First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

First Chapter First Paragraph

Every Tuesday fellow blogger Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where bloggers share the first paragraph of the book they are currently reading or thinking about reading soon.

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, Jan-Philipp Sendker

One of my friends has been telling me to read this book forever. And I have to admit that I would read the plot summary and then decide not to pick it up…over and over again. I have eaten my words in situations like this many times before (The Fault in our Stars, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Language of Flowers) and I’m thinking this might be another “eat my words” book…at least I hope so!

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats Plot Summary from Amazon:
A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats spans the decades between the 1950s and the present.  When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter Julia has any idea where he might be…until they find a love letter he wrote many years ago, to a Burmese woman they have never heard of. Intent on solving the mystery and coming to terms with her father’s past, Julia decides to travel to the village where the woman lived. There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm the reader’s belief in the power of love to move mountains.

Here’s the first paragraph of Part One:

“The old man’s eyes struck me first. They rested deep in their sockets, and he seemed unable to take them off me. Granted, everyone in the teahouse was staring at me more or less unabashedly, but he was the most brazen. As if I were some exotic creature he’d never seen before.”

What do you think? Would you keep reading? Stay tuned for my full review…


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13 Comments

  1. This one sounds interesting. I have to wonder why everyone is staring.

    I’m spotlighting The Moon Sisters this week.
    http://mytime2read.blogspot.com/2014/03/tuesday-meme-moon-sisters.html

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  2. This does sound interesting. I like the intro and would keep reading.

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  3. The intro and description are intriguing and I like the cover, too. I’d keep reading… hope you enjoy this one!

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  4. This book sounds like my kind of read. Thanks for sharing.

    My post: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2014/03/first-chapter-first-paragraph-53.html

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  5. I am intrigued…thanks for sharing, and enjoy! Here’s MY TUESDAY POST

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  6. Nise' wrote:

    When a friend tells me “you must read this book”, I usually listen as it turns out to be wonderful. Happy reading.

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  7. kelley wrote:

    this sounds like a lovely book, thanks for the tip. kelley—the road goes ever ever on

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  8. Yes, I would continue, both the opening and the synopsis appeal to me.
    My post is here

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  9. Diane@BibliophilebytheSea wrote:

    I like the intro and actually read this (enjoyed it) some time ago enjoy

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  10. This sounds like a lovely book. I’d keep reading.

    Posted 3.11.14 Reply
  11. Yes, I’d have to know what everyone was starting at!

    Posted 3.12.14 Reply
  12. Rita_h wrote:

    I would read this based on the blurb, though the snippet sounded interesting, it was too short to make a decision for me. It does sound like something I would enjoy, so I am adding it to my wish list. Thanks for sharing.

    Posted 3.12.14 Reply
  13. This is one of my favorite books in 2013. I loved the heart and soul of the story. There are mixed reviews, but I personally loved it 🙂 I would gladly recommend it.

    Posted 3.14.14 Reply

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