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Harvesting the Heart: A Novel
Unavailable
Harvesting the Heart: A Novel
Unavailable
Harvesting the Heart: A Novel
Audiobook17 hours

Harvesting the Heart: A Novel

Written by Jodi Picoult

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Jodi Picoult's Captivating Second Novel

From the New York Times bestselling author of My Sister's Keeper, Lone Wolf, and the forthcoming The Storyteller, Harvesting the Heart is written with astonishing clarity and evocative detail, convincing in its depiction of emotional pain, love, and vulnerability, and recalls the writing of Alice Hoffman and Kristin Hannah. Paige has only a few vivid memories of her mother, who left when she was five. Now, having left her father behind in Chicago for dreams of art school and marriage to an ambitious young doctor, she finds herself with a child of her own. But her mother's absence, and shameful memories of her past, make her doubt both her maternal ability and her sense of self worth. Out of Paige's struggle to find wholeness, Jodi Picoult crafts an absorbing novel peopled by richly drawn characters and explores issues and emotions readers can relate to.

"A brilliant, moving examination of motherhood, brimming with detail and emotion." -Richmond Times-Dispatch


"Jodi Picoult explores the fragile ground of ambivalent motherhood in her lush second novel. This story belongs to… the lucky reader." -The New York Times Book Review

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 1, 2008
ISBN9781429592321
Unavailable
Harvesting the Heart: A Novel
Author

Jodi Picoult

JODI PICOULT is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-six novels. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction, the ALA’s Alex Award, the New Hampshire Literary Award for Outstanding Literary Merit, and the prestigious Sarah Josepha Hale Award in recognition of her distinguished body of written work. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband. They have three children. You can visit her website at wwww.jodipicoult.com  

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Reviews for Harvesting the Heart

Rating: 3.407679665359477 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

612 ratings30 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not the author's usual style of writing but I still really enjoyed 'Harvesting the Heart' and found myself sympathizing with Paige despite the fact she ran away from her husband and baby for three months. Despite her flaws I admired her strength and courage.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Paige ran away from Chicago and landed in Massachusetts when she was just 18. With nothing more than her dufflebag, $100, and ghosts haunting her, she set out to live her life.

    Nicholas was from a wealthy family, but couldn't find happiness with the wealth. He never felt that he was "enough" for his parents or society. And then one day, he sits down at Mercy's diner, and the waitress draws his picture...

    Paige and Nicholas start dating, and are engaged by the fourth date. His parents are not accepting of Paige and cut him of from the family money. They marry despite his parents disapproval. Paige continues to work as a waitress and gets a second job to help pay for Nicholas's medical schooling.

    Years pass, and Nicholas is well on his way to chief of cardiac surgery, and Paige finds herself pregnant. She is terrified...her old ghosts come back to haunt her...overwhelmed with being a wife and mother, Paige runs away again.

    Will she find what she's looking for? Will Nicholas forgive her for leaving him and Max...
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Sentimentality at its worst.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book tells the story of an unlikely couple. Paige is an uneducated young woman who runs away from home at the age of 18 and ends up working in a diner where she meets Nicholas who is an up and coming heart surgeon.

    As her mother left when she was young Paige decides that she doesn't know how to be a mother and conflict ensues.

    This book is not up to the standard of later ones I have read by the author and if it had been the first I'd read may not have read others. Paige is naive and very irritating while Nicholas is an opinionated, self-centred individual and it's hard to believe such different people would get together, not least as Nicholas is so ambitious.

    It was really a struggle to read this at times as the story seemed so false and unreal but I wanted to know how it ended. Unfortunately the end seemed very rushed and contrived with no real resolution.

    I hope that people aren't put off Jodi Picoult as she can write much better than this.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    really had to push myself through this one. The description on the back seemed interesting but the characters and storyline really didnt grab me. I did realize in the beginning the story sounded familiar. However, I must have given up on this one before because the middle and end of the book didnt ring a bell. I did push myself through this one but not sure if it was worth it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Paige, having just graduated from high school, flees her Chicago home in search of a fresh start/new life. She almost immediately falls in love, gets married, and has a baby. Along with all of the expected difficulties that a new marriage & new baby might present, she is also trying to come to terms with her past, which includes a mother who ran away when Paige was 5 years old. I think most of the reviews already written for this one are pretty accurate. It's one of Picoult's very first novels, and doesn't quite fit the standard formula that she's become known for. I generally like her stories because they address controversial topics and have a couple plot twists here and there. This one didn't really have either of those components. I didn't dislike this novel, but it tended to be somewhat predictable and just wasn't as engaging as many of her later novels have been. I really thought the ending was not very well written -- both predictable (in some ways) and sort of hokey. While it was difficult to feel sorry for Paige during a large portion of the story, I was able to relate to her struggles with new motherhood and that part hit home for me. But otherwise, just a mediocre story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Kind of schmaltzy and totally predictable, but an entertaining read. Paige and Nicholas fall in love almost at first sight. They have nothing in common. A demanding career and a new colicky baby bring it all to a head and Paige takes off, returning three months later. A crisis with the baby brings them back together.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A wonderfully written story - as is the norm for Picoult - centers around Paige, a young girl on her own who marries the brilliant and wealthy Nicholas. When post-partum depression tears her apart, she runs to find what she thinks she needs - her own mother.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    At first at the start (the first 125 pages) i was bored out of my mind.Then the story picked a bit up and I thought it might be a good book after all, but no, the last 125 pages were ridiculous in a way. Totally not realistic and with too many contradictions. I still have 2 other Picoult books that I bought when i bought this one. Hope those 2 are better.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not a book I really enjoyed. There was a bit too much detail about Nicholas's career as a heart surgeon. Not that I'm squeamish, but I didn't think it advanced the story - seemed like so much filler. And I found his reaction to his wife's post-partum depression completely unconvincing for a medically-trained person. Paige's drawings were the most interesting part of the book, with their hint of magical realism, but they didn't seem to add much to the plot, either.And, just as an aside, I read the ebook and it was a really poor conversion: lots of OCR errors, and a whole chunk of repeated text at one point.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I believe this was Jodi Picoults second book and you can definitely tell her writing has matured over the years. jodi's writing usually captivated me and takes me for a ride but this book just made me feel annoyed to be honest. I didn't like or relate to the characters and found their decisions to be ridiculous everyvstep of the way. I love Jodi Picoult but unfortantally I would say don't waste your time on this book.Paige was abandoned by her mother at a young age so when she finds herself a mother herself she soon begins to doubt her ability for being a mother herself and makes a decision to temporally follow in her mothers footsteps and abandon her family. I honestly despised Paige's character she annoyed me every step she made. The decisions she made made her weak and honestly she needed therapy not a temporary vacation from her family. Uhhh unfortantly I cannot say anything nice about her character I found no emotional connection with her and I think maybe in retrospect that she ruined this story for me.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is my first book by Jodi Piccoult. I've heard so many things about her books and I decided to try one. Harvesting the Heart tells the story of Paige O'Toole. In many ways Paige spends a large part of her life trying to define herself. At the same time she's running to and from her mother who left her. I enjoyed the book, I was surprised that I felt at times Paige was annoying and then other times I understood how she felt. I found the connections to Jake and Nicholas and the surrealism of Paige's drawings in which she drew secrets about her subject a bit hard to believe but other than that it was a good first book to read by this author. I will read others.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Predictable and disappointing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I listened to this book on my MP3 player. In the beginning I thought this book was very slow moving. As I was farther into the book I really began to connect and like the characters. The two main characters of this book are Paige and Nicholas. Paige whose mother left her at the age of 5 questions her ability to be a good mother and care for her newborn son. I think all new mothers question there ability to raise a child, especially during the newborn months when lack of sleep makes you question all decisions that you make.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book. It was such a touching story. I was so captivated by the characters that I just let myself get lost in the story. It only took me a few hours to read it. The character development was great. I loved Paige and Nicholas. Even the secondary characters were great. I had great images of them all, and I could even hear the accents in their voices as I read. I think Nicholas comes off as being a bit superficial and at times a real jerk but I almost understood where he was coming from and felt that he was justified in his actions (sometimes). The story was very good. Picoult did a great job with the narration changes, which I think can sometimes make a story seem choppy. The changes didn't affect the flow of the story at all. The story spans quite a bit of time, and I found myself forgetting that so many years had passed but that didn't really take away from the story. I really liked this one. It wasn't an excellent book, but it was pretty good. It was a quick read and it was easy to attach to the characters. If you like chick lit this is a good one to pick up. This was the first of Picoult's books that I've actually read, but I've added her to my list of favorite authors.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am reviewing Harvesting the Heart. The book was written by Jodi Picoult. I chose to read this book because it was a Jodi Picoult book and I like all of her books. I thought the characters were realistic and the storyline was creative, detailed, and easy to follow. When Eighteen year-old Paige O'Toole left her house and travelled to Massachussetts, it was seemed like something that would happen in real life. When Nicholas and Paige decided to get married after only a few weeks of dating, it seemed a little far fetched, however the arguements that followed with Nicholas' family, did seem like something that could happen any day. Paige's decision to leave in search of her mother has probably been made by other adults before. From the beginning to the end, I was enthralled with this book. Jodi Picoult did an excellent job of drawing the reader into the book. I felt the heartbreak and confusion that both Nicholas and Paige went through, as well as the anger that Nicholas later felt toward Paige. I recommend this book to any reader.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I thought this book was just an ok read...I liked the way the book was simple to read but wasnt a huge fan of the ending. The book was just okay for me, but I think the author does GREAT work!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Do people really misunderstand each other that much? I found it overly dramatic and people who don't reason things out. Frustrating to someone who comes from a good functioning family.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Wasn't up to the caliber of some of Jodi Picoult's other books. A heartwarming story nevertheless. I wish the ending had not been as abrupt.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This story is about a woman named Paige. She was raised by her father after her mother disappeared when she was five and never returned. Paige leaves home after high school graduation and meets her future husband Nicholas while working as a waitress. Nicholas sweeps her off her feet and she is surprised that a man from such a wealthy family, whos going to med school, would be interested in someone like her. This book follows her life of never feeling good enough. Her and Nicholas have a child. She doesnt feel like she is competent enough to be a mother so she runs away scared. In the end though everything works out like it always does. I loved this book.I liked Jodi Picoults earlier novels. This is the 2nd book she wrote and it is much different than her more recent stuff. The story line is similar to her first book Songs of the Humpback Whale. It differs in that it doesnt change narrators quite as much as her newer books which sometimes confuses me. Also its not so technical and doesnt involve any type of legal battle like her new work does. I honestly would like it if her next book goes back to some of the similarities of her earlier stuff. I really liked this one as it was refreshing and a change from the same routine of her newer books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was really hard for me to get into. I love Jodi Picoult's books. I am currently trying to read everyone of them. So, this book was next on my list and for me it actually didn't become a page-turner until (i'm not going to give anything away) She returns. But I (obviously) pushed myself through it. It was not her best book, but it was still rather good, I kept waiting for that unplanned, unaware, off-guard, shocking ending, and I was disappointed when it ended with the obvious. I still love the book, and the character Paige. Unlike her husband Nicholas, who I thought to be selfish and greedy in a way.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Before I begin, I have to say that I'm very biased when it comes to Ms. Picoult. I first saw her at a book signing for Nineteen Minutes and instantly liked her. Since that book signing, I've read nine of her books, with the intention of reading her entire collection. Having said that, I have to say the first part of Harvesting the Heart was extremely difficult for me to get into. I never thought of putting it down or reading another book. At times I had to force myself to read and looking back, I'm glad that I did.I don't want to say too much about the storyline and when things began to pick up for me, (may be a spoiler for some) but after a certain event happened, I couldn't stop reading. After I finished reading the book, I thought about my feelings regarding the first chapters. When Paige and Nicholas first meet, they are from different worlds. He has had everything handed to him and she has given up a dream that she feels she doesn't deserve. Despite their differences, they fall in love and decide to marry. During the early years of their marriage, I consider Nicholas to be extremely selfish and Paige to be very passive. Even for them, it was hard for both of them to be with the other. So, I'm wondering, as the reader, was it hard for me to be with them as well.As I mentioned earlier, Paige comes to a crossroad in the marriage where she has to choose to move ahead or finally deal with the past she left behind. She makes a decision, that will set in motion events that will determine the fate of her marriage. Harvesting the Heart, for me, was typical Jodi Picoult. I finished the book with many questions and could not stop thinking about the characters. Actually, what was missing was a trial scene. Having read most of her recent books first, it was nice to go back and read one of her earlier works. Ms. Picoult has grown as a writer, however even then she knew how to tell a story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was the first book I read by Jodi Picoult. I loved it! I was not able to put it down. I have been a huge fan of this author ever since.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was Jodi Picoult's second novel, and it's missing the shocking twist at the end that marks most of her other novels (at least the ones I have read). Because of this it actually feels more real, more possible than her other novels. I appreciated the unresolved ending, the redemption she offers all of her characters but never insists on. Often when I finish a Picoult novel I feel exhausted. I enjoy the ride, but I feel manipulated and annoyed with myself for giving in to the soap opera. With "Harvesting the Heart" I merely felt as if I had finished a decent escapist novel, not as if I had been put through the wringer. I think that for my next Picoult novel - because as much as it can irritate me, I keep coming back for more - I'll try to find her first.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Not bad, but not as strong as some of her other books.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book started off slow, but by the middle, I was hooked. I was pleased with the ending because it was not neat and tidy and unrealistic. It was raw and real...just how I like it. I am curious to see how Jodi's early work compares to her latest work (Change of Heart). Sometimes I feel she surprised is more in the beginning.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Least Favorite Jodi Picoult Novel Ever. That's really not even a fair comparison, since I LOVE most of the rest of her books. This book was like a chore to get through. Unlike the rest of Picoult's books, I never once cared an ounce about any of the characters, they were boring and unlovable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love Jodi Picoult! And although this wasn't one of my favorite of hers, I still have to give it to her! And I just want to say that I love all the covers of her books. She has the gift of looking outside the box of a story. To Jodi, she doesn't care that we might hate the ending (just read My Sister's Keeper!). According to her, it had to be done. Ugh.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book was a good read but a bit predictable at times. Sometimes, the descriptive paragraphs could seem lengthy and boring. Overall, though, a nice little love story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Innovative writer, using 21st century fiction techniques.Slow to no-go middle section. Okay ending....