lives with her eleven-year-old brother Caleb and their strict, bigoted Aunt Jenny in Hannibal, Missouri—Mark Twain’s real-life childhood hometown. Sarah-Mary is an unreliable narrator—just as is Huck Finn—due to her ignorance and bigoted upbringing for sure, but that doesn’t mean this novel is unworthy of our attention. Moriarty effectively uses the unreliable narrator technique to highlight just how irrational and cognitively dissonant bigotry is. There were many times throughout my reading that I wanted to step inside the novel and shake some sense into this ignorant white girl. And, there were just as many times I wanted to step inside and give her a hug. I felt sorry for her. She’s an authentically drawn character: complex, a product of her negligent upbringing and her place within the dystopic society at large. And, just like Huck Finn, when she follows her heart and ignores what society says is the right thing to do, we watch her flourish. I completely understand how some people would not want to read this book because of the offensive, casual Islamophobia imbedded throughout the story. But remember: this is dystopian fiction set in a future United States. The offensive, casual Islamophobia is the point. Instead of shunning this novel, I’d like to see more people read it, discuss it, and use it as a reminder of what could become of our great nation if good people fail to speak out against injustice.

Paul

October 17, 2017

I haven't read this book, but I rated it 5 stars, because almost none of the people who rated it one star have read it either. They would rather cry about the fact that the book has a white protagonist than actually sit down and critically analyze it. For some reason, these people find it outrageous that a white author would write from the perspective of a white person. The book is probably trash because YA is a trash genre that attracts trash people. Regardless, I plan on buying several copies.

Darla

January 26, 2018

A solid 3.5 stars for this novel about the odyssey of an American girl and a Muslim fugitive.A big thank you to Harperteen and Edelweiss for an ARC of this book. Beginning this book was a bit intimidating when I realized the controversy that was brewing. What I realized was that my downloading of the ARC was a promise to the publisher to read the book and give an honest review.So here it is:Sarah-Mary is sixteen and has a brother (Caleb) with a very soft heart. When Caleb discovers Sadaf in trouble, he begs Sarah-Mary to help her and their journey from Hannibal, MO to Canada begins. Comparisons have been made to Huckleberry Finn. Just as Mark Twain did, Laura Moriarty uses this narrative to put a mirror up for our society. As the saying goes, "If the shoe fits, wear it." Some have lamented the trope of the white rescuer. Indeed, Sarah-Mary is white and she is trying to do the right thing and help someone in need. Can't we all learn from her example no matter what her skin color??For me as a Kansas City resident, the author is local and the setting is very familiar as well. This is another aspect that attracted me to this novel. I have driven through many of the areas in the book with the exception of those in northern Minnesota.Finally, I want to address the racial/religious conflicts depicted in this book. What has happened to treating our fellow man according to the Golden Rule? If all of us could live out that principle we would have more harmony in our country and not be as divided as we are.

Em

October 17, 2017

Amazing, thought provoking read!

Mary

January 09, 2018

Let's all take a deep breath here.I’ve read many negative reviews and reactions to this book, and interestingly, they are all over the map. I’ve hardly read the same concerns twice. Some have to do with the author’s craftsmanship. Some have to do with the setting. Some have to do with what is perceived as a stereotypical portrayal of a Muslim. And many – including the concerns that seem to have prompted Kirkus to retract its starred review – have to do with the fact that a white character is helping a brown one. This slew of negative reviews from every quarter without one positive comment are to me a bit suspect. They have a kind of literary angry-mob vibe. So I am asking for some help here. I am a children’s librarian who reads YA all the time. And I am having trouble understanding what is so offensive about this book. Please show me where the book is troublesome. What page? What quote? I want very much to listen to concerns but I have not seen any credible ones yet.I found American Heart to be well crafted and engaging. The setting is riveting and believable, given our current political situation. Laura Moriarty paints her characters with deft, small strokes, but I found both main characters to be real, human, flawed people. True, the author does not flesh them out completely, but I feel that this is a wise choice. This is a book for teens, and the focus of the book is the journey. Sarah Mary’s awkward questioning of the status quo despite her terrible upbringing - and her decision to risk a lot to help a woman in need - speaks volumes about the kind of person she really is. Sadaf's concern for a small boy’s cold, wet feet while she herself is being hunted down reveals a woman of compassion even in the worst circumstances. The energy and arc of the story kept me turning the pages, and unlike other readers, I felt that Sarah Mary’s awareness of the horrors of persecution came on gradually, and her thought processes rang true to me. She’s a teen, and a badly educated, damaged teen at that.I think this is an important book for teens to read, and I would urge everyone to take a deep breath, read the book, and judge it on its own merits solely – not on the basis of the book you wish the author had written, but the actual book as written.

Naomi

October 20, 2017

When Laura Moriarty decided she wanted to write a dystopian novel about a future America in which Muslims are forcefully corralled into detention centers, she was aware that she should tread carefully. Her protagonist is a white teenager, but one of her main characters, Sadaf, is a Muslim American immigrant from Iran, so Moriarty began by diving into Iranian books and films. Moriarty explained via email that she asked two Iranian immigrant friends to read an early draft and see if Sadaf seemed authentic to them, and whether the language and accent fit with their memories and experiences. A friend of Pakistani and American descent who is a practicing Muslim gave additional feedback. Moriarty asked a senior colleague at the University of Kansas, Giselle Anatol, who writes about Young Adult fiction and has been critical of racist narratives in literature, to read the book with a particular eye toward avoiding another narrative about a “white savior.” And after American Heart was purchased by Harper, the publisher provided several formal “sensitivity reads,” in which a member of a minority group is charged with spotting potentially problematic depictions in a manuscript."None of this, as it turns out, was enough to protect American Heart from becoming the subject of the latest skirmish in the increasingly contentious battle over representation and diversity in the world of YA literature. American Heart won’t be published until January, but it has already attracted the ire of the fierce group of online YA readers that journalist Kat Rosenfield has referred to as “culture cops.” To them, it was an irredeemable problem that Moriarty’s novel, which was inspired in part by Huckleberry Finn, centers on a white teenager who gradually—too gradually—comes to terms with the racism around her. On Goodreads, the book’s top “community review,” posted in September, begins, “fuck your white savior narratives”; other early commenters on Goodreads accused Moriarty of “profiting off people’s pain” and said “a white writer should not have tackled this story, and neither should a white character be the center of it.”"

Victor

October 20, 2017

I have to say all the SJW types hyperventilating over this just make me laugh. I'm not really keen on Huck Finn stories (other than the original) like this or the movie 'The Cure'. But first you tell people that they can't write in the voices of characters who are of a different race than they are and then you get mad when they do use a character of their own race to tell the story they want to tell. I now would like to write a YA novel about a boy serving Charles Martel during the Battle of Tours or perhaps the page of Prince Henry The Navigator. Given that those two historical figures are most responsible for the spread of white people around the globe, that should really make some heads explode.

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