Author Eudora Welty wrote a short story titled "Where is the Voice Coming From" that, when published in the New Yorker during the aftermath of Medgar Evers' assassination, shocked the world and made it difficult to be complacent about racism.

I suppose John Crowley was trying to accomplish the same thing with his novelette Conversation Hearts, but the story here does nothing but offer some potential to the theme that handicapped children should be loved as much as normal ones.

The book is a blend of fictional author Meg's life with her handicapped child and a science-fiction tale Meg is working on about a furless child being born to furred aliens. Neither Meg's child, Lily, nor the furless baby encounter that much conflict. Sadly, the story is hard to pick up.

John Crowley (best known for Little, Big) is an amazing author and I strongly recommend many of his other works, but Conversation Hearts left a bad taste in my mouth.