M2C Online Bookclub - The Heart Broke In (Part 2)

Part Two brings together characters who have been circling each other - Alex’s disintegrating relationship with Maria is explored as well as his attraction to Bec. At the start of this section he seems cold, the archetypal atheist scientist, lacking people skills and devoted to his work. It’s only when he's shown with his uncle Harry and meeting Bec for the first time in years we see that he is as capable of romantic and sentimental gestures as the as anyone else.
Themes of mortality and family legacy run through this novel – Alex’s sudden desire and need to have children is to ‘to belong to time’ – a different kind of immortality than the everlasting life promised to the religious faithful. As a scientist Harry refuses to accept his son’s faith and persists in deliberately provoking him at the risk of never seeing his grandchildren.
Bec’s stubbornness as she refuses to take the medication to remove the gregi parasite from her body is a kind of tribute to her father, both the name and her own inclination towards a selfless act, also possibly her guilt over the death of her housekeeper’s son is a factor.
Val’s threat of exposing Ritchie is still hanging over him but it’s hard to see what Bec could possibly do that would be awful enough for Ritchie to betray her.
The secondary characters remain opaque as we never see what they’re thinking. I’d like to know more about Harry’s son, Matthew and his family – he seems defined only by his opposition to his father.

Other books to read if you're enjoying The Heart Broke In:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Compelling non-fiction mix of memoir and science about the incredible contribution one woman's cells made to medicine.

The Humans by Matt Haig. A moving and funny book about what it is to be human - told from the point of view of an alien who has taken over the body of a mathematician.

M2C Bookclub Competition - win tickets to James Meek event in September