HomeContemporary FictionThe Heart Of The Matter

Cover of The Heart Of The Matter

Contemporary Fiction · 2010 · PG-13

The Heart Of The Matter

by Emily Giffin

Two women. One man. No villain.

For14+GenreContemporary FictionLength352 pagesRead time~9 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Barely any

A child's serious injury is the inciting event; nothing graphic

Language

Some

Moderate language

Sexual Content

Some

Adult romantic relationships and an affair; some intimate content

Substance Use

Barely any

Social drinking throughout

Emotional Intensity

Some

The competing claims of an established love and a new one, what infidelity does to the person who commits it and both people who receive it, the complexity of a good man who does a harmful thing

What this book is about

Tessa Russo has the life she always wanted: loving husband Nick, two beautiful children, a house in a good neighborhood. Valerie Anderson has the life she chose: a son she loves, a satisfying career, no man to answer to. When Valerie's son is badly burned in a fire, Nick — a reconstructive surgeon — treats him. And then Nick falls in love with Valerie. Emily Giffin tells the story of an infidelity from both women's perspectives without asking the reader to choose a side — and finds that the most honest statement she can make is that no one is entirely wrong.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

infidelity as central plot element

a child's serious injury and recovery

adult romantic content

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