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Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist
- Narrated by: Aaron Landon
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
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Publisher's summary
The Flamethrowers meets Let the Great World Spin in this electrifying debut novel set amid the heated conflict of Seattle's 1999 WTO protests.
On a rainy, cold day in November, young Victor - a nomadic, scrappy teenager who's run away from home - sets out to sell as much marijuana as possible to the throng of WTO demonstrators determined to shut down the city. With the proceeds, he plans to buy a plane ticket and leave Seattle forever, but it quickly becomes clear that the history-making 50,000 antiglobalization protestors - from anarchists to environmentalists to teamsters - are testing the patience of the police, and what started out as a peaceful protest is threatening to erupt into violence.
Over the course of one life-altering afternoon, the fates of seven people will change forever: foremost among them police Chief Bishop, the estranged father Victor hasn't seen in three years; two protesters struggling to stay true to their nonviolent principles as the day descends into chaos; two police officers in the street; and the coolly elegant financial minister from Sri Lanka, whose life, as well as his country's fate, hinges on getting through the angry crowd, out of jail, and to his meeting with the president of the United States. When Chief Bishop reluctantly unleashes tear gas on the unsuspecting crowd, it seems his hopes for reconciliation with his son as well as the future of his city are in serious peril.
In this raw and breathtaking novel, Yapa marries a deep rage with a deep humanity. In doing so he casts an unflinching eye on the nature and limits of compassion and the heartbreaking difference between what is right and what is possible.
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Modern gods and goddesses, remote, revered - and like the pantheon of heroes and heroines of ancient myth - possessing great power tempered with flaws. Now, find within this anthology great tales by gifted and award-winning authors who move superheroes from the four-color panels of comic books to the fantastic pages of fiction, stories that will remind anyone who ever wanted to wear a cape or don a cowl of the extraordinary powers of the imagination!
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Pretentious tired old concepts
- By BookofJoy on 12-29-14
By: Peter S. Beagle, and others
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The Talisman
- By: Stephen King, Peter Straub
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 28 hrs
- Unabridged
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On a brisk autumn day, a 13-year-old boy stands on the shores of the gray Atlantic, near a silent amusement park and a fading ocean resort called the Alhambra. The past has driven Jack Sawyer here: His father is gone, his mother is dying, and the world no longer makes sense. But for Jack everything is about to change. For he has been chosen to make a journey back across America - and into another realm. One of the most influential and heralded works of fantasy ever written, The Talisman is an extraordinary novel of loyalty, awakening, terror, and mystery.
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Still Good
- By Bill S. on 03-24-10
By: Stephen King, and others
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NOS4A2
- A Novel
- By: Joe Hill
- Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew
- Length: 19 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Victoria McQueen has an uncanny knack for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. When she rides her bicycle over the rickety old covered bridge in the woods near her house, she always emerges in the places she needs to be. Vic doesn't tell anyone about her unusual ability, because she knows no one will believe her. She has trouble understanding it herself.
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Gripping performance by Kate Mulgrew....
- By Leslie on 05-06-13
By: Joe Hill
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Preparation for the Next Life
- By: Atticus Lish
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Zou Lei, orphan of the desert, migrates to work in America and finds herself slaving in New York's kitchens. She falls in love with a young man whose heart has been broken in another desert. A new life may be possible if together they can survive homelessness, lockup, and the young man's nightmares, which may be more prophecy than madness.
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Incredible craftsmanship.
- By B.J. on 04-23-15
By: Atticus Lish
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The Dervish House
- By: Ian McDonald
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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It begins with an explosion. Another day, another bus bomb. Everyone, it seems, is after a piece of Turkey. But the shockwaves from this random act of 21st century pandemic terrorism will ripple further and resonate louder than just Enginsoy Square. Welcome to the world of The Dervish House; the great, ancient, paradoxical city of Istanbul, divided like a human brain, in the great, ancient, equally paradoxical nation of Turkey. The year is 2027....
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Listen, but then read
- By Karen on 09-18-11
By: Ian McDonald
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Heart of the Assassin
- By: Robert Ferrigno
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Time is running out for the two nations that once made up the former USA. Weakened by their division, both the Islamic republic and the Bible Belt are threatened by the expansionist dreams of the Atzlan Empire to the south, and their own intellectual decay engendered by their fundamentalist beliefs. The only solution is to reunite the two nations and regain its former glory, and there's only one way to do it, and only one man, Rakkim Epps, who can.
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Utterly engaging and enjoyable
- By Tommy on 12-29-09
By: Robert Ferrigno
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Love, Africa
- A Memoir of Romance, War, and Survival
- By: Jeffrey Gettleman
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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A seasoned war correspondent, Jeffrey Gettleman has covered every major conflict over the past 20 years, from Afghanistan to Iraq to the Congo. For the past decade, he has served as the East Africa bureau chief for the New York Times, fulfilling his teenage dream of living in Africa. Love, Africa is the story of how he got there - and of his difficult, winding path toward becoming a good reporter and a better man.
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Loved this book!!!
- By Benjamin on 05-26-17
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A Death in Kitchawank, and Other Stories
- By: T. C. Boyle
- Narrated by: T. C. Boyle
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Few authors write with such sheer love of story and language as T. C. Boyle, and that is nowhere more evident than in his inventive, wickedly funny, and always entertaining short stories. Here are 14 new tales previously unpublished in book form. By turns mythic and realistic, farcical and tragic, ironic and moving, Boyle's stories have mapped a wide range of human emotions. The stories here reflect his maturing themes.
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Mixed Bag
- By AuntGert on 09-22-20
By: T. C. Boyle
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Fourth of July Creek
- A Novel
- By: Smith Henderson
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews, Jenna Lamia
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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After trying to help Benjamin Pearl, an undernourished, nearly feral 11-year-old boy living in the Montana wilderness, social worker Pete Snow comes face-to-face with the boy's profoundly disturbed father, Jeremiah. With courage and caution, Pete slowly earns a measure of trust from this paranoid survivalist itching for a final conflict that will signal the coming End Times. But as Pete's own family spins out of control, Pearl's activities spark the full-blown interest of the FBI, putting Pete at the center of a massive manhunt from which no one will emerge unscathed.
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The Ghost of Tom Joad & the Wrath of Grapes
- By Mel on 06-30-14
By: Smith Henderson
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The Kite Runner
- By: Khaled Hosseini
- Narrated by: Khaled Hosseini
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Why we think it’s a great listen: Never before has an author’s narration of his fiction been so important to fully grasping the book’s impact and global implications. Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of its monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them.
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A Worhty Read
- By P. C..S. on 08-17-03
By: Khaled Hosseini
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Bullet in the Brain
- By: Tobias Wolff
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
- Length: 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Anders is an angry, cynical man. A book critic known for his scathing reviews, he finds any excuse to dismiss, belittle, or insult. This afternoon is no more agitating than the next. Angers finds himself in a long line at the bank, waiting to reach a teller. Even after two men - wearing masks and carrying guns - take control of the building, Anders is unfazed. It's this behavior that lands him with a pistol against his stomach and a man screamingin his face. And when the bank robber, indignant over Anders' behavior, shoots the book critic in the head, his mind floats through the memories of his life, settling on one particular event....
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The Perfect Example
- By Sarah on 08-01-17
By: Tobias Wolff
What listeners say about Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Todd Bello
- 03-26-21
Interestingly crossed character stories
Hard for me to start with characters that you want to predict, but the last ~5 chapters were a work of art, supported by the entire beginning. Very deep stuff
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- Jennifer
- 03-15-16
some merit in between bigger problems
In full disclosure I don't like Yapa's prose. while he did bring the Seattle Protests to like he did it in between unrealistic dialog.
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- Debra G
- 06-03-20
Your Heart IS a Muscle
So many feels. I couldn't stop listening. It is very well written. A must read.
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- Yvette G
- 04-27-24
Impressive imagery
While listening to this book, it was easy for me to imagine the screens unfolding and even made me a little angry at times due to the description of how the protestors were treated.
Although the book started a little slow, I think it offers a good look into people hearts and how they fight personal battles every day and how a single decision or action can change a person’s life forever.
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- Ryan D. Edell
- 01-29-16
if you can withstand your emotional reactions...
Difficult to get through because of the intense violence and hate which is the core of the story, but worth every moment if you can get to the end.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Julie
- 03-06-16
A gripping tale, despite arch dramatic narration
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
The book has a strong structure: a ensemble cast—seven different points of view plus a narrator’s voice–weaving around an actual event with vivid details that rise to the level of mythic symbolism. A billy club stands for the brutality of all authority wielded in violence; a police horse evokes intelligence beyond the petty human; a facial scar suggests menace or heroism; the misty rain sets a theatrical atmosphere. Details like PVC pipe, apple cider vinegar-soaked pink bandanas, swim goggles, and a riot helmet reflecting clouds passing overhead work together in an ominous concert of impending doom.
What other book might you compare Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist to and why?
More like a film or TV show, for the multiple points of view and the ways the backstories are woven in - "Crash," or "Short Cuts," or "Lost".
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Aaron Landon?
Anyone who has control over their emoting. Especially at first, it was WAY too drama-school "dramatic." I will say, as he got further in, he relaxed a bit, and he did accents well. Maybe I got used to it, but honestly, at first, I almost gave up in frustration.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Just about.
Any additional comments?
The story at times feels like passages of the "Mahabarata," Greek myths of fathers and sons, Shakespearean drama of mistaken identity, or the Bible’s story of the Prodigal son returning. Perennial activist John Henry is a Moses character, bringing his people to freedom through the desert. Even the simple mention of stores at an intersection—the Gap, Banana Republic, a bank—takes on an End-of Empire feel. Yes, they are actual stores, but they also stand for something far greater, beyond any one individual. They are part of a vast capitalist network of exploitation of material resources and people’s lives and livelihoods.
Cause and effect is traced deftly here, and in many ways: through direct conversation, through strategically placed details, through action. The author demonstrates respect for the reader by leaving the connecting of dots up to us. Victor, the young man at the center of the story, remembers a game he used to play with his mother. The passage is touching not only for showing the depth and tenderness of his love for her. It’s also one of the best examples of how Yapa shows us the realities of global trade. Victor pretends he’s a banana growing in a cut-down rainforest on the side of a mountain in Peru. He and his mother describe the scene in a triumph of the imagination, right down to the pesticide plane that flies low overhead with no warning and a man cutting the bananas, who, as the most productive worker, receives advance warning of the plane’s flyover. At the end of the scene, little Victor notes the meaninglessness of that reward: There is nowhere safe to hide, is there, Momma?
Emotional touches are woven throughout the story, exposing the ways that the main characters have suffered loss and abuse, grief and crushing heartbreak. The ways they are all searching for simple relief, if not redemption. Their very presence in Seattle at the protest shows us that their personal fears and bereavements are inextricably tied to the suffering of others—of exploited workers in the third world, even of the so-called authorities like the police. If there are any clear villains in this piece, it’s the mayor and the head of the WTO, both white men in positions of power that think nothing of using any tool in their arsenal to maintain the status quo.
Yapa’s story reminds us that epiphany comes in extreme moments, those times when we are pulled completely out of our normal ways of coping and making sense of the world. Violence and the very real possibility of death are used to great effect here. As is bearing witness to barbaric, senseless cruelty, which is itself a form of violence. This latter is what first pushes Victor into the parallel world beyond fear, a state of ineffable bliss that is beautifully captured with just a few brushstrokes.
I am left wondering if this is a redemption story. The ending is somehow hopeful. John Henry, ever the activist, lives to fight another day. The Sri Lankan trade minister is last seen plotting to band with his fellow third-world ministers and force the WTO to negotiate with fairness and transparency. The father is reunited with his son. The fiery, complicated King is injured, but maybe her wound has cleansed her of past sins. We even learn that the cop, Park, is not just a violent hair-trigger asshole, but a hero, having saved many people after the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City.
A fascinating effect of choosing this event of fifteen years ago is that we are reading through the lens of hindsight. The purpose was fueled by ferocity and idealism back then, but now is colored with poignancy and naïveté. Yapa’s characters really believed that it mattered, that their sacrifice and voices meant something. The leaders were veterans of previous protests: nuclear plants, migrant workers’ rights, even torching a ski resort, however misguided that may have been. Late in the story, we learn that Victor’s mother simply gave migrant workers soup and bread to start their uncertain days. Perhaps these small acts of caring are just as effective as large-scale protest.
The story may end ironically, but it feels aligned with the redemptive and undeniable power of love, of caring, of community. Of banding together in the face of greed and exploitation to raise one common, insistent voice. The tribal power of the human voice demanding justice and fairness. That it’s set fifteen years ago invites contemplation and consideration of the question, Where are we now, today?
I make no claims to accuracy, but my first thought is, We are nowhere. Sure, protests continue, as I read every day in my social media feeds. Yet it feels like we are no further to stemming this tide, to slaying the monster or stuffing the genie back in the bottle—chose your metaphor. For one thing, we have Presidential candidates who spout vitriolic nonsense and incite unthinking followers to hateful bigotry, in speech and action, like this and this.
The labels and headlines have changed, so now it’s climate migrants and terrorism and drug wars and the dislocation of civil war. While multinational corporations buy up rain forests and build railways to haul off the spoils of rare earth minerals and precious metals and timber and oil. The Story of Progress, of haves and have-nots, of the first world exploiting the third world’s resources and people, of debt as control and slavery and human trafficking. It’s all cooking along, just as before.
Syrian refugees flee the unthinkable violence of a civil war ignited by a multi-year climate changed induced drought that was exacerbated by punishing dictatorial policies. The best and brightest left first, and more keep coming. The former colonialist countries of the EU are feeling saturated and arguing about how to stem the tide. And the U.S. is called in to drop bombs, as we are always ready to do. We are the armor-clad riot gear cops at the WTO protest of this story, because “it’s the job.”
This story raises all these questions, and more. It invites us to take a good long look in the mirror, and even to consider where those shoes and that t-shirt are made, where that banana is grown, and under what circumstances. There is, fortunately, a hint of direction at the end. It suggests that we are redeemable by the power of love. It is possible, even in extreme moments, to summon or simply drop into the courage to stand up and say, No more. I witness this and I say, no more.
Even knowing there will always be more. There is no end to cruelty, to the clever and stupid ways that people figure out how to torture each other. The only sane response is love.
We forget. We forget and yet all it takes is one nudge to remember. One moment, one event so deafening in its impact, so confusing to the rational mind, that the story-factory has no choice but to go quiet. All is clear and astonishingly simple. We no longer believe the bullshit, because we have come face to face with what’s real and precious and amazing in this world. Which is to say, everything.
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- Evelyn
- 02-21-16
Gorgeous Prose, Superbly Narrated
What made the experience of listening to Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist the most enjoyable?
The author developed the inner life of each of the main characters. Aaron Landon was a phenomenal narrator.
Any additional comments?
Chapters alternate to tell the story of seven characters fighting for peace, for change, and for power. I liked learning about the 1999 protests in Seattle related to the World Trade Organization via a brilliantly written novel.
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- CS
- 03-22-17
good
Narrator needs to work on not having women's voices sound like caricatures. story is good.
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- Steven J.
- 05-15-16
terrific story and narration.
excellent story. I highly recommend. very fast paced and well written . Looking forward to the next book by this author
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- Beverly Porter
- 01-26-19
Hated the book and was so glad to finish it.
Unfortunately, I had to lead the discussion with my book group so I had to read it. When I asked if anyone liked it, no one did. Anarchist and a waste of time.
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1 person found this helpful