Story of a Heart

By: Rachel Clarke

Narrated by: Rachel Clarke

Winner of the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction | Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize

An unforgettable and inspiring true story of how one family’s grief transformed into a lifesaving gift—written by a bestselling author and palliative care doctor.

The first of our organs to form and the last to die, the heart is both a simple pump and the symbol of what makes us human; as long as it continues to beat, there is hope. In The Story of a Heart, Dr. Rachel Clarke blends the history of medical innovations behind transplant surgery with the story of two children—one of whom desperately needs a new heart.

One summer day, nine-year-old Keira Ball was in a terrible car accident and suffered catastrophic brain injuries. As the rest of her body began to shut down, her heart continued to beat. In an act of extraordinary generosity, Keira’s parents and siblings immediately agreed that she would have wanted to be an organ donor. Meanwhile nine-year-old Max Johnson had been in a hospital for nearly a year, valiantly fighting the virus that was causing his young heart to fail. When Max’s parents received the call they had been hoping for, they knew it came at a terrible cost to another family—in what Clarke calls “the brutal arithmetic of transplant surgery.”

The act of Keira’s heart resuming its rhythm inside Max’s body was a medical miracle. But this was only part of the story. While waiting on the transplant list, Max had become the hopeful face of a campaign to change the UK’s laws around organ donation. Following his successful surgery, Keira’s mother saw the little boy beaming on the front page of the newspaper and knew it was the same boy whose parents had recently sent her an anonymous letter overflowing with gratitude for her daughter’s heart. The two mothers began to exchange messages and eventually decided to meet.

In this “profoundly moving…[and] beautiful, humane book” (Rob Delaney) Clarke relates the urgent journey of Keira’s heart and explores the history of the remarkable surgery that made it possible, stretching back over a century and involving the knowledge and dedication of surgeons, nurses and technicians, immunologists and paramedics. A powerful tale of two families linked by one heart, The Story of a Heart is a testament to compassion for the dying, the many ways we honor our loved ones, and the tenacity of love.

Moving. Gripping. Beautiful.

This book is well-written, well-read, and just overall beautiful. The way the author seamlessly transitions between the story of one particular heart transplant and the detailed history of the science of transplantation is so well-done. This book is great whether or not you have medical knowledge. I highly recommend it.

Only the best on display!

The great sensitivity she brought out about all aspects! The beautiful language! The seamless inclusion of historical information. The pacing of the book: just when the story of the children and families was about to break me, Clarke included more scientific information , enabling me to go on. And the scientific explanations were so compelling that you couldn’t not follow! Brava! All the way around, BRAVA!

Great Read!

I absolutely loved this book. It was a brilliant combination of medicine and storytelling. I learned as I listed and walked away with a new perspective on organ donation and how precious life is.

An amazing organ!

The personal view of the characters and the excellent anatomy discussion. I also enjoyed the historical discussion of the doctors who led the development of heart transplant.

Beautiful, informative and poetic

A story of love, life, pain, grief and beauty. Well written and almost poetic to listen. A beautiful story that will make you cry and fill your heart with love. Brilliant!