Our Missing Hearts

Through the novel, we learn that Margaret did not become involved in the anti-PACT movement until after her poetry became associated with it. What does this tell us about the relationship between author and reader? What about The Power of Storytelling? Consider these points as you reflect on the text to answer the question.

• What does this have to do with censorship and the role of libraries?
• What power do readers and listeners have, according to Ng?
• What does it mean that Bird will try to reunite with his mother through her poetry?

Teaching Suggestion: Our Missing Hearts has a very explicit message about not only The Power of Storytelling but also Ng’s belief that a law like PACT is not outside of the realm of possibility in American society. Encourage students to think about this novel as a text with an argument, one that embodies Ng’s status as a writer and an Asian American author.

Differentiation Suggestion: Visual learners can also draw a Venn diagram with “readers” on one side and “writers” on the other, comparing and contrasting their roles in telling and spreading stories.