A Heart So WhiteA Heart So White
Score Modern
What it's about
A newly married woman leaves a family lunch and shoots herself. Juan, newly married himself, is drawn into the mystery of his father's three marriages and the hold of family secrets.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read.
You'll love it if you liked
The Unconsoled
Atonement
The Book of Laughter and ForgettingGood to know
It's translated from Spanish, and it's more meditation than thriller.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller2 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #210 of the 246 romances we rank
- #1362 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #2572 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
If you like this, read next
Purple Hibiscus
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The God of Small Things
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Bel CantoExplore the best-of lists
All 47 best-of lists →Quick answers
Is A Heart So White worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,572 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 59.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Heart So White about?
A newly married woman leaves a family lunch and shoots herself. Juan, newly married himself, is drawn into the mystery of his father's three marriages and the hold of family secrets.
How long does it take to read A Heart So White?
About 8 hours (305 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Heart So White?
If you liked it, try The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro, Atonement by Ian McEwan or The Book of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera.

















