During their first meeting, U Ba proves to Julia that he knows who she is, tells her that he has been waiting for her to arrive for four years, and asks her “Do you believe in love” (5). When she laughs, he asks the question again. U Ba asks because the central theme of The Art of Hearing Heartbeats is the struggle between fear and love. From the moment this stranger approaches her, Julia is uncomfortable and untrusting; she is fearful. U Ba knows that, to share the message entrusted to him by Julia’s father, she must get past her anxious impatience. He repeatedly approaches her with acceptance, hospitality, and engaging stories of her father’s past—all expressions of affection, as U Ba knows Julia is his half-sister.

The novel’s conflict between fear and love plays out in many ways. Jan-Philipp Sendker contrasts the frightened Mya Mya, who deserts her child out of superstition, with the loving Su Kyi, who watches Tin grow with complete acceptance. Mi Mi’s mother, Yadana, adores her daughter and scolds her husband for not embracing her out of fear—causing him to finally recognize Mi Mi’s worth.