When Things Are Alive They Hum Audiobook By Hannah Bent cover art

When Things Are Alive They Hum

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When Things Are Alive They Hum

By: Hannah Bent
Narrated by: Irene Chen
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Buy for $19.07

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Marlowe and Harper share a bond deeper than most sisters, shaped by the loss of their mother in childhood.

For Harper, living with what she calls the Up syndrome and gifted with an endless capacity for wonder, Marlowe and she are connected by an invisible thread, like the hum that connects all things. For Marlowe, they are bound by her fierce determination to keep Harper, born with a congenital heart disorder, alive. Now 25, Marlowe is living her own life abroad, secure in the knowledge Harper’s happiness is complete, having found love. Then she receives a devastating call that Harper’s heart is failing. She needs a heart transplant but is denied one by the medical establishment. Marlowe rushes to Hong Kong to be by Harper’s side and has to answer the question - what lengths would you go to save your sister?

©2021 Hannah Bent (P)2021 W. F. Howes Ltd and Ultimo Press Literary Fiction Family Life Fiction Heartfelt Genre Fiction China Women's Fiction

Critic reviews

"When literature is alive it hums, and rattles and warms and hurts and heals. Hannah Bent and her wondrous Harper and Marlowe have changed the way I’ve been going about my days. What a gift." (Trent Dalton, author of Boy Swallows Universe and All Our Shimmering Skies)
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Endearing family hardship focuses on two sisters. Excellent writing and character development. Great read for YA or older.

Excellent ethical dilemma

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such a beautiful story about love, redemtion & sisters from perspective of a woman with "up" (downs) syndrome.

touching story about LOVE

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Touching story of how far love can take a person and the things you’ll do for someone you love. It’s a little slow to build up but it’s totally worth it. It also exposes some serious moral issues that I never knew existed in China

Heart warming story of Sister’s true love

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This is so beautiful written that I feel like I know Harper & Marlow. The story really makes you think about how short life is and to be thankful that we have good health. Nobody knows what life will bring and we just need to make sure we live every minute to the fullest.

This was the most loving, wrenching, heartwarming, and thoughtful story.

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The book has a super sweet premise, however the execution was rough for me, felt the story dragged, was repetitive and unfulfilling in places. Harper and Lewis are the best characters n they carry this novel. I found Marlowe to be infuriating. the ending with the butterfly really felt out of place and abrupt. overall not my favorite book but a great premise.

Beautiful Story premise

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