Heart: A Personal Journey Through Its Myths and Meanings

Ginger says: I adored this literary tour through the symbolism of the heart—including its place in various cultures and religions, famous letters, and fields of study like medicine and history. What a delightful compendium. I can barely sum it up better than this passage where she describes how an editor pitched the idea to her: "a lush, intimate book with a narrative arc. It should have world history and religion and psychology and the arts in it, but it shouldn't be a plodding survey... like a long conversation with that writer over drinks or tea, about books and lovers and mystics and animals and gardens — all sorts of weird and curious stories about the heart." She brings together a rich collection of prophets, poets, playwrights, and painters that I'll revisit again and again.