“The Art of Hearing Heartbeats” by Jan-Philipp Sendker:

In this captivating novel, Julia Win, a young attorney from New York City, embarks on a quest to uncover the mystery surrounding her father’s sudden disappearance. Her father, Tin Win, a well-known New York lawyer and Burmese national, vanished without a trace four years ago. The catalyst for Julia’s search is an old love letter from her father to an unknown woman in Burma¹.

Upon arriving in her father’s birthplace—a mountain village in Burma—Julia encounters a mysterious man named U Ba. U Ba has been waiting for her and reveals that he knows her father’s complete, intriguing story. Through a series of intriguing vignettes, the novel explores themes of love, fate, and the immutability of true love. Tin Win’s life unfolds, revealing his connection with a local girl named Mi Mi, whom he fell for based on the sound of her heartbeat and the gentle sweetness of her voice. The novel weaves together past and present, creating a rich tapestry of emotions and human connections¹²³.