The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

U Ba indicates that he has been awaiting Julia, not her brother or mother, for four years. How did Tin know that Julia would be the one to come to Kalaw seeking him? What does this say about Tin’s spiritual growth?

U Ba knows from the start that the father whom Julia is seeking is deceased. Why does he keep her waiting for almost a week, telling their father’s life story rather than simply breaking the news?

While Julia’s mother is significant to the narrative, Jan-Philipp Sendker rarely refers to her by name; virtually all the other women in the novel are referred to by name. The reader only knows Julia’s mother’s name because she signs a note to Julia as “Judith” (25). Why does Sendker refer to her as “Julia’s mother” rather than by name? Why does she sign her personal note as “Judith” rather than “Mother”?