Our Missing Hearts Plot Synopsis
When Bird’s father is taken away in a secret government operation, Bird must find out what happened and why his father was taken. He must also find a way to connect with his family again and protect them from the regime.
When Bird’s estranged mother, Margaret, is deemed a dangerous terrorist by society, he receives a cryptic letter with pictures of cats on it. He learns more about the world he inhabits and the lie that’s blanketed him from the awful truth lying in plain view when he tries to find her. ..
What is PACT?
The Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act is a bill that is being enforced across the US. It promises to “protect American values” and also means that anything that isn’t in line with these values is destroyed. This is a direct parallel to what happened in Nazi Germany.
But as the US economy recovers, and China begins to open up, questions are being asked about whether PACT was a good idea in the first place.
Who is Margaret? Why is she important to the resistance?
Bird’s mother, Margaret, is a key part of the rebellion. Unlike the radical terrorist story Bird has been told all his life, Margaret is actually a rather gentle woman who never wanted to get into trouble.
The group has decided to use the poem as their rallying cry, and are using it to communicate their message to the public. Unfortunately, the authorities see this as a sign of being anti-American and rally against Margaret, desperate to take her down no matter what.
As a result of her expulsion, Bird is forced to leave her husband and child behind. She’s concerned that they may be rehoused and face the same conditions as she did, which would be a very real threat to their safety.
How do the librarians play into the resistance?
The librarians play a vital role in the novel by distributing information to Margaret and the others. They use slips of paper in books to do this, and their sole aim is to reunite the snatched children with their biological parents. Of course, that’s easier said than done. ..
If a child is replaced, the librarians try to find out who it is and follow any leads they can find. It’s a hit or miss system and only a handful of people across the country are sharing these notes, so there’s only a thin sliver of hope for it being successful. Most librarians have retained this information and use their excellent memory to hold onto it, for fear of PACT finding out. ..
What does Margaret intend to do with the bottlecaps?
When Bird finally reunites with his mother, he listens to her story (including two long chapters of her history leading up to this moment). After, the pair head out together and Bird is confused over the meaning of this to begin with, but he gets into the groove of hiding these things in plain sight. Some are hidden alongside dog poo, others inside grates and even the underside of bins. There are 1900 bottlecaps in total. ..
Margaret’s bottlecaps hold a transmitter and a microphone, which are used to amplify a signal from Margaret’s laptop. With her own microphone in hand, she uses this to broadcast across a message to everyone and recite stories for numerous families that have had their children ripped away and relocated. After spending months filling notebooks full of stories, hearing heartbroken parents spill their worries and fears, she’s finally ready to speak her truth.
How does Our Missing Hearts end?
Margaret stays behind to broadcast her message while Domi remains on lookout duties. The plan here is for Margaret to leave at the last possible second, avoid the police and be reunited with her family. Unfortunately, things don’t play out that way.
As Margaret reads out her stories, the police swarm in. She quickly switches to speaking about her own experiences as a mother, reaching out to Bird on a personal level. She brings up several moments in the past where she “failed” as a mother, including a shattered glass and a bruised head. It’s a passionate and beautiful sentiment to her son, but also something that will bring waves of sympathy from other parents who remember these sort of accidents and the guilt that consumes you as a result. ..
Just before the police arrest her, Margaret destroys the laptop and burns her notebooks so they can’t be traced. The last we hear from Margaret in the book is in this instance, as police burst into the room and take her away. It would seem she’s not going to have a very pleasant end. ..
As the others reunited at the cabin, Bird and his father were able to share some words with one another. Across the US, it appeared that Margaret’s message was starting to seep through, with many people remembering the words and questioning the world they now live in some time later. However, will things really change though? Will Sadie find her parents? What happened to Margaret? All these questions are left unanswered in the end, but in the end we’re left with a thin shred of hope that this world will learn from its mistakes and go back to how things were.
Our Missing Hearts is a heart-wrenching novel that tells the story of a family that is torn apart by the loss of their loved ones. The book is full of sadness and pain, and it is sure to make you cry.
