Libraries are both a setting and a powerful symbol in Our Missing Hearts. They are a symbolic space of subversion, protecting books that society wishes to erase. Libraries preserve ideas through the books they protect, and in turn, keep the possibility of democracy alive. They are also a refuge for people looking to escape the oppression of Celeste Ng’s version of the American government: They provide safety for children and adults looking for their “missing hearts” (missing family members), forming a subversive network that tries to reunite these separated families. Libraries are fundamental to building culture (through dictionaries, encyclopedias, and rich stories) and community (through a desire for knowledge and shared sense of loss). This symbolism reinforces Ng’s message about the importance of storytelling, and criticizes contemporary America’s underfunding of public libraries.

Bird’s linguist father, Ethan, keeps his dictionaries throughout the Crisis and life under PACT (“Preserving American Culture and Traditions”), despite society’s suspicion of books. For Ethan, language and words are fundamental to understanding human connection. Thus, his collection of dictionaries is an important reminder that preservation of language is also the preservation of people. This is reflected in Margaret’s own loss of Cantonese; because her parents wanted her to be seen as American, they didn’t share their native language with her.