Our Missing Hearts

Margaret is Bird’s mother and the secondary protagonist of the novel. As a poet and activist, she inspires the masses to combat oppression in their society; as a mother, she has a fervent desire to protect those whose lives were and still are being ruined by PACT. Margaret is brave and willing to risk her life (and life with her family) to fight PACT. Margaret’s journey to heroism is an interesting one because she never intended for her poetry about motherhood to become a rallying cry for anti-PACT activists. Despite her words being appropriated for activism and her face twisted as that of an enemy, Margaret comes to embrace her new role. She commits to anti-PACT activism, and by the end of the novel, her disappearance at the hands of police is on the heels of a mission well done. Though it is implied that Margaret’s actions successfully changed minds and hearts, her own fate is left open.

Sadie is a secondary character who helps propel Bird’s character development. She is 12 years old but deals with adult problems. She was forcibly separated from her parents, who had reported on this very separation of families under PACT. Sadie doesn’t simply forget her parents; she spends her years in foster care searching for them and honoring their love. She is subversive and unafraid to speak up at school. In fact, Sadie is the one who tells Bird the truth about his mother’s activism. She provides necessary context to Margaret’s disappearance, enabling Bird to trust his mother’s clues. Sadie disappears for a portion of the novel but is later revealed to have found the underground librarian movement. She helps Margaret reach out to Bird from afar and finds a safe home in Domi’s cabin in Connecticut. Sadie also helps bring out Bird’s inner child while they’re in Connecticut, as they are unmonitored by those who would harm them for the first time in years. Sadie’s conflict speaks to the destructive nature of policies that force families apart. Though she tries to be hopeful about the future, her loneliness can’t be replaced by anyone other than her parents.

Domi is Margaret’s college friend and a woman who risks her fortune and security to help the underground librarian movement. She is extreme in her commitment to activism. At first, Domi rejects the privilege of her father’s wealth during the Crisis. She feels betrayed by Margaret when the latter meets, marries, and moves away with Ethan. She eventually embraces her family lineage, but does so in order to fund her political activism. For example, Domi provides safe harbor for Margaret, Sadie, and Bird. She also provides Margaret with the necessary equipment to accomplish her mission. At the end of the novel, Domi helps Bird remember his mother’s poetry, a necessary step in keeping Margaret’s memory and message alive. Domi is an example of someone who is not corrupted by wealth.