Harvesting the Heart [Paperback]

Jodi Picoult (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 1, 1995

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Picoult ( Songs of the Humpback Whales ) brings her considerable talents to this contemporary story of a young woman in search of her identity. Abandoned by her mother when she was five years old, Paige O'Toole has been left with painful doubts about her self-worth. She leaves her Chicago home for Cambridge, Mass., at 18 to fulfill herself as an artist, but must work in a diner because she can't afford art school. When she marries Harvard medical student Nicholas Prescott, his parents disown him, disapproving of their Irish Catholic daughter-in-law. Again Paige is forced to sideline her creative needs and work as a waitress in order to support Nicholas until he is able to establish his career as a cardiac surgeon. Paige is soon overwhelmed by the demands of Nicholas's socially sophisticated world, and after the birth of their son, Max, she becomes emotionally and physically exhausted. Unable to communicate her terrors about herself to Nicholas, she leaves him to search for her mother, who may hold the answers to her life. Told in flashbacks, this is a realistic story of childhood and adolescence, the demands of motherhood, the hard paths of personal growth and the generosity of spirit required by love. Picoult's imagery is startling and brilliant; her characters move credibly through this affecting drama.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In her second novel, the author of Songs of the Humpback Whale ( LJ 5/15/92) recounts with power and grace a young woman's efforts to achieve "grandeur... andthe ability to be comfortable in the world." Paige O'Toole Prescott, a gifted portraitist, sets aside her art to support her husband, Nicholas, during his medical training. His wealthy parents reject Paige, who already suffers from self-doubt after being abandoned by her mother. Despite Nicholas's success as a surgeon and the young couple's love for each other, the birth of their son catapults them into emotional crisis. Paige's resulting quest for courage and self-confidence forces Nicholas, her parents, and her in-laws to reevaluate their attitudes, standards, and behavior. Picoult considers various forces that can unite or fracture families and examines the complexities of the human heart both literally and figuratively. Highly recommended.
- Jane S. Bakerman, Indiana State Univ., Terre Haute
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140230270
• ISBN-13: 978-0140230277
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.2 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (181 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up on Long Island with my parents and my little brother, the product of a ridiculously happy childhood. My mom says I've been writing as long as she remembers - my first masterpiece was "The Lobster That Was Misunderstood," at age 5. I honed my writing skills beyond that, one hopes, before I headed off to Princeton, where I wanted to work with living, breathing authors in their creative writing program. Mary Morris was my teacher/mentor, and I really do believe I wouldn't be where I am today if not for her guidance and expertise. I had two short stories published in SEVENTEEN magazine when I was in college. However, when I graduated, a desire to not eat ramen noodles exclusively and to be able to pay my rent led me to take a job on Wall Street (not a great idea, since I can't even balance my checkbook). When the stock market crashed in 1987, I moved to Massachusetts and over the course of two years, worked at a textbook publishing company, taught creative writing at a private school, became an ad copywriter, got a master's in education at Harvard, got married, taught at a public school, and had a baby. My first novel was published shortly after my son was born, and I've always said that the reason I kept writing is because it's so much easier than teaching English.

In fourteen years, I've published thirteen novels: Songs of the Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart, Picture Perfect, Mercy, The Pact, Keeping Faith, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, Second Glance, My Sister's Keeper, Vanishing Acts, and the upcoming The Tenth Circle, this March. Two of my books (Plain Truth and The Pact) were made into Lifetime TV movies; Keeping Faith will be another. My Sister's Keeper is in development at New Line Cinema to be a feature film. And there isn't a single day that I don't stop and marvel at the fact that when I go to work, I get to do what I love the most.

My husband Tim and I live in Hanover, NH with our three kids, a dog, a rabbit, and the occasional donkey or cow.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#34 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#6 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#6 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#15 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#6 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#6 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#15 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

148 of 152 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Picoult's best work yet June 9, 2001

By Diane

Format:Paperback

This is the fourth book that I've read by Jodi Picoult and it is my favorite so far. This is a beautifully written story about self-doubt, the chance to find yourself, and the bond that exists between a mother and child.

The novel begins in the present with Paige locked out of her own house pleading with her husband Nicholas to see their child,Max. The story continues from there, shifting from Paige's perspective to Nicholas'. We learn that Paige has been abandoned by her mother, then flees from her hometown after dealing with a traumatic incident at a young age. She soon falls in love with Nicholas, a soon to be doctor who's own star is on the rise. Paige is an artist at heart but abandons her own dream to help support the career of her husband. She soon becomes a mother herself and tries to be a loving one but doubts her ability to do so. She carries the burden of her mother's desertion. In order to stand on her own she has to go back to her past, to the mother who left her. From there she has to learn how to love.

This book differs from her others in that there is no mystery to be solved here, there is no court room scenes. There is just the tender story of two people, two souls that are meant to be together, and the journey that their lives take them on. Jodi has an incredible way with words and her storytelling here is absolutely superb. It is a book to be savoured.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another triumph for Picoult... January 16, 2000

By "pennsy1"

Format:Paperback

I had initially read "The Pact", given to me by a friend, and absolutely loved the work of Jodi Picoult. I ordered "Harvesting the Heart", and read in less than two days. Another "could-not- put-it-down-until-I-knew-the- ending" type of book. The characters are real and believable, and you could picture them living next door to you. I, personally, am not a mother (yet!), but reading this book gave me insight into motherhood, marriage and love...and what they truly entail. The story of Paige and Nicholas is truth in fiction. And as with "The Pact", I did not want this book to end, but to continue on to see exactly what happens in the lives of these people who are dealing with emotions that many readers can connect with. A moving story of, simply, life...and definitely worth reading.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What does it mean to be a mother? December 22, 2005

By Karen Potts

Format:Paperback

Paige and her Irish-Catholic father are deserted by her mother when she is 5 years old. She has dim memories of a woman who was at times a delightful and playful companion and at other times, a brooding and unhappy person. Paige doubts her self-worth and wonders what she did to drive her mother away. Despite the pain of being abandoned herself, she begins a pattern of running away from people and situations that are overwhelming to her. She wonders if it is her fate to become just like her mother. While working as a waitress in a diner, she meets Nicholas, a wealthy and charismatic medical student, who, amazingly, is interested in her. Their relationship flourishes, despite the objections of his aristocratic parents, and eventually they marry. Their early married life is idyllic, but eventually changes occur which make things unbearable for Paige. She reverts to her old habits and begins a search for her mother in an attempt to discover who she and her mother really are. As usual in a Jodi Picoult novel, the characters are finely drawn and the plot is gripping. This book "grabbed" me at the beginning and never let me go until the very last page.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Published by Penguin? January 17, 2000

By g miller

Format:Paperback

I think Jodi Picoult's "Harvesting the Heart" is at its best when describing the rigors of caring for a newborn. Her writing here is as close to immediate and powerful as she gets, putting us smack dab in her protagonist's scuffed slippers; colic, sore nipples and all.

Unfortunately, the rest of this ambitious, unwieldy story is bogged down by over-writing and tedious, stereotypical characters who, for all their clever idiosyncracies, remain flat and contrived. Picoult tries hard--too hard--to combine plot elements as diverse as heart surgery, horse shows, sketching, photography, Catholicism, even Navajo healing, and the result is a clunky, self-conscious narrative that educates but does not convince.

Because the book was a Penguin I kept with it, waiting for it to get better, but was disappointed that it didn't rise to the standard I expect from this (normally) excellent publisher. "Harvesting the Heart" would make a good supermarket paperback, something to read on the beach, perhaps; but if you are looking for a literary novel of young motherhood--something with fresh, vibrant writing--you won't find it here.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mother & Self July 7, 2001

By Kelly Budd

Format:Paperback

Jodi Picoult created a novel so rich and so true. She has magically woven a story of sorrow, happiness, and the search for our own truths.

'Harvesting the Heart' focuses on the life of Paige and her new marriage to Nicholas. Paige becomes a mother and soon memories of her own mother and an unspeakable past have her doubting herself and her ability to parent her child.

Jodi captures the feelings of most new mothers. She details the feelings of being overwhelmed and emotionally spent. Sleepless nights and showerless days are what fills Paige's life. Slowly, Paige is reaching her breaking point.

When Paige breaks and can no longer endure, she sets out on a journey to find herself and reawaken her true passions. This is a life changing event for all. Through this journey, Paige is able to rekindle and revisit relationships and reconcile her past.

This early novel of Picoult's is definately one of her best. I would highly recommended it.