The next read I have lined up for myself is one about someone dealing with a heart transplant. One of the reasons I read is to explore through book characters what its like for people to deal with such life changing events. I decided to look at other books with this theme running through them.
The Gift of Life. Josephine Moon
Gabby McPhee is the owner of The Tin Man, a chic new cafe and coffee roasting house in Melbourne. The struggles of her recent heart transplant are behind her and life is looking up – until a mysterious customer appears in the cafe, convinced that Gabby has her deceased husband’s heart beating inside her chest.
If I Should Lose You Natasha Lester
As it turns out another Australian author. And… I have this one already waiting on my bookshelf, just haven’t so far got to read it, but now my interest is re-awakened.
Camille is a nurse specialising in supporting families through the difficult decision to donate the organs of their dying loved ones. Camille’s mother is a gifted but uncompromising transplant surgeon determined to make it in a man’s world until her own life falls apart. And Camille herself is a mother to Addie – five years old, critically ill and in desperate need of the very organs her mother and grandmother work with.
Tiny Pieces of Us Nicky Pellegrino. 
I had this one on my radar by a New Zealand author but wasn’t too sure, however now I am reconsidering. I think it could still be in the shops, if not will look at the library.
Vivi Palmer knows what it’s like to live life carefully. Born with a heart defect, she was given a second chance after a transplant, but has never quite dared to make the most of it. Until she comes face-to-face with her donor’s mother, Grace, who wants something in return for Vivi’s second-hand heart: her help to find all the other people who have tiny pieces of her son.
The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae. Stephanie Butland
Another one I may consider reading. I’ve read one Stephanie Butland and I suspect I’d find this one on Kindle.
Ailsa Rae is learning how to live.
She’s only a few months past the heart transplant that – just in time – saved her life. Life should be a joyful adventure.
Change of Heart Jodi Piccoult
I am not sure if I’ll read this one. Mixed reviews by readers I follow. It will have a lot of angst I know as a mother struggles to accept the offer of a heart for her daughter from a man she cannot forgive!
I might still have a change of heart over reading this one!
The Book Date 
I do love a good gathering around books!
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Oh my, what a selection!
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That is quite the topic, I did read one last year
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Piccoult is not a favorite of mine so I’d probably skip that one but the rest look interesting. I know several kids who are getting bone marrow transplants (thankfully Will is not at risk for that at this point) and there’s so much prep work that has to be done it’s crazy so I imagine an organ transplant would be enormous.
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Yes I think any transplant is huge before, during and after. Fingers crossed Will will never have to face a bone marrow transplant.
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Definitely not a topic I could read. But they do looks like some good books. Hope you enjoy them..
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Great connections – will definitely check these out Kathryn. I have a personal interest in organ donation. My husband needed a kidney donation – and I ended up being a match. We married in “02 and the transplant took place June of ’03. And the transplanted kidney worked for 17 years – until he ended up in hospital in May last year and with saving his heart, his kidney failed. Now he is on dialysis. It has been a challenging time. But he is alive and we adjust to the changes.
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Bev that is just amazing that you were a match and went for it. Dialysis is no picnic from what I hear.
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What an interesting Connect 5! I think it might be hard on someone who received a heart or other organ to meet a member of the donor’s family. I guess it would depend on the donor family’s attitude.
The 18-year old daughter of a relative of ours died in a car crash a few years ago and it really helped the family that so many people were helped by the gift of her body.
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That’s a wonderful outcome Jan from a very sad loss.
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What a great blog post and quite the topic to make us step back and think. Thanks Kathryn
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I like to read books about people going through life changing events as well. I haven’t read too many transplant type stories though other than maybe a mystery here and there involving harvesting organs. Not quite what you are going for here though. 🙂 These all sound like great reads. I may have to give a couple a try myself! Have a great weekend, Kathryn. Thank you for hosting!
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What a great theme! I see some possibilities here. I knew I had read the Jodi Picoult book, but my review wasn’t on Goodreads….and I barely remember it! I read it in 2008! Enjoy the ones you choose.
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