Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

This post was inspired by the book, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker.  As a member of From Left to Write book club, I received a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own. You can read other members' posts inspired by this book at From Left to Write.

Click on the title above to buy this book from my aStore.

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats tells the story of love, spiritual depth and family choices. Set in Burma, when Burma was Burma, Sendker brilliantly weaves the tale of three generations. The compelling story of a blind boy who falls in love with a club footed girl who can’t walk anchors the novel and showcases a love so deep as to overcome logic, continents and time.

All families make choices that deliver a wallop of impact which ripples forth and we never know how far the ripples wave before the effect dies. My father died last week and I am particularly aware right now of the decisions he made that rippled forth in so many lives.
Dad and All Six Wives
Photo by John Lynner Peterson

Dad was married nine times—only 6 women—but nine marriages. He produced seven children—that we know of. I used to say, “Dad is not immoral, he is amoral.” He did not think rules, propriety, manners, codes of conduct or logic applied to him. He was going to do what he was going to do regardless of what others thought. He lived his life this way and accepted the consequences of doing so.

I suppose all parents make decisions that affect their children’s lives. And we don’t get to choose our parents. So the lesson in life and from The Art of Hearing Heartbeats is to go deep, find peace and let love take precedence regardless of the ripples you are experiencing from decisions past generations may have made. 

11 comments:

  1. Wow, 9 marriages! There must be some interesting stories.

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    1. I could write one whole book just on Dad. But he's only getting one chapter in my memoir!

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  2. My parents are each each other's third marriage. I am the oldest of 5 girls, though only one is my full blooded sister. There are some ripples that scar. But thankfully, there are also others that heal.

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    1. Well said, Janin. I experienced some healing ripples last week at my Dad's funeral.

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  3. WOW - 9 marriages?!?! That is a lot to deal with, I am sure. I am sorry to hear of the passing of your father.

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  4. I'm sorry for your loss. Your father must have had something that drew them in... Especially considering that three of his wives married him twice?!?!

    This is a great post and only makes me want to learn more about your dad.

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    1. Thanks, Lisa. I hope fromlefttowrite.com will have my memoir for a book some time in 2012. Then you can read all about my Dad! He's quite the character.

      Thanks for stopping by.

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  5. Dear Bren,
    I am sorry your father passed away. What a life he must have had.
    Regarding my book: You really got it! I could not have summed it up in better words.
    Thank you so much for reading and recommending it,
    I wish you all the best,
    Jan-Philipp Sendker

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    1. Thank you so much for stopping by. I know I will be buying anything that has your name on it in the future. Great novel!

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  6. Oh, Bren. My condolances for the loss of your father. It sounds like he led a rather interesting life - and definitely one where he lived by his own rules. It has to keep you hopping!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle. Dad kept many many folks hopping!

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