The Story of a Heart

Emotionally intense. A little hard on those of us who don't like seeing or reading about blood. Clarke has written a passionate story about one heart transplant - from a nine-year-old girl who left a car accident brain-dead, to a nine-year-old boy kept barely alive by a pump implanted into his virus-attacked heart. This all happened in 2017, seven years prior to publication. So, we get a nervous update. Heart transplant patients live an average of 14 years.

First, this is a very human-centric story. We're told up front the book is designed to be about the donated heart itself, the young girl Kiera's. It's not successful in that regard. We are presented with the people, the children, their families, their situations, stresses and show more decisions. And we are surrounded by the medical staff, their emotional and practical involvement. This is a story where everyone did the right thing and can be proud of that. It's a celebration of the (free) British healthcare system. Parents are heroic. Nurses are heroic. Doctors are heroic...and humble.

Second, this is a piecemeal history of the technology behind the heart transplant procedure. So we get a history of artificial respiration, the history of open-heart surgery - by far the roughest part of the book for squeamish me, and many other elements of how a patient is kept alive without a heart, and what is done to manage the bodies rejection of a foreign organ. Did you know that in the 1940's and 1950's parents were not allowed in the hospital with their children? A controversial documentary on the psychological impact on children had to be released, over doctor protest, to begin to change that. And, of course, some history of organ donation. Britian now has an organ-donation opt-out system. You are considered an organ donor unless you actively opt-out. The case in this book is named in that law, in honor of its influence.

If I were to find a criticism in this book, it would be in the lack of human resistance. The book's protagonists fight against time and technology and biology. But everyone does the right thing, always. That is, you could argue it's mawkish and trite. It's not, though. But what it does it echo human empathetic emotions with human stunned emotions from the histories, traumas, and practical elements involved. They are both wows. There are a lot of wows here. And, like a surgeon suturing a vein or artery, the book has an elegant perfection to it.

Recommended to those needing a good nonfiction book.

2025
https://www.librarything.com/topic/372264#8899438 show less

Whenever something irreversibly bad happens, I always go down the spiral of If Only any one of the steps leading up to it hadn't happened. Clarke here shows how, yes, events may have led to a terrible tragedy, but it was also one of many that led to another life being saved and a law being changed.

Heart transplant between two kids. It simultaneously captures the worst and best day of two different family's life. Clarke handles it all with compassion, sensitivity and medical clarity. The heart was the sun of the story, around which revolved the families, first responders, nurses, surgeons, organ transplant officials, standards and procedures, and all the surgical history required for the main story to have been carried along to the best show more possible outcome.

The generosity of the Ball family cannot be understated, from the heart itself to them allowing the story to be told, so that the ultimate legacy was not just one life saved, but potentially hundreds more per year just by having organ donations being an Opt Out rather than an Opt In system.

Clarke did an incredible job capturing all the complexities (emotional, procedural, ethical, medical) around such a difficult topic, and I cannot recommend* this book enough.

*to whom though!? Medical professionals surely live through this enough. People who have lived through it probably won't want to live through it again. Nor parents with children. But people should definitely learn and be aware! show less

This book won the second edition of the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction beating out one of my two favourite reads of the year, Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton. Whilst I don't agree with the decision, I can see why it was so as this is a very important story well told.

There are basically three stories going on here at the same time for much of the book until they coalesce. First Keira's story - the little girl involved in a fatal car accident and her family's confrontation with that tragedy. Second little Max whose heart is failing him and who without a donor will surely die and soon. Thirdly the history of transplantation of body organs.

The latter was interesting but not as captivating as the human stories unfolding. It is a book that show more uplifts as it saddens; that cheers and inspires as it tearfully numbs you. I am not sure that I could be as brave as Keira's family or as stoic as little Max, but this book has lead me to reassess some of my thoughts on this subject which is surely the purpose intended. show less

I read this book in one day. It captured my attention and kept it until the end. I do briefly remember reading about Max's story on the internet and being captivated by his story even back then.

Reading this book did make me think back to my oldest nephew. He was born premature at 6 months. He was 3 months early. He only weighed like 2 lbs and some ozs. He fit in the palm of my dad's hand. When he was full term, he did have to have heart surgery. Now, he is 21 and towers over me.

I really cannot imagine with Keira’s family had to go through to make the sacrifice to allow Keira to be a organ donor. This is especially true for her father as he was the one that had to navigate through the various hospitals to bring his family back show more together.

Also, Max carried so much weight on his young shoulders with trying to be brave for his family. The way that one life ended so another could continue and brought Max and Keira's families together is an amazing story.

The medical knowledge that Dr. Clarke shared about the first heart transplant, donors, etc. was very informative and made for intriguing reading. it also helped to bring the whole book together. show less

This is a difficult book to read or listen to. Keira, a 9 year old girl is left brain dead after a terrible accident. Max, a 9 year old boy, has been in the hospital for a year fighting a virus that has badly damaged his heart. Dr. Clarke interweaves the history of transplant surgery with the stories of these two children. We learn that the heart is the first organ to form and the last organ to die. It's really hard to put into words what an amazing book this is. It's heartbreaking and also uplifting to hear about the generosity Keira and her family showed by allowing her organs to be donated. Their decision saved four people. Again, a difficult but very important read.

This very wonderful book has recently been short listed for the 2025 Womens Prize for Non Ficiion. It is the true story of two families one on the donating end and one the receiving end of a transplanted heart for their respective children. It is such a difficult story but so well told. The author was a journalist before becoming a doctor and has a very sensitive and informative approach to telling the story. There is much background discussed about the history of transplant surgery, the characters involved and much description into the complexity and utter emotional caring that goes into the transplant team's management. This book while difficult to read is a rewarding one and highly recommended.

Certainly, one of the best books that I’ve read, but arguably this might be one of the best books I’ve ever read. This is so much more than the story of transplanted tissue and much more about humanity and ethics as well as the greatest gift. One person can give to another, that of themselves.

Not a book to be skim through this is one to be cherished when you have time to read and think about what it says to us as people and our inner natures