Heart by Gail Godwin

Heart by Gail Godwin

What is the heart? We know it as not only the beating thing in our chests that sustains life, but as the wellspring of all faith, hope, and love. In this remarkable book, critically acclaimed author Gail Godwin takes us on a breathtaking journey that spans the history of human civilization, combining myth, art and religion to understand how humans have conceived of the heart through time. From the first valentine to the first stethoscope, from the Ancient Egyptians to the Buddha, from the heart of darkness to heart-to-heart talks, Godwin weaves her own stories of heartbreak and hope through it all.

Inspired by the richest of lore, Godwin ultimately arrives at what every culture must discover anew: we cannot let the head alone rule our lives. In this colorful history of the organ of life itself, she discovers a template for a more heart-filled life.

Gail Godwin is the bestselling author of more than a dozen highly acclaimed works, including the novels Grief Cottage, Flora, Father Melancholy's Daughter, and Evensong, as well as Publishing, a memoir. She has been nominated for three National Book Awards. She has won a Guggenheim Fellowship, funds from the National Endowment for the Arts for fiction and libretto composition, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Prize in Literature. She resides in the town of Woodstock, New York. Gail Godwin's website is www.gailgodwin.co.