Published in January 2023 with Bellevue Literary Press, Your Hearts, Your Scars is a book about life, loss, chance and gratitude, written by Adina Talve-Goodman and edited by Sarika Talve-Goodman and Hannah Tinti.
Adina Talve-Goodman was born with a congenital heart condition and survived multiple operations over the course of her childhood, including a heart transplant at age nineteen. In these seven essays, she tells the story of her chronic illness and her search for meaning and love, never forgetting that her adult life is tied to the loss of another person—the donor of her transplanted heart.
Whether writing about the experience of taking her old heart home from the hospital (and passing it around the Thanksgiving table), a summer camp for young transplant patients, or a memorable night on the town, Talve-Goodman’s writing is filled with curiosity, humor, and compassion. Published posthumously, Your Hearts, Your Scars is the work of a writer wise beyond her years, a moving reflection on chance and gratitude, and a testament to hope and kindness.
Read Hannah Tinti’s introduction to Adina’s work at LitHub. You can learn more about Adina Talve-Goodman here and purchase a copy of Your Hearts, Your Scars here.