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Heft

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Heft

By: Liz Moore
Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne, Keith Szarabajka
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Audie Award Nominee, Literary Fiction, 2013

A heartwarming novel about larger-than-life characters and second chances....

Former academic Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn’t left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade. Twenty miles away in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising baseball career - if he can untangle himself from his family drama. The link between this unlikely pair is Kel’s mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur’s. After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene’s unexpected phone call to Arthur - a plea for help - that jostles them into action. Through Arthur and Kel’s own quirky and lovable voices, Heft tells the winning story of two improbable heroes whose sudden connection transforms both their lives. Like Elizabeth McCracken’s The Giant’s House, Heft is a novel about love and family found in the most unexpected places.

©2012 Liz Moore (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Family Life Friendship Heartfelt Literary Fiction Fiction Emotionally Gripping Genre Fiction Inspiring Feel-Good
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Critic reviews

“A suspenseful, restorative novel from one of our fine young voices.” (Colum McCann, National Book Award–winning author)
“In Heft, Liz Moore creates a cast of vulnerable, lonely misfits that will break your heart and then make it soar. What a terrific novel!” (Ann Hood, best-selling author of The Red Thread)
“This is the real deal, Liz Moore is the real deal - she’s written a novel that will stick with you long after you’ve finished it.” (Russell Banks, Pulitzer Prize finalist)
Compelling Character Development • Emotional Depth • Complex Protagonists • Parallel Storylines • Authentic Portrayal

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"The first thing you must know about me is that is I am colossally fat. I eat what I want, and furthermore, I eat whenever I want...and I do feel very shy and sort of encassed in something, as if I were a cello, or an expensive gun..." so the character Arthur writes about himself in an unflinching confessional letter to a former love whom he has not seen for decades..when he was merely "plump." The self-described grossly obese Arthur is given a distinguished and compassionate voice by narrator Keith Szarabajka, in a remarkable performance that brings real heart and soul to this wretched lonely human being.

On the opposite end of the physical scale is Kel: tall, blonde, high school heartthrob that leaves his letter jacket on the shoulders of his girlfriend, then drives off in his BFF's BMW. But, Kel crosses the tracks and goes to a run down home, to a mother he disdains for her weaknesses; she is passed out on a sofa wearing a holey T-shirt that reads: It's 5:00 Somewhere! His father walked out when he was 4--he is so sure that his father is the source of his own tall good looks, his extraordinary athleticism, and all that is good in himself; while Mom represents imaginary illnesses, excuses, failures, and all he deems repellent. Also in this wonderful cast is Yolanda, the tiny pregnant Latino cleaning girl, whose sequined-sneakered feet dangle over the sofa when she breaks to watch her favorite soap on TV, and who yells at the honking cars during a huffing Artur's first arduous walk in years, "Hey! I'm pregnant here!"

Heft is a superb character-driven novel that had me in tears more than once. From Arthur's apprehensive yet straighforward introduction, to Kel's self-aware confessions of sorrow and regret, and the streetsmart directness of sassy Yolanda--- Moore has written a bittersweet intersection masterpiece that will etch itself in your heart. With such a significant novel...it is hard to conform to M. Twain's advice: "when you catch an adjective, kill it!" With apologies to Twain...Heft is elegant, beautiful, unforgettable, wise, tender, hopeful, humble, and what it is to be HUMAN; one of my all time top picks. I hope you enjoy this one.

Intriguing--Captivating--Altering

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STORY (fiction) - Heft is set in present day New York. It is full of memorable characters -- a pregnant teenager, an alcoholic, an orphan and a morbidly obese recluse. They are all flawed and lonely, and they are all trying to deal with their problems the best way they know how. This is a story about falling down and trying to get back up, and about moving out of your comfort zone and reaching out to others. The story is sad but also heartwarming and happy at the same time. The ending is realistic and wonderful.

PERFORMANCE - This book is read by two awesome male readers. Arthur (the obese recluse) sounds mature and well-educated, with a slight British accent. Kel (the orphan) sounds like the young high school athlete that he is. The story is told alternatively between their respective viewpoints, and the performances are great.

OVERALL - There is a sprinkling of cuss words in this book, and there is only one extremely vague sexual situation. There is no violence. I would recommend this book for mature listeners who enjoy growing with richly painted characters bit by delicious bit.

Finding strength to leave the comfort zone...

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Would you try another book from Liz Moore and/or Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka ?

Probably would not purchase a Liz Moore work. The voice acting was superb, however.

Would you recommend Heft to your friends? Why or why not?

I can't imagine a scenario in which I'd recommend Heft to a friend. It lacked real growth and hope. The novel started in the depths of despair and self loathing and continued an unflinching downward descent from there. I kept listening as one watches a train reck, hoping for that balance of growth and hope but it was not really there. Only a pale shadow to suggest that real growth and hope might exist if only one sticks around for more of the story. The characters as developed and the ending would suggest that if the characters are internally consistent all will fall backward into lives of "quiet desperation".

What about Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka ’s performance did you like?

The voice actors were pleasant to listen to. Interesting, able to carry off different characters, good inflection and depth of feeling. Good pace.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Absolutely not.

Any additional comments?

Ms. Moore does a good job of creating characters and giving depth, honesty and realism. She should work on creating a more balanced novel. What is the purpose of the work? The message? The redeeming value to the consumer? This one failed to deliver, unless the warm, feel good hug of Nietche's existential nihilism was the goal. Review by K. Bury.

If Existential novels appeal to you...

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I selected is book using the feature that shows what other people that bought a certain book were also buying. I'm glad I did!

The thing that struck me about this book - is the attention to descriptive detail! Arthur is homebound, so his imagination fuels him... the way Liz Moore describes everything - the smells, the appearance of things... She even gives you and inside look at Arthur and his inner conversations. Like, when he imagines how a friendship will be, or who a person is based on their photo. He is a lonely man - but his own imagination is a true companion.

Kel is a great teen character - typical teen qualities, but the vulnerability of a child who has a messed up family.

You won't be disappointed with this selection. The narration is fabulous, the story is engaging!

Engaging - solid performance of a great story

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A wonderfully told story I didn't want to end. Perfect charcter development, and story telling ability from this author. I will definitely be watching for any future books from Liz Moore. A book I will be talking and thinking about for some time.

My new favorite.

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