Hearts Unbroken is a young adult contemporary novel by New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith. Main character Louise Wolfe, a Native Muscogee (Creek) teen girl, breaks up with her boyfriend over his insensitive comments. Louise turns her focus to senior year, the school newspaper, and spending time with family, but she notices more and more instances of cultural insensitivity around her. When the newly-formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater group speaks out against cast members of color in the fall musical, Louise investigates the controversy with a handsome new photojournalist while trying to protect her younger brother, cast in a leading role. The novel is a winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award. This guide references the 2018 first edition by Candlewick Press.

Plot Summary

The morning after prom, high school junior Louise Wolfe tells best friend Shelby about the event which she attended with her boyfriend Cam Ryan, a popular athlete. Later, at the traditional after-prom brunch, Cam makes crude and insensitive remarks about his brother’s fiancé, who is Native Kickapoo. Louise is Native Muscogee (Creek), and though she tries briefly to get Cam to see why his comments bother her, he does not acknowledge her feelings. Louise breaks up with him via email.

Over the summer, Louise takes a family trip to a heritage fest in Oklahoma, visiting relatives and enjoying the community. She feels most at home and most herself when she visits Oklahoma. Louise sees a handsome teen boy on the trip, but a relative tells her that the boy only dates white girls. Back home, Louise runs her mother’s car out of gas, and a boy from her school, Peter Ney, drives her to a gas station. Louise thinks she could be interested in Peter until he makes an insensitive comment based on a stereotype about Indigenous Americans.

Determined to be more cautious about potential boyfriends and their views, Louise starts senior year. She enjoys working on the school paper, The Hive, in Journalism and writes a feature on sexual bullying. She earns good grades and begins college applications. She also encourages her younger brother Hughie, a freshman, to get involved. Hughie decides to try out for the fall musical, The Wizard of Oz.

The director, Mrs. Qualey, casts three students of color in lead roles, including Hughie as Tin Man. This prompts a group calling themselves Parents Against Revisionist Theater to speak out against the casting choices. The leading spokeswoman is Mrs. Ney, Peter’s mother, who questions Hughie’s legal citizenship in an interview for The Hive. Louise takes increasing notice of instances of cultural insensitivity around her, especially after hate notes arrive in her family’s mail and that of the other cast members of color. Louise’s attraction to Joey, a confident and ambitious photographer and video staffer of Lebanese heritage, grows; the two begin dating, but Louise does not mention the hate notes her family received nor that she is Native Muscogee (Creek).

The Hive receives pressure to slant their musical coverage in PART’s favor. The Journalism teacher, Ms. Wilson, goes on disciplinary leave; PART is concerned with her “liberal” views. In a botched attempt to tell Joey she is Native Muscogee (Creek), Louise mentions offensive stereotypes, and Joey stops speaking to her. Hughie discovers that L. Frank Baum, creator of the Oz stories, wrote racist editorials against Indigenous Americans. Unable to reconcile his feelings about Baum with his participation in the musical, Hughie elects to give his part to another cast member the day before the show opens. An unknown vandal paints a hate message on the Wolfes’ garage one night; Louise sees fellow Hive staff member Daniel’s car driving away with the criminal. Daniel admits that he was trying to prevent Peter Ney from causing more damage. He also admits he was the one who spoke out against Ms. Wilson under indirect pressure from PART. Daniel tells the truth about the teacher, and Ms. Wilson is reinstated. Louise writes an editorial discussing the hate notes and calling for more welcoming and accepting behavior.

On Thanksgiving Day, Louise apologizes to Joey, and he accepts. A tornado hits the area, but Joey and Louise stay safe in an underground parking lot. Louise get messages from everyone she cares about, telling her they are safe. Later, she attends Thanksgiving dinner at her cousin’s, grateful for her family and friends and encouraged by those in her circle who choose to do the right thing.