The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1847)

This epic poem, centered on the expulsion of French Canadians from Nova Scotia by the British in 1755, contains elements similar to The Art of Hearing Heartbeats: A star-crossed couple are separated on their wedding day, search for each other while under British colonialism, and are later “reunited”.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (1991)

This American romance novel shares many elements and literary devices with Jan-Philipp Sendker’s novel: The youthful love of a couple separated by war and failing health manages to conquer life’s obstacles.

• The Notebook on SuperSummary

The Little Gidding by T.S. Eliot, published as a part of The Four Quartets (independently published in 1942)

A stanza of this lengthy poem is quoted by Sendker as part of a worm-eaten book that U Ba repairs—implying that U Ba is restoring Julia’s ability to return to her father’s roots (Chapter 21).

Freedom from Fear and Other Writings by Aung San Suu Kyi (2010)

This is a collection of stories, speeches, and essays by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi—who was elected as the President of Myanmar before being arrested during a military coup.

The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century by Thant Myint-U (2021)