Heft by Liz Moore; Unabridged MP3 Audio Book; Narrator Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka

A heartwarming novel about larger-than-life characters and second chances

Former academic Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn’t left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade. Twenty miles away in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising baseball career—if he can untangle himself from his family drama. The link between this unlikely pair is Kel’s mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur’s. After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene’s unexpected phone call to Arthur—a plea for help—that jostles them into action. Through Arthur and Kel’s own quirky and lovable voices, Heft tells the winning story of two improbable heroes whose sudden connection transforms both their lives. Like Elizabeth McCracken’s The Giant’s House, Heft is a novel about love and family found in the most unexpected places.

“A suspenseful, restorative novel from one of our fine young voices.”—Colum McCann, National Book Award–winning author

“In Heft, Liz Moore creates a cast of vulnerable, lonely misfits that will break your heart and then make it soar. What a terrific novel!”—Ann Hood, bestselling author of The Red Thread

“Heft is a work that radiantly combines compassion and a clear-eyed vision. This is a novel of rare originality and sophistication.”—Mary Gordon, New York Times bestselling author

“This is the real deal, Liz Moore is the real deal—she’s written a novel that will stick with you long after you’ve finished it.”—Russell Banks, Pulitzer Prize finalist

“Endearing.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Only a hardhearted reader will remain immune to Kel’s troubled charm.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The last line of Liz Moore’s novel is still rounding through my head weeks after I finished it, and I think it will be for a long time. Heft is a gorgeous book that will completely break your heart and then stitch it back together…This is one of those rare books that manages to be deeply and genuinely moving without ever sinking into sappiness, and I will be recommending it far and wide, particularly to book groups. There is nothing I love more than spreading the word about a beautiful novel, and I look forward to doing so with Heft.”—Publishers Weekly

“Moore’s lovely novel is about overcoming shame and loneliness and learning to connect. It is life-affirming but never sappy.”—Library Journal

Liz Moore is a writer and musician. Her debut novel, The Words of Every Song, was published in 2007, and she recently released her album Backyards. She is a professor at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, where she lives.