Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng is set in an America that persecutes Asian-Americans
and blames them for causing “The Crisis,” some sort of economic and cultural breakdown blamed on China. The primary protagonist, Bird, is a twelve-year-old who sets off on a quest to find his Asian-American mother on the run from fascist book-banning forces that rule an America under constant surveillance and disappear those they deem anti-American (the missing hearts). Think 1984, fairy tales, and social commentary. Whether the target is denominated Asian-American, Black, “Antifa,” trans, or otherwise, the tone of the novel resonates with current events. Here’s what NPR says:
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