Marlowe is concerned when a courier, instead of the post, delivers a letter in the early morning cold of London. It’s from her sister, Harper, in Hong Kong. Upon reading the letter Marlowe’s sense of dread is confirmed. Harper is sick again, her heart is failing her.

Harper was born with Down syndrome and a congenital heart disorder. Marlowe promised their dying mother that she would always look after Harper. Quashing the guilt that she was born healthy, that life was a myriad of possibilities denied to her sister. Marlowe looked after Harper until Louis came into Harper’s life. Louis also has Down syndrome and is Harper’s ‘love of her heart’. With Louis’ arrival, Marlowe moved to London to complete her PhD, leaving Harper in the care of her father, grandmother, ‘stepmonster’, and Louis.

Until the letter, Harper had led an ambulatory life of travel back and forth between home and hospitals, but she always pulled through. But now her condition and heart are both failing and, because of the Down syndrome, four hospitals have refused to even add Harper to the transplant list. Marlowe, plagued by her promise to her mother, decides that the only possible chance Harper has is to obtain a heart on the black markets in China. Diving into this dark world alone, Marlowe is so deep and lost, she is drowning, no longer able to see the surface, and yet she is Harper’s only chance.

The narrative structure alternates between the two sisters’ perspectives. The chapters are short, enabling the story to move at a fast pace, drawing attention to the urgency of Harper’s condition. It also dips back in time providing history of the sisters when they were young, and their powerful bond.

Harper is the star of the novel. She has a beautiful, simplistic, innocent look at life. She sees the positive in every situation, changing the word ‘Down’ to ‘Up’ syndrome. We realise that Harper understands everything that is happening. Marlowe sums up Harper in two simple sentences, ‘You are magic. Very few people will ever be able to see the world like you do.’

Harper may have Up syndrome, but she sees the world, and everything in it, the way we would all love to. Sometimes the brightest stars burn out the quickest. A simply beautiful novel.

Reviewed by Neale Lucas