Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
17th out of 24 books
—
1,119 voters
Harvesting the Heart
by
Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author)
Jodi Picoult’s Captivating Second Novel
From the New York Times bestselling author of My Sister’s Keeper, Lone Wolf, and the forthcoming The Storyteller, Harvesting the Heart is written with astonishing clarity and evocative detail, convincing in its depiction of emotional pain, love, and vulnerability, and recalls the writing of Alice Hoffman and Kristin Hannah. Paige has...more
From the New York Times bestselling author of My Sister’s Keeper, Lone Wolf, and the forthcoming The Storyteller, Harvesting the Heart is written with astonishing clarity and evocative detail, convincing in its depiction of emotional pain, love, and vulnerability, and recalls the writing of Alice Hoffman and Kristin Hannah. Paige has...more
Paperback, 454 pages
Published
April 1st 1995
by Penguin Books
(first published January 1st 1993)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
This book lacked what I like about Jodi Picoult books--twisting plot lines, multiple, relatable characters
I thought the plot was highly predictable. I didn't care for the main character--a young woman whose mother left her at five, had an abortion at 18, had a kid and didn't think she would be a good mother b/c she didn't have one and aborted her first baby.
I didn't relate to the marital problems. I couldn't understand why the two characters ever got married in the first place-they were from ver...more
I thought the plot was highly predictable. I didn't care for the main character--a young woman whose mother left her at five, had an abortion at 18, had a kid and didn't think she would be a good mother b/c she didn't have one and aborted her first baby.
I didn't relate to the marital problems. I couldn't understand why the two characters ever got married in the first place-they were from ver...more
I read this book this spring and it was a hard book for me to read. It is about a girl whose mother walks out on her and her father when she is a little girl. The girl then spends the rest of her life trying to make sense of that. Her hopes as a young girl were that her mother would come back for her. Subsequently, she kept a packed suitcase under her bed most her childhood. By the time she is graduating high school, she knows that she too must leave her father and her life behind to try and fin...more
16 likes · like · see review
Generally speaking, I love the author. While it was decent, this book didn't live up to my high expectations of her. The entire novel was centered around only 2 characters. I'm a huge fan of character development, but it seemed like she was trying to convince herself as well as the reader of the character's motivations by repetition.
Spoiler alert - Basically it boils down to rich boy meets eccentric girl with a past. Boy unknowingly trys to change the very things he fell in love with. Girl becom...more
Spoiler alert - Basically it boils down to rich boy meets eccentric girl with a past. Boy unknowingly trys to change the very things he fell in love with. Girl becom...more
13 likes · like · see review
"He wandered off, leaving me wondering why white people named girl babies things like Hope and Faith and Patience - names they could never live up to - and black mothers called their daughters Mercy, Deliverance, Salvation - crosses they'd always have to bear."
"That someone like [him] could want me was still overwhelming. He held me the way a child holds a snowflake, lightly, as if he knew in the back of his mind I might disappear in the blink of an eye. He wore his self-assurance like a soft ov...more
"That someone like [him] could want me was still overwhelming. He held me the way a child holds a snowflake, lightly, as if he knew in the back of his mind I might disappear in the blink of an eye. He wore his self-assurance like a soft ov...more
13 likes · like · see review
This book was alright. Both main characters were annoying as all hell, just complaining about how their spouse wouldn't be more caring to them and pay attention. They pretty much ignored each other the first half of the book, and then BAM! Paige leaves and then their marriage falls apart. But in the end they still love each other. Um, happy ending? Yes. Would happen in real life? Hells no. See, LaPierre, happy books aren't real.
9 likes · like · see review
I longed to be a mother. I wanted children, lots of them. I have four of the most beautiful people you could ever meet. Motherhood is hard! Taking care of a newborn is difficult. There were times I wished the children would just go away but I never thought of leaving. Some people never have children because they can't find it in their hearts to share and give of themselves. Some walk away from their children. Some women abort. We form opinions and judge. Are they selfish? A bad person? A bad mot...more
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, so when I found this novel for .75 at a library book sale AND I had never read it, it was all I could do to hold back the squeals & not make a complete fool out of myself. Jodi Picoult writes about hot, current topics in a fictional way (suicide, stem cell research, kidnappings, murders, school shootings etc), topics that are unfortunately all to common. She puts “stories” behind these issues & makes you think about these topics, how would you...more
8 likes · like · see review
This is moderately low by Picoult standard (and by this I mean My Sister's Keeper). I like it and I personally don't think it is a waste of my money or time. Still it is not something I will recommend to any avid readers. There are many better books out there so if you have not bought this, it is not a loss if you just ignore it.
The best part is when Paige gives birth to Max and how she tries her best to look after her son while her husband, Nicholas is busy saving lives at the hospital. "It is...more
The best part is when Paige gives birth to Max and how she tries her best to look after her son while her husband, Nicholas is busy saving lives at the hospital. "It is...more
As much as I like jodi Picoult books, this definitely wasn't one of my favorites. It probably was my least favorite of all of her books. I did love her descriptions of people, places, and events but some of it was way overdone. She seemed to ramble on and on about previous events in the characters' lives or some odd description of a place they once visited or experienced.
The story is about a young woman who runs away from her home in Chicago and finds herself in Cambridge. She waits tables and...more
The story is about a young woman who runs away from her home in Chicago and finds herself in Cambridge. She waits tables and...more
This is a book I won't forget for a long time. I have to say, I've recently had a fascination with mothers and pregnancy. I mean, what is it like having a baby? It seems like a miracle to me.
"Harvesting the Heart" (Easily the most cheesy title I can imagine) was frank and colorful. Paige is one of the strangest characters I have ever read about. One minute, she's as wise as a ninety year old woman. The next, she's child-like and naive. At some points, I wondered if the author was suggesting that...more
"Harvesting the Heart" (Easily the most cheesy title I can imagine) was frank and colorful. Paige is one of the strangest characters I have ever read about. One minute, she's as wise as a ninety year old woman. The next, she's child-like and naive. At some points, I wondered if the author was suggesting that...more
Dec 30, 2008
Pamela
added it
I am a complete Jodi Picoult fan, but Harvesting The Heart was one of my favorites. She has such a way of delving into each character's personality traits- good ones and flaws- Read the book it is good!
2 likes · like · see review
Harvesting the Heart, Picoult's second novel, was heartbreaking, frank, and colorful, a stark contrast to her first novel, Songs of the Humpback Whale. The novel, unlike the rest of Picoult's work, is told in alternating forms, first person through Paige and third person through Nicholas, Paige's husband. While I would have prefered to have read Nicholas' side of the story in first person, the third person chapters didn't bother me as much as I originally thought they would.
The storyline is extr...more
The storyline is extr...more
Jodi Picoult successfully captures the reader’s attention in the thrilling novel "Harvesting the Heart" with multiple plot twists throughout. Throughout the novel Picoult changes the narrator’s point of view, allowing the audience to see the secret thoughts and feelings of many characters rather than just the one. The clenching story line, and the way that the novel plays on emotion, family values and the constant struggles faced in life are sure to entice almost any reader. Although this novel...more
Jodi Picoults worst. The characters were so dull and predictable--the pretentious, unemotional and rich doctor, the confused, artsy, vulnerable little girl...all her characters in her other novels are so unique..strong..someone you don't see every day and you want to meet. I've seen and read about the characters she wrote about this time. They lacked imagination. In addition, the plot was predictable. I pushed through the whole book expecting the crazy plot twists she is so famous for. Nothing....more
Jan 03, 2013
Marieanne Fabiano
added it
This book was most definitely not awesome! I disliked each of the characters, who each had no redeeming qualities and yet, I could not put it down. It's one of those books that you hate reading, but that you must see through to the end. In short, this is a story about a woman (Paige) who was abandoned by her mother at the age of 5. When Paige turns 18, she has an abortion and runs away from home. Her new home becomes Boston and in just a few short days of living there, Paige meets Nicholas, an u...more
Dec 28, 2012
Erin
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
1
Recommended to Erin by:
found it at Cosco
This book doesn't have the usual cadence of a Jodi Picoult book. Less jumping from character to character and no huge plot twist. Personally, I think that this book is more for an older audience than a lot of Jodi Picoult books. It is a reflective book, and seems to address how our upbringing impacts our future relationships (e.g. with our partners, our children, our in-laws, etc), and feeling "caged-in" by our life circumstances. I also felt the author hinted at, (but didn't follow through very...more
I've marked this as "read" even though I'm not quite done, because I know I'll finish it. Not because it's a really great book (it's not), but just because Jodi Picoult is a good writer. Definitely not a "great" writer, but a good writer in the sense that she has a knack for drawing you in, and telling a story. Unfortunately, this story is terribly predictable, and equally frustrating. Frustrating, I might add, on two levels. First, it's just an exasperating story. It meanders on and on (much li...more
1 like · like · see review
I think this is my first Picoult book. It's her second book but my first read of her. I know, I know - how could I have waited THIS long? :)
It's the story of Paige, who in her youth and inexperience makes a few bad decisions that come back to "haunt" her later - as bad decisions always do. It's the story of Paige, who has allowed certain lies about herself and her life build up after her Mom abandoned she and her Dad when she was only 5. It's the story of Paige, who needs to find her voice in t...more
It's the story of Paige, who in her youth and inexperience makes a few bad decisions that come back to "haunt" her later - as bad decisions always do. It's the story of Paige, who has allowed certain lies about herself and her life build up after her Mom abandoned she and her Dad when she was only 5. It's the story of Paige, who needs to find her voice in t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Nov 22, 2011
Asia Snow
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
no one!
Recommended to Asia by:
D.I. thrift store
I loved this book except the sex scenes and taking God's name in vain. Uugg! I wish they didn't add that but I'm sure Jodi just doesn't know about the gospel standards that could add so much joy to her life. Anyway, the book is well written and I'm so wrapped up in the lives of the characters and the journey they are on that I sooooo want to finish reading it but I know that I'm better off not reading the smut she also has intertwined. And so, after I put it down the first time, I decided I woul...more
This book was compulsively readable, like most of Jodi Picoult's novels, but I grew frustrated with the main characters. "Harvesting the Heart" involves post-partum depression and the challenges of motherhood. The main character, Paige, was abandoned by her mother at age 5, had an abortion at age 18, and worries about whether she can ever become a good mother. She nearly falls apart when she finally becomes one. I am not a mother, so I do not understand the challenges of raising a child, but I c...more
While I love Jodi Picoult and literally every other one of her books I have read (over five), this one just didn't hook me like the others.
I really didn't enjoy it. She created some interesting characters, but instead of letting them develop into an amazing story, she just... Let them be. I was like watching a B-Grade Romance movie that just didn't go anywhere.
I closed the book after finishing feeling cheated - this wasn't the Jodi Picoult I knew and loved!! I was on holiday as I read this, and...more
I really didn't enjoy it. She created some interesting characters, but instead of letting them develop into an amazing story, she just... Let them be. I was like watching a B-Grade Romance movie that just didn't go anywhere.
I closed the book after finishing feeling cheated - this wasn't the Jodi Picoult I knew and loved!! I was on holiday as I read this, and...more
If you were to ask me who my sister's favourite author is, I know I wouldn't be too far off the mark if I answered Jodi Picoult. I'm pretty sure Amy has read almost all (all but one) of her novels and she could tell you right off the top of her head Ms. Picoult's bests. Knowing that my sister loves this author so much, I have picked up a Picoult book a couple of times. I have read My Sister's Keeper and The Pact, and I liked them both. So, as I was browsing my library's ebook options, I had no q...more
I like Jodi Picoult's books, but this one I just could not put down. I started it on Thursday night, and stayed up way past my bedtime, reluctantly putting it away as I had to get up and go to work on Friday.
Friday night did my chores as quick as I could, anticipating the time I could sit down and finish it!
Paige's mom ran away when she was 5 years old. Paige ran away when she was 18. She's been in love twice, and now she has a baby of her own. Exhausted from caring for her infant while her car...more
Friday night did my chores as quick as I could, anticipating the time I could sit down and finish it!
Paige's mom ran away when she was 5 years old. Paige ran away when she was 18. She's been in love twice, and now she has a baby of her own. Exhausted from caring for her infant while her car...more
Picoult's second novel. Grabbed it on a whim at the library when I was all out of stuff to read.
Paige's mother walks out on her and her father when Paige is five, leaving the young girl with an overwhelming sense of loss, the inability to trust anyone, including herself, and a huge empty space where her self-worth is supposed to be. As a young adult, Paige takes up with Nicholas, a wealthy, WASP-y med student whose parents definitely do not approve of his choice in girlfriends. The couple marrie...more
Paige's mother walks out on her and her father when Paige is five, leaving the young girl with an overwhelming sense of loss, the inability to trust anyone, including herself, and a huge empty space where her self-worth is supposed to be. As a young adult, Paige takes up with Nicholas, a wealthy, WASP-y med student whose parents definitely do not approve of his choice in girlfriends. The couple marrie...more
really enjoyed the book.
Jodi Picoult earned rave notices for her debut novel, Songs of the Humpback Whale. Now this gifted young writer turns her considerable literary talents to the story of a young woman overcome by the demands of having a family. Written with astonishing clarity and evocative detail, convincing in its depiction of emotional pain, love, and vulnerability, Harvesting the Heart recalls the writing of Alice Hoffman and Sue Miller. Paige has only a few vivid memories of her mother...more
Jodi Picoult earned rave notices for her debut novel, Songs of the Humpback Whale. Now this gifted young writer turns her considerable literary talents to the story of a young woman overcome by the demands of having a family. Written with astonishing clarity and evocative detail, convincing in its depiction of emotional pain, love, and vulnerability, Harvesting the Heart recalls the writing of Alice Hoffman and Sue Miller. Paige has only a few vivid memories of her mother...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I found myself quite irritated with the main character, Paige, who definitely finds herself in a self-fulfilling prophecy--thinking she'll be a terrible mother and perhaps abandon her child because her own mother did the same thing, and then, of course, she does. I always have a hard time with people (or characters) who can't get over something and move on, eventually! It was too, too strange to have her drive out one day to get groceries and then keep...more
This book was really bad. It had the feel of one of those insipid made-for-tv movies.
I’ve read several of Picoult’s other novels. They often have some kind of topical theme. Not exactly the most thought provoking works, they usually present the theme in a somewhat entertaining fashion. This novel (with its theme of ambiguous motherhood) was a complete disappointment.
Perhaps the worst aspect is character development (or lack thereof). The young mother is not sympathetic. She’s self destructive,...more
I’ve read several of Picoult’s other novels. They often have some kind of topical theme. Not exactly the most thought provoking works, they usually present the theme in a somewhat entertaining fashion. This novel (with its theme of ambiguous motherhood) was a complete disappointment.
Perhaps the worst aspect is character development (or lack thereof). The young mother is not sympathetic. She’s self destructive,...more
3 likes · like · see review
Apparently this is only Jodi Picoult's second novel, and it shows. It has none of the bioethical musings of her more recent novels (My Sister's Keeper, Nineteen Minutes), and it lacks ... anything unexpected.
A predictable, old-fashioned story, it follows the evolution of Paige O'Toole. Paige is a complex character, and she's strengthened through her trials. Her husband, Nicholas Prescott, is mostly one-dimensional. He doesn't change very much throughout the novel, and the rest of the characters...more
A predictable, old-fashioned story, it follows the evolution of Paige O'Toole. Paige is a complex character, and she's strengthened through her trials. Her husband, Nicholas Prescott, is mostly one-dimensional. He doesn't change very much throughout the novel, and the rest of the characters...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paige and Nicholas's relationship? | 5 | 31 | Jul 23, 2012 07:50pm |
Picoult was born and raised in Nesconset on Long Island, New York. Her first story, at age 5 was "The Lobster Which Misunderstood." She studied writing at Princeton University, graduating in 1987, and had two short stories published by Seventeen magazine while still in college. Immediately after graduation, she took on a series of miscellaneous jobs, from editing at a textbook publishing company t...more
More about Jodi Picoult...
Share This Book
11 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“I knew that somewhere God was laughing. He had taken the other half of my heart, the one person who knew me better than I knew myself, and He had done what nothing else could do. By bringing us together, He had set into motion the one thing that could tear us apart.”
—
158 people liked it
“Suddenly I realize that this is what I've been waiting for - a man who depends entirely on me... I dreamed for years of a man who couldn't live without me, a man who pictured my face when he closed his eyes, who loved me when I was a mess in the morning and when dinner was late and even when I overloaded the washing machine and burned out the motor. [My son] stares up at me as if I can do no wrong. I have always wanted someone who treats me the way he does; I just didn't know that I'd have to give birth to him.”
—
151 people liked it
More quotes…
So glad to read you can't stan...more
Apr 11, 2013 04:33pm
Jun 17, 2013 03:59pm