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Jan-Philipp Sendker
Jan-Philipp Sendker is a German author whose work often explores themes of love and memory. He is best known for his novel, The Language of Solitude Lib/E, a story set in Burma.
Das Gedächtnis des Herzens
Synopsis
"Das Gedächtnis des Herzens" (2019) is the third and final novel in Jan-Philipp Sendker's Burma trilogy, following "Das Herzenhören" (2002) and "Herzenstimmen." Sendker, born in Hamburg, spent years as a foreign correspondent for Stern magazine before turning to fiction with this internationally bestselling series.
Twelve-year-old Ko Bo Bo lives in Kalaw, Myanmar, with his uncle U Ba. Bo Bo has an unusual gift: he can read people's feelings simply by looking into their eyes. U Ba tells him the story of a great love that nearly broke apart amid the country's political turmoil, of the quiet courage it took to hold on, and of a mysterious illness affecting Bo Bo's mother. Moved by what he learns, Bo Bo decides to search for his parents himself.
Though it completes a trilogy, the novel is written to stand on its own for readers unfamiliar with the earlier books, and continues the series' focus on Burma's history and culture, family bonds severed and rebuilt, and the emotional intelligence of its characters.
Genres
Characters
Bo BoProtagonist
A twelve-year-old boy able to read people's feelings in their eyes, who sets out to find his parents.
U BaSupporting
Bo Bo's uncle in Kalaw, who tells him the story that sets his journey in motion.