Heart the Lover is a new(ish) book from Lily King, published in October of last year. The narrator is a writer, nicknamed “Jordan,” after Gatsby’s Jordan, by two of her classmates. The book follows her relationship with the young men from college through their late-40s. It’s not a long book, only 249 pages, but it definitely packs a punch.
I’m a big fan of author Lily King. I think she’s a phenomenal writer and I’ve loved everything I’ve read of hers. That being said, I do feel like Heart the Lover is on a whole other level. I don’t cry very often with books. I do tear up frequently because I’m a big ol’ softie, but actually crying is rare. But Heart the Lover had me absolutely sobbing at the end. I haven’t cried that hard since Hamnet. And like Hamnet, I imagine that I’ll be thinking about Heart the Lover for a good, long time.
I initially thought that I was responding so positively to this book because it made me remember my own, similar experiences. And, that’s definitely part of it. I mean, if you’ve ever experienced young love, this book will definitely hit you in the feels. Or, if you’ve ever been part of academia. Or wanted to be a writer. Pow, right in the feels.
But, after finishing, I realized that the best thing about this book is that even if you haven’t personally experienced what the characters experience, you still feel it. It’s not the specific experiences; it’s the human experience that King is giving us. And it’s wonderful and sad and romantic and lovely and heart-breaking.
5 stars, it’s amazing and I think everyone should read it even though I know not every book is for everyone.
(Also, if you haven’t read Hamnet yet, you should read that one too).
