In a dystopian America, libraries are heavily censored and authorities can relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian descent. For years, Bird has disavowed the work of his mother, a banned Chinese American who left years ago. When he receives a drawing in the mail, Bird sets out on a quest to search for his missing mother, leading him to an underground network in New York and a new act of defiance.

You know that quote about the Holocaust from Martin Niemöller: "Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me." Our Missing Hearts embodies this sentiment where a pro-American values bill has resulted in any murmur of protest being listed as anti-American and heavily punished. Unlike her other books (Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere), Ng's latest is very literary and flatter, with less depth to the story as a whole. Although I enjoyed it, it felt more like a thought experiment than an emotional read.