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| Plot Summary of What Hearts |
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"This book crafts 4 short stories into a coming-of-age novel. The central character in each story is Asa, a cerebral boy with a quiet gift for understanding other people, and the novel traces his growth from a happy-go-lucky first grader to a sensitive, life-savvy 12-year-old. In each story, Asa's precocious wisdom enables him to develop new relationships and cope with new challenges.
In “Straight A's and an Empty House,” the triumph of Asa's flawless first grade report card is lost in the shadow of his parents' divorce. After a blink-and-miss-it move to North Carolina, Asa and his mother set up house with her high school sweetheart, Dave. Dave's quick temper makes him difficult to get along with. The sudden divorce and unpredictable stepfather teach Asa that life is full of twists and turns, and he steadies himself with an emerging sense of independence.
In “Not Blue,” a fourth-grade variety show occurs. Stand-alone Asa is paired with Joel, a boy whose mental abilities cannot quite keep pace with his good intentions and kind spirit. Joel graciously suggests that Asa assist him in the recitation of Eugene Field's “Little Boy Blue,” a poem Joel has laboriously memorized over the summer. But Asa finds “Little Boy Blue” to be embarrassingly overwrought, and convinces Joel to tackle a more challenging poem. Joel good-naturedly agrees, but Asa's selection—Tennyson's “The Highwayman”—simply won't stick in his brain. However, Joel's diligent desire to please others fills Asa with a desire to please Joel in turn. For the first time in his life, Asa learns that the difference between being smart and being a smart friend is a matter of the heart.
By the age of 11, Asa has moved seven times. In “Out,” baseball embodies the escalating tension between Asa and his stepfather, ultimately forcing Asa's mother to realize that Dave has become abusive. Asa's mother falls into depression following this realization; Dave and Asa rush her to the hospital when she overdoses on sleeping pills, subsequently causing to Asa miss spring baseball tryouts. In order to protect his mother from Dave's anger and blame, Asa nonchalantly shrugs off the missed audition.
Asa's mother returns home in time for the final (and title) story, “What Hearts?” Here, 12-year-old Asa falls in love for the first time. The day after Asa declares his feelings for Jean is the day that Asa's mother finds the courage to leave Dave. Jean seems to return Asa's affection—but only until she learns that Asa will be moving away. Although Jean's love was short-lived, Asa is comforted by the sheer act of having been loveable, and bravely looks to the future with hope that being loved once will ensure being loved again.
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Tracie Amirante, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of What Hearts |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- 1980's-1999
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Age 11-14
Age group of kid(s) in story:
- grade school
Parents/lack of parents problem?
- fighting with domineering daddy
Loving/sexing?
- girl chasing
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a kid
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Genius
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric/Smart/Dumb:
Yes
Eccentric:
- emotionally unstable
- dumb
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Dumb
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 3 ()
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
City?
Yes
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Click here for more information about this book
Bruce Brooks Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Tracie Amirante
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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