I read this novel on the back porch of my childhood home in a sleepy suburb of the Pacific Northwest over the summer, and was struck by the nearby history that I had never learned. Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist is based on and takes place during the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle; its take on the historical facts of the event is painted by Yapa’s poignant, lyrical phrasing. Every chapter rotates to a new character’s point of view, forcing perspective over the two days of protests. Our current global climate has created a very opportune time to read this novel, as it made me think about the role of activism in my life and what impacts an individual can – or should Рhave on the bigger picture.
-Elizabeth Anderson ’18