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The Art of Hearing Heartbeats cover art

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

By: Jan-Philipp Sendker
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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Summary

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 listener’s belief in the power of love to move mountains.

Jan-Philipp Sendker, born in Hamburg in 1960, was the American correspondent for Stern from 1990 to 1995 and its Asian correspondent from 1995 to 1999. In 2000 he published Cracks in the Great Wall, a nonfiction book about China. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats is his first novel. He lives in Berlin with his family.

©2002 Karl Blessing Verlag. Translation 2006 by Kevin Wiliarty (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Absolute magic…Like a spell, it haunts. Like love, it’s going to endure.” (Caroline Leavitt, New York Times best-selling author)

What listeners say about The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

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Fascinating

A fascinating story, very well told. I could not stop listening to it and feeling part of it. Brilliant. A sentence towards the end sums up the essence of the story: "Not all truths are explicable....and not all explicable things are true."

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

An endearing and intriguing story.

I enjoyed this story. An endearing and intriguing tale of love and devotion over time. My book club reviewed the book and there was a real mix of opinion...some found it a bit cliched and couldn't complete it while others absolutely loved it.

The American accent of the reader jarred a little for me but I managed to finish the story so can't have been that bad on reflection!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Delightfully absorbing

a treasure to have read, that stays with you long after you finish the book

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Robotic narrator

I wanted to return this book after 1 minute because the narrator is awful. Nasally and monotone, I can barely make out the words -she sounds like one of those machines for people who can’t talk. Only prob is for some reason audible says the title is non-refundable?! I’ve emailed customer services but defo recommend you listen to the sample first

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Enthralling

Mesmerising tale with beautiful language, and descriptions of love, courage, and a feeling of inner grace and a nobility and calm which I would love to feel.

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1 person found this helpful

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One of the best ever

Where does The Art of Hearing Heartbeats rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's amongst my top 5. Beautifully conceived, a tragic but magical love story. I also loved the narrator,

What other book might you compare The Art of Hearing Heartbeats to, and why?

All the great love stories. Love, when it runs smoothly, is never very interesting!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Almost. I finished it in a weekend

Any additional comments?

I want to listen to it again.

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Utterly beautiful from start to finish

I was mesmerised from the start and didn't want it to finish.
It is a collaboration of stories with a theme running through.
Sweet gentle sad heart breaking journey

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful story

Lovely story of enduring love and strength of character . I enjoyed the narrator and couldn’t fault the performance . Highly recommended

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Sad uplifting tale

I would highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a story that can transport you in time and place, and can make you reflect on love.

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  • Overall
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Good read

Gentle well written & narrated story. Philosophical. Depicting two cultures coming together and ultimately understanding each other.

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