The Heart of It All

by Christian Kiefer

A small, declining town in Ohio. A family bereaved by terrible loss. A searing narrative about how American lives touch each other across divides both real and imagined...

Set in failing small town in central Ohio, The Heart of It All asks how one manages, in an America of increasing unsurety, to find a sense of family and community.

Focusing on the members of three families: the Baileys, a white family who have put down deep roots in the community; the Marwats, an immigrant family that owns the town’s largest employer; and the Shaws, especially young Anthony, an outsider whose very presence gently shakes the town’s understanding of itself.

A gorgeous, stirring novel in the classic vein of Richard Ford, Marilynne Robinson, Richard Russo, and Kent Haruf, The Heart of It All asks the reader to consider an America both divided and bound by its differences.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Book Club

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Here are people worth spending time with, not because they're perfect, but because they're not. What's wrong with them isn't nearly as consequential as how hard they fight for a better life, and not just for themselves. You set the book down and think, ‘This is what we're made of.' Or should be." - Richard Russo . With an endorsement like this and by one of my very favorite writers who is master at portraying small town life and the characters who live there, I could not pass this one up . I’m so very glad I didn’t .

In a small town in Northern Ohio, its inhabitants are dealing with things that life throws at them. The novel, is comprised of multiple distinct points of view, deeply intimate in nature of people connected to each other as family, as coworkers, as friends, each carrying their own burdens. It’s a slice of life portraying the realities of how grief and loss take a toll on a family, the difficulties of managing a parent with Alzheimer’s, a teenager recognizing the dysfunction and abuse in a friend’s home, drug addiction, identity, loneliness, bullying, racism. Certainly some heavy and heartbreaking things, but all so realistic, so much so that my heart went out to these characters as if they were people I might know. A beautifully written story that reflects the hope that acceptance, friendship and love can go a long way in helping people to heal and deal with their personal burdens.

I received a copy of this book from Melville House through Edelweiss.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has faithfully recreated a very appropriate view of life in the U.S. as it exists now. The characters feel real and identifiable as our friends, neighbors and colleagues. Mr. Kiefer has nailed the pulse of our world perfectly. Read this and see yourself...that can be scary, but good.

My thanks to the author, Christian Kiefer, and the publisher, Melville House Publishing, for my copy of this book. #Goodreads Giveaway

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heart of it All is set in a small community in North Central Ohio, where one factory is the only real job source in town. It is a place of stark, winter beauty and frigid cold. People travel to Cleveland or Columbus for doctors and items not found in the local Kroger.

The novel begins with a funeral and casseroles, a mother beaten down by her loss, her body aching with debilitating pain, the husband adrift and uncertain, their teenage daughter feeling a seismic shift that alienates her from her former life, the son’s best friend living in a home with abusive and drugs.

The father, Tom, works as foreman at the factory. He is a good man, a good worker, a good friend. His buddy Sam is always good for a laugh, but is liable to toss out offensive and racist remarks. He sneers at the overweight office manager, Mary Lou, and uses racist slurs towards the Pakistani factory owner, Khalid. His son is bullying Tom’s son.

Tom’s daughter finds herself intrigued by a newcomer in town, a young man from Cleveland come to live with his aunt who is the only African American in town. This outsider seems to be the only person she can relate to now, but he realizes he needs to warn her off even as he feels drawn to her.

Mary Lou has brought her aging mother into her home. Her mother has never shown her love and acceptance, leaving Mary Lou crippled by guilt and shame, alienated and alone.

Khalid’s parents have come to live with him. He saw his father as a successful businessman, and measured himself against his achievement. He is confused by the man who steps off the plane, who seems nothing like the father he knew. Khalid loves this country and the clean white snow, and is proud of what he has built. But in a MAGA world, simmering racism will soon impact his life.

This community, rife with heartache and pain, struggles to hold on–economically, emotionally, and socially. But small acts of kindness allow them to hold on, bear up, and even grow into better people with fuller lives.

The windows were increasingly fogged by the condensation of their mingling breath, so that the occasional vehicles and pedestrians that passed through their view seemed visitors from some other world, perhaps a better one than this, a world filled with grace, a world fille with mercy.
from The Heart of it All by Christian Kiefer

The long, gorgeous sentences illuminate the place and the emotional lives of the characters. My heart was warmed by scenes of friendship and acceptance, love in the midst of threat, people doing the right thing.

Set in rural Mid-America, heart of Trump country, with characters struggling to stay afloat, the story demonstrates a way to connect with people different from us. It is the kind of novel that envisions this messy world as place where individuals can make a difference, make it a better place. A novel with a positive moral force. I loved these flawed people and my heart ached with their pain and their hope.

I previous read and enjoyed Kiefer’s novel Phantoms.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 5 out of 5]

So well written so involving.A small town a small community the people who live there The author writes so well brings us into their world their lives Looking forward to more by the author.#netgalley #melvillebooks

[Lee Collier · Rating 3 out of 5]

While at Barnes & Noble Jenn and I counted the number of shelves in the fiction section, used a random number generator and challenged each other to pick one book we have never heard of from said shelf. This, for me, was that book. I was intrigued by the blip on the back of the novel:

A searing small-town narrative about how hard it is , in an increasingly belligerent and implacably divided America, to find sense of family and community.

Did it deliver on this premise? Absolutely. Was I enthralled or captivated by it? Not really. In many ways this felt like a documentary of a community torn apart by politics. Trump's name even made it into the book and I don't need to immerse my fiction with reality in this manner as it is on every news feed, social media platform, or even simply grocery shopping as I sigh at all the red caps people still awkwardly wear.

That said, the story begins with a family ravaged by the loss of their young son and we meet a cast of characters who all share connection with in some format throughout the novel. Every chapter is a different vantage of one of these characters and the writing style is great, simple language that is able to deliver varied perspectives in a tight manner. But again, we have all lived in this divided America for too long to desire to spend our time reading in a rehash of reality. This just did not work for me personally.

Some of the relationships were also just less than interesting. Some of the relationships were questionable and frustrating. Some of the relationships were sad but ultimately realistic representations of hate and it's unfortunately presence in our society. I want to say again, I think the author's writing was great and the fact that he included the band Sunn O))) made me laugh (I recognize a good music snob disguised as an author any day). I would be interested to read more by him on a different subject matter in the future.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very character-driven and told from a few POVs. Well-written as all the families connect. Mary Lou's story made me cry. 4/5 stars.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, the title, “The Heart of It All”, refers to the connections people have with each other - and that is what this novel is about. Through multiple POVs, their stories unfold. A great read.

[Joanna Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this on a five hour flight where I intended to sleep. I did not end up sleeping because I was so invested in these characters.

I found the book to be heartwarming and enlightening. Anyone could be any of these characters. We all have pieces of them in us.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking place in a fictional small town in Ohio, this novel focuses on several characters who are struggling in different ways. One family has recently buried an infant, another woman is challenged with her elderly mom's dementia. A young Black man moves from Cleveland to live with his aunt and begins a relationship with the daughter whose infant brother died. I enjoyed reading about the characters and their thoughts, but found the book depressing, as the conclusion did not bring much resolution to their problems. All of them were struggling to find support with little results.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Multilayered and mellifluous. Harsh and gentle. World-wide and insular. Then, now, later. Magnificent.

[Stephanie Dargusch Borders · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book encompasses pretty much all the reasons I tend to stay away from contemporary fiction at the moment. (I don’t avoid the genre entirely, I just find that a good portion of cont. fic falls into some or all of these categories.)

Not precise. I don’t need all the flowery language. It makes it feel like you’re fluffing.

Multiple storylines. This can be done well, but is often not imo. In this case we had three separate groupings and they all felt very different.

Often there’s a YA feel. Excessive on dialogue and short on character building. This was especially true for the teen romance storyline.

Including a variety of cultural issues as storylines but never fully fleshing them out. To the point that it feels like they’re included as a way to check the boxes.

So yeah, wasn’t for me. I’m sure others will enjoy.

[Eloise Anagnost · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh my…was expecting more from the end though. like there was kinda closure, but not in the way I thought it would manifest. but I guess that was an intentional choice of the author to leave things uncertain and incomplete cause life doesn’t really always tie up loose ends. but this was a beautiful and sad analysis of community and relationships and small town America.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. Well-written story that drags a bit now and then, but recovers. This is not your happy tale of love and success. This story reveals a viewpoint into everyday folks who struggle. Topics of racism, economic downturns, and loss are encountered.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best days of this small town in north-central Ohio are in the past, but the residents persevere. There's Tom and his wife, Sarah, who are overwhelmed by the death of their infant son. They are the parents to two teenagers, Janey and Charlie. Janey falls for Anthony, who has just moved to town and lives with his aunt, Paula, the only African-American resident. Mary Lou is Tom's co-worker at the local factory, where they make transformers. She spends her evenings with her mother, who is showing signs of dementia. The owner of the factory, Khalid, was born in Pakistan, and lives with his wife, Rafia and two teenagers. The quartet must deal with prejudice and the experience of being outsiders in the community. The Heart of It All tells these stories firsthand, intimately conveying to the reader their fears, hopes, and dreams. A great read-alike for Stewart O'Nan, Say Nice Things About Detroit by Scott Lasser, and The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring.

[Shirley Freeman]

I love the way Christian Kiefer gets at the heart of his characters - all very different but all living, loving, learning and grieving in a small Ohio town which has 'seen better days.' There is only 1 factory left in town and it is owned by a Pakastani immigrant - a fact causing both appreciation and resentment. One family is grieving the recent loss of their baby. All the families are doing their best trying to make ends meet. The story is told in many voices - teenager and parent, young adult and older adult, brown, black and white, factory owner and factory worker, religious and not. It's a touching and hopeful story about building connection in spite of difference.

[Paula Boyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has grown up in, or, later in life, lived in an American small town, will relate to these characters, their small town attitudes, lives, secrets, and friendships. They are interesting and realistic. Some of the characters outwardly express their dislike and disgust for a few foreign families who have moved to this town. Others are uncomfortable, realize it is normal to feel some hesitation towards strangers, but ultimately adapt to welcome new people into their lives and town. There are struggles with death, unemployment, drugs, relationships, loneliness, and tragedy. It's quite interesting to read how the author interweaves these problems into the lives of the many characters who either reach out to support each other or react hastily with racist opinions. The story takes place in Ohio where a three-generation Palestinian family has moved and re-opened a factory employing about 20 workers. The other place of employment is the local supermarket. These co-workers and their families intermingle and their emotional stories unravel throughout the book.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, compelling characters. The perspective and setting were very real and raw. But I have two big complaints: Kiefer loves run on sentences with way too many commas, and something bad needed to happen. Of course as a reader we don’t want bad things to happen to the characters we care about, but without that it didn’t have nearly as much depth as it should. I kept bracing myself because it felt like a carefully orchestrated house of cards waiting to topple, but then it just kind of ended up that everything worked out for the best but life is still hard. I don’t know… it was nice, but it missed the chance to be great.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In some life other than this one, his words might have been condescending, but what she knew, beyond his touch, beyond the warmth of it, the feeling of his hand so gentle upon her, was that he had just said two words her mother had never said to her and never would. And it was all she had ever wanted to hear. Nothing less. Nothing more."

This is one of the best novels I've read this year. It's about several families in a small town. A local factory owner, several workers in the factory, their families, workers in the local grocery store and how their lives intertwine and how they hold each other and help each other through grief and loneliness and form a community.

There's so much covered here: immigration, loss, grief, racism, sexism, patriotism, politics, love, family, loneliness, poverty, drugs, i can go on and on. None of it feels too much, though, it just feels like ordinary people going about their ordinary lives.

"She did not know how to tell them how much these nights meant to her and did not want to admit that they had had such meaning, that bowling had saved her from a loneliness so deeply rooted in her soul that she had ceased to think of it as something that could change but instead had come to understand that it was the very center of her, that she would always feel this way, that she would always be alone. "

The characters are three-dimensional and real and flawed and you can't help but love each of them and their vulnerability and the difficulties they are having to endure. I loved spending time with them. I rooted for each of them, cheered them on, laughed out loud and cried and cried.

"And there they were at the heart of it all: himself and, just ahead, his father and his son, the two of them laughing, talking lightly about dinner now, about their day in Columbus. Khalid knew he would remember this moment all his life and he wondered if Rashid too would recall it one day, perhaps when he was Khalid’s age and had children of his own, time wheeling on and the people who ran upon that wheel plucking an occasional moment from its turning like a pearl stolen from the sea. That he had once been Rashid’s age was difficult to fathom."

I will not forget this book for a long, long time. Highly recommended.

with gratitude to edelweiss and Melville House for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Serendipity · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heart of It All is a quiet, beautifully written novel, one that gave me all the feels and which highlights a simple yet powerful, always important theme.

It is set in a small Ohio town whose economic fortunes are waning and focuses on the intertwined lives of several families. The Baileys are white, long term residents of the town, and have just buried their baby son. The Marwats are originally from Pakistan and own a factory which is the town’s largest employer. Among those who work there are Tom Bailey, Mary Lou Miller who also cares for her aging mother, and newcomer Anthony Shaw whose aunt Paula, the only Black woman in town, has taken him in so he can escape the street violence in Cleveland which recently claimed the life of his best friend. Through the eyes of a large cast of characters we see a whole range of problems - grief, bullying, racism, drugs, domestic abuse, dementia, financial insecurity, difficulty accessing health care, disordered eating, issues connected to caring for aging parents, child abuse and more. It may be a lot but it never feels overwhelming or overdone.

Kiefer writes his characters with such compassion, empathy and tenderness. Even those who are less likeable are always understandable, never demonised. While the characters deal with very different issues one thing they all have in common is loneliness, the belief that they are alone with their problems. What Kiefer excels at is showing the importance of human connection, of sometimes small acts of kindness which make a real difference to another character’s life.

I had never heard of Christian Kiefer before. On the strength of this genuinely heartwarming book - an enthusiastic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me - I’m eager to dig into his back list. Many thanks to @netgalley and @melvillehouse for my eARC.

“And there they were, these two, clinging together as we all do in times of terror and heartbreak and sadness. And in love. The unbearable days cresting on into others until we know that they were not so unbearable after all for here we stand, still and ever, you and I, our hearts beating in our chests and our lives wild in the face of it.”

[Krenner1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars, really. Kiefer writes dialog so beautifully, and interlaces his stories with lovely descriptions. In this fiction novel about a small Ohio town, there's sadness and meanness, but in all cases kindness and friendship tampers it down and left this reader feeling uplifted. I now want to read this author's other books.

"Columbus, Ohio. Boys sheen with sweat. Oh how they move, spinning and turning and racing from one end of the court to the other, a grace born of practice and power, of muscle and bone. And of desire. Their soles squeak the gymnasium's polished floor. Even through the cheers and groans and applause: that bright stinging sound. An audience of electric blood, our bodies wired to the court so that when the ball bounces off the hoop there comes a collective sigh of frustration, then the rebound, the spin, and a pale, tall boy tosses the ball in a lazy arc that swooshes down through the net, a gasp, then a great brief yelp of celebration."

"He stepped into the early dark, pulled his collar tight around his chin, his exhaled breath a pillar of smoke. Beyond the single dull light of the parking lot the darkness shifted through falling snow, the effect of which was to render the landscape into an obscure and tenuous blur muffled by quietude....He did not see Mary Lou until he was pulling on to the street. She was huddled near the factory's sign, wearing the same baffled down coat she wore every day, her shape like that of a great tan bell, her feet poking out from beneath and planted in the drift...'My car won't start,' she said, her voice on the verge of tears. 'Get in,' he said. It's freezing out there.' The truck's cab shifted as she clambered into the passenger seat, the door crashing closed behind her."

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is set in a small Ohio town that’s slowly shrinking away as the manufacturing jobs that built it up are disappearing. The community is grappling with financial insecurity, but also the uncertainty and fears that crept into American life after the 2016 election.

There are several families at the heart of this story, all of them facing their own difficulties. Among their struggles are grief, racism, drug addiction, mental health issues, financial woes. While this sounds like the making of a really depressing novel, it’s not. Even though the community is suffering in so many ways, its members try to rise above it and through small acts of kindness, show how friendship and acceptance can overcome even their worst struggles.

Christian Kiefer has written an absolutely beautiful novel that gives us hope that no matter how bad things get, it will be our connectedness with others in our community that will pull us through. Individuals really can make a difference in someone’s life, even if that person is a stranger.

I liked all the characters (the good guys, at least!) in the story, but special shout-out to Mary Lou’s storyline. It made my heart melt at how her co-workers embraced her and changed her whole outlook on life.

I loved this novel. It’s definitely one of my top reads for 2023. This is a must-read for anyone who has enjoyed Ethan Joella’s novels. An easy 5 stars!

[Sojourner Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out so well and I was very excited to see how it would progress. The introduction of the Bailey family through the death of their infant was very interesting and was not something I had seen before. As the novel continues you are introduced to more and more characters through the addition of their points of view to the narration of the story. Overall we end up meeting the Bailey family, the Marwat family, and Anthony Shaw and his aunt Paula. Through different members in each of these families we experience life in a small, conservative town in the early 2020’s. Given the setting and time period the book talks about racism and certain experiences of immigrants in the United States. I found that most of the story lines lacked proper development and I was often left with many unanswered questions. I also felt that many of the aspects relating to racism in the novel were touched on for barely a moment and then dismissed with no further discussion. It seemed to me that Kiefer went for quantity over quality and if he had fully developed a few plot lines instead of creating 10 or more the novel would have felt more cohesive. I was also excited because the summary of the book made it seem like there would be more interaction between the families themselves and not just individual characters. Generally, the characters that were women, and especially women of color, were the least developed and had the most insignificant voice.

[Sharon M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Melville Publishing House for gifting me a digital ARC of this beautiful novel by Christian Kiefer - 5 stars!

Set in failing small town in central Ohio, this quiet novel focuses on three families: the Bailey's, a white family who have deep roots in the community and are undergoing a very personal tragedy; the Marwats, an immigrant family that owns the town's largest employer, and whose parents have just moved in with them from Pakistan; and the Shaws, a Black family consisting of Anthony and his aunt.

This book is a definite must read - putting aside national politics and unrest, this is how a community should work. It's how people step up for each other, putting aside their differences. I related to so much in this book, besides the fact that I'm from Ohio and recognize this world. I empathized with Mary Lou and the Marwat's, expanding their family to include their elders, no matter the personal consequence, and all the feelings that brings up, both good and bad. Each sentence in this book seemed to invoke such beautiful feeling. In the end, everyone has a story and remembering that would go a long way to making our towns and our country better.

[Ilyssa Wesche · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I liked most of the characters in this (all the ones I'm supposed to), in my heart I am here for Mary Lou. "Her team made her want to do better, to be better, not in a way that felt like shame but instead like care, perhaps even love." As a fat middle-aged soon-to-be-divorced woman who was, throughout my life but especially as a teenager, not at all encouraged to spend any time thinking about my clothes or my looks as a form of self-expression or fashion, I have struggled with allowing myself to care about my appearance with any sense of value. Like I'm not worthy of having nice things and they shouldn't be important to me anyway. But my loved ones have made me feel exactly this in so many way that I wept when I read this one simple sentence.

Everyone in this book is struggling in one way or another, very average, almost mundane, familiar ways. Racism, poverty, drug addiction, death, child abuse, it's all here, but the book was not depressing. It was just hopeful enough at the end to be satisfying, but not too much so I wanted to roll my eyes.

The middle got kind of slow and I almost lost interest, but I am so glad I hung in there.

[Karli Sherwinter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I am overly critical of novels set in rural Ohio. Growing up in Cincinnati, these characters felt familiar to me. The issue I had with this book, was that it felt like the publisher gave the author a list of "hot topics" and gave him points for each one he included. Racial violence (check), domestic abuse (check), anti-immigrant sentiment (check), opioid addiction (check), Trump's America (check). There were also a number of strange editing mistakes, which perhaps was only the case in the kindle version (?). Mary Lou's story was probably the most satisfying. Her self-loathing and shame, mostly blamed on her relationship with her mother, is gently shed through her friendship with Tom, her participation in bowling, and her realization that she was, in fact, a "good" daughter. I have no idea why it was important that Khalid's father lost everything in Lahore, unless we are supposed to understand that fortunes can always change. Sam is an easy character to dislike, and it was a pity that Amy is so kind and loving when she has such an awful husband and son. I guess I would say that this book is fine - a bit depressing - but not something I would recommend.

[Nathan Batchelor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book comes closer than any other media I've experienced to capturing the small-eastern-American-town feel. (I spent the first twenty-five years of my life in such towns in AL, FL, and OH.)

With that said, the character of the book is one of a late-fall day in Ohio, when the cold wind from Erie sweeps down and aches the bones. You can feel the cold in Kiefer's descriptions of the landscape. You can feel the cold in the events of the novel, which traces the interweaving lives of several characters each with his or her own prejudices and imperfections.

There is warmth here however. There are actions taken by characters throughout the book that touched me, that, when you read them, you say, "Hey, if everyone was capable of that strength, this world would be a better place."

You will, while reading this book, wish you could hug each character and tell them it's going to be okay. But the thing about these characters is that they feel so very real that our hugs may not be enough to save them.

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely, beautifully written novel!
Neighbors, friends, and co-workers stop by to offer casseroles to a family that’s grieving the loss of a six-month-old baby. The mother won’t be able to function for months, and everyone in the story faces a challenge: few jobs, an abusive father, a school bully, aging parents with memory loss or different values, a young Black man trying to fit into an all-white town. This is a small story of survival in a failing Ohio town during the winter of 2016, but it’s a larger, more complex story about how everything is better with a little help from friends and neighbors.

I loved it and have been recommending this novel to my friends. Also, I was honored to interview the author for an NBN podcast: https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-heart...

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving novel that centers around a family whose 6-month-old baby has died. A beautiful exmination of their grief, and the lives of other people in this small town. How we support and love each other, and how our behaviors have ripple effects that can help or harm others. Each chapter is about a different person in this town dealing with disappointments and the ups and downs of life. A main theme that came out for me is grief and support - the book begins and ends with a death and how with love, we come together to support each other, and how with that love, we can find our way, when we are open to that love. Beautiful dialogue.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was almost incredible. There is some amazing writing, just poetic enough to be authentic without being annoying. And the relationships and characters are realistic (though debatable about some of the dialogue and actions). And I like that a story was written about this time and place. I don’t know the last time I read a book that handles the contemporary political situation realistically and without having an agenda, and this book *almost* pulls it off. It was a shame that the word Rashid heard from his grandfather wasn’t “union” but instead was the n word. I did have to wonder about the economic realism about the factory and the ownership of Mr Marwat as well.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a feeling the book would be deep just by reading the synopsis of it, but I didn't expect it to go as deep as it did.
The beginning felt almost too sad to finish, but once you get used to the overall vibe of the book, it becomes impossible to put down. Suddenly, you're sucked into the lives of these small town Ohioans, and it feels like you're a fly on the wall throughout the whole thing.
It can be an incredibly eye-opening book for some, and for others, it can reflect their own situations (love, loss, heartbreak, addiction, etc.).
Reading this book can make you feel not so alone in a country that seems to have turned its back on us.