The Story of a Heart cover art

The Story of a Heart

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

 SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025
BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE SPECTATOR, NEW STATESMAN, NEW SCIENTIST, AND PROSPECT

FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER DEAR LIFE AND BREATHTAKING, A MAJOR TV DRAMA

'What a book . . . The perfect book' Chris Evans on Virgin Radio

'Profoundly moving and at the same time wildly inspiring' Rob Delaney

'Rachel Clarke's finest book yet' Financial Times

'Remarkable' Cosmopolitan

'The best narrative non-fiction I've read in years. Rachel Clarke has written a profound piece of investigative journalism and wrapped it up in poetry' Christie Watson

'This is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL and riveting book: written with such humanity, empathy and knowledge, such tact and drama and eloquence. Vital reading, lifelong revelation' Laura Cumming

The first of our organs to form, the last to die, the heart is both a simple pump and the symbol of all that makes us human: as long as it continues to beat, we hope.

One summer day, nine-year-old Keira suffered catastrophic injuries in a car accident. Though her brain and the rest of her body began to shut down, her heart continued to beat. In an act of extraordinary generosity, Keira's parents and siblings agreed that she would have wanted to be an organ donor. Meanwhile nine-year-old Max had been hospitalised for nearly a year with a virus that was causing his young heart to fail. When Max's parents received the call they had been hoping for, they knew it came at a terrible cost to another family.

This is the unforgettable story of how one family's grief transformed into a lifesaving gift. With tremendous compassion and clarity, Dr Rachel Clarke relates the urgent journey of Keira's heart and explores the history of the remarkable medical innovations that made it possible, stretching back over a century and involving the knowledge and dedication not just of surgeons but of countless physicians, immunologists, nurses and scientists.

The Story of a Heart is a testament to compassion for the dying, the many ways we honour our loved ones, and the tenacity of love.©2024 Rachel Clarke (P)2024 Hachette Audio UK Emergency & Critical Care Medicine & Health Care Industry Physical Illness & Disease Surgery Inspiring Health Care
All stars
Most relevant
From the donor, to the recipient, their families, the NHS staff, the first people on the scene of the accident, this story of a heart transplant is beautifully and thoughtfully told. Spent a lot of this listen with tears in my eyes.

A beautifully woven story of a real life heart

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Absolutely incredible writing. Emotional and raw, but such an important story to tell. Written beautifuly with such care dignity, respect and empathy, as well as medical accuracy and interesting history. To listen to this amazing story of Kieras heart, was a privilege. Thank you to the families for allowing their deepest personal heart break to be shared, to help others.❤️

incredible

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This real life story of the children and parents of Keira and Max. A wish, for all your futures.

Wonderful, uplifting and beautiful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A glorious, fascinating, deeply thoughtful book and a dazzling manifesto for protecting our precious NHS and the incredible art and science of transplantation and organ donation. Superb. 4.5*

Remarkable and humbling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Compassion beats from every page of this masterpiece of human life.
Every avenue of the story of a heart is diligently traced and laid before the reader.
Centuries of research and development are drip fed seamlessly into the fabric of this book.
Keep the tissues near as you turn each page.

All Encompassing Epic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews