Harvesting the Heart - Hardcover

Picoult, Jodi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0340923016 ISBN 13: 9780340923016

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 2010

Synopsis

Paige has only a few vivid memories of her mother, who abandoned her when she was five. Now, having left home and her father for dreams of art school and marriage to an ambitious young doctor, Paige finds herself with a child of her own.

Emotionally and physically exhausted, overwhelmed by the demands of her family, Paige cannot forget her mother's absence or the shameful memories from her own past. Her next step would have been unthinkable before her doubts about her maternal ability crept into her mind. Is it possible Paige's baby would be better off without her?

About this title

Review:

Jodi Picoult explores the fragile ground of ambivalent motherhood in this lush second novel (New York Times)

Picoult is at her best when she is writing about motherhood (New York Daily News)

Picoult tackles this moral dilemma with honest conviction and beautifully written prose (Good Housekeeping)

Jodi Picoult's novels often focus on lives turned upside down by some terrible event, and it's her way with the small emotional detail that makes them so rewarding (Marie Claire)

From the Author:

Every mother I've met who's read the book connects with it.
I wrote HEART after having my first child, and feeling completely overwhelmed---in retrospect, it was a cheap alternative to psychological counseling, I think...which is why so many mothers I've met are moved by the story of Paige and Nicholas. I used to dream about leaving my son with my husband when I went grocery shopping...and then I'd just keep going! After speaking to other women who'd harbored the same secret thoughts, I decided to create a character who might actually do it. HEART has turned out to be quite a favorite of book discussion groups, because of the issues raised regarding motherhood and marriage. I'd love to hear comments from readers!

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0340923016
• ISBN 13: 9780340923016
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 480