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A Far Cry from Kensington
- Narrated by: Pamela Garelick
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
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Publisher's summary
Set on the crazier fringes of 1950s literary London, A Far Cry from Kensington is a delight, hilariously portraying love, fraud, death, evil, and transformation.
Mrs. Hawkins, the majestic narrator of A Far Cry from Kensington, takes us well in hand and leads us back to her threadbare years in postwar London. There, as a fat and much admired young war widow, she spent her days working for a mad, near-bankrupt publisher (“of very good books”) and her nights dispensing advice at her small South Kensington rooming house.
At work and at home, Mrs. Hawkins soon uncovered evil: shady literary doings and a deadly enemy; anonymous letters, blackmail, and suicide. With aplomb, however, Mrs. Hawkins confidently set about putting things to order, little imagining the mayhem that would ensue.
Now decades older, thin, successful, and delighted with life in Italy—quite a far cry from Kensington—Mrs. Hawkins looks back to all those dark doings and recounts how her own life changed forever. She still, however, loves to give advice: “It’s easy to get thin. You eat and drink the same as always, only half…. I offer this advice without fee; it is included in the price of this book.”
A Far Cry from Kensington has been hailed as “outstanding” (Observer), “wickedly and adroitly executed” (New York Times), and “a comedy that holds a tragedy as an eggcup holds an egg.” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
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First published as four separate novels ( Some Do Not…, No More Parades, A Man Could Stand Up, and The Last Post) between 1924 and 1928, Parade’s End explores the world of the English ruling class as it descends into the chaos of war. Christopher Tietjens is an officer from a wealthy family who finds himself torn between his unfaithful socialite wife, Sylvia, and his suffragette mistress, Valentine. A profound portrait of one man’s internal struggles during a time of brutal world conflict, Parade’s End bears out Graham Greene’s prediction that "there is no novelist of this century more likely to live than Ford Madox Ford."
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A brilliant, challenging, and valuable work
- By leora on 09-11-12
By: Ford Madox Ford
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I Am Not Sidney Poitier
- A Novel
- By: Percival Everett
- Narrated by: Amir Abdullah
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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I was, in life, to be a gambler, a risk-taker, a swashbuckler, a knight. I accepted, then and there, my place in the world. I was a fighter of windmills. I was a chaser of whales. I was Not Sidney Poitier. Not Sidney Poitier is an amiable young man in an absurd country. The sudden death of his mother orphans him at age eleven, leaving him with an unfortunate name, an uncanny resemblance to the famous actor, and, perhaps more fortunate, a staggering number of shares in the Turner Broadcasting Corporation.
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I am not enjoying this really I’m not
- By l howard on 06-11-24
By: Percival Everett
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Mrs. Caliban
- By: Rachel Ingalls
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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It all starts with the radio. Dorothy's husband has left for work, and she is at the kitchen sink washing the dishes, listening to classical music. Suddenly, the music fades out and a soft, close, dreamy voice says, "Don't worry, Dorothy." A couple weeks later, there is a special interruption in regular programming. The announcer warns all listeners of an escaped sea monster. That afternoon, the seven-foot-tall lizard man walks through Dorothy's kitchen door. She is frightened at first, but there is something attractive about the monster, and the two begin a tender, clandestine affair.
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remarkable work of sad imagination
- By S. Tolleson-Rinehart on 05-02-24
By: Rachel Ingalls
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Memento Mori
- By: Muriel Spark
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Muriel Spark's blackly comic masterwork begins with a voice on the telephone warning, "Remember, you must die." The recipient of the grim message is elderly Dame Lettie Colston, but soon 10 of Lettie's oldest friends also become targets of Death's anonymous herald. A bizarre investigation lays bare an intricate network of deception and disloyalty that binds together the vulnerable group of aging eccentrics.
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More Spark, Please!
- By Cariola on 10-27-11
By: Muriel Spark
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The Mandelbaum Gate
- By: Muriel Spark
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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The Mandelbaum Gate divides the conflict-torn realm of Jerusalem, separating Israel from Jordan. Barbara Vaughn, a stubborn young English woman and half-Jewish Catholic convert, insists upon crossing the divide in order to rendezvous with her fiancé, in spite of the very real danger. Her quest sets off a series of bizarre situations and adventures, set against the backdrop of the Eichmann trial of 1961.
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Graham Greene meets PG Wodehouse...
- By connie on 10-26-09
By: Muriel Spark
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The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
- By: Muriel Spark
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 3 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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In the classic work that launched a play, a movie, and a song, Muriel Spark tells the darkly intriguing story of an eccentric Edinburgh teacher and the intense relationship she develops with six of her students. The scandalously outspoken Miss Brodie makes big waves in the conservative Scottish school, preaching the value of art, passion, and daring.
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creme de la creme
- By Kathleen on 01-04-08
By: Muriel Spark
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Windward Passage
- By: Jim Nisbet
- Narrated by: Barry Press
- Length: 20 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In a parallel near future, a ship named for a jellyfish sinks into the Caribbean with its captain chained to the mast. Left behind is a logbook missing ten pages, presidential DNA hidden in a brick of smuggled cocaine, and a nearly completed novel. Tipsy, the dead sailor's sister, and Red Means, his erstwhile employer, travel from San Francisco to the Caribbean and back as they attempt to unravel a mystery that rapidly widens from death at sea to international conspiracy.
By: Jim Nisbet
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Falling Angels
- By: Tracy Chevalier
- Narrated by: Anne Twomey
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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An elegant, original, and compelling novel, set against a gaslit backdrop of social and political turbulence in early 20th-century London, Falling Angels draws a picture of family life that exposes the prejudices and flaws of a changing time. Chevalier ( Girl with a Pearl Earring) "shows imaginative skill in two neatly accomplished surprises, and the denouement packs an emotional wallop," says Publishers Weekly.
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Haunting Historical
- By KB on 03-18-03
By: Tracy Chevalier
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High Divide
- By: Lin Enger
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1886, Gretta Pope wakes one morning to discover that her husband is gone. Ulysses Pope has left his family behind on the far edge of Minnesota’s western prairie, with only the briefest of notes and no explanation for why he left or where he’s headed. It doesn’t take long for Gretta’s young sons, Eli and Danny, to set off after him, following the scant clues they can find, jumping trains to get where they need to go, and ending up in the rugged badlands of Montana.
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It's a man's world - not a feminist story
- By Leah McKinney on 01-30-18
By: Lin Enger
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Heartburn
- By: Nora Ephron
- Narrated by: Meryl Streep
- Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Is it possible to write a sidesplitting novel about the breakup of the perfect marriage? If the writer is Nora Ephron, the answer is a resounding yes. For in this inspired confection of adultery, revenge, group therapy, and pot roast, the creator of Sleepless in Seattle reminds us that comedy depends on anguish as surely as a proper gravy depends on flour and butter.
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Be the Heroine , Not the Victim
- By Cynthia on 07-12-13
By: Nora Ephron
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What listeners say about A Far Cry from Kensington
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Joan
- 09-02-22
A Great Read
Truly enjoyed this book. Lots of twists and turns, but the narrator made it outstanding!
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- A & J Bradley
- 12-30-22
Lovely tale and reader
I didn’t want it to end, clever and unique narrative of remembrance with a great outlook
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- Denise
- 03-05-21
Just a perfect, diverting listen
Excellent narration and nice story. Will look for more like this. Not too demanding and very entertaining
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1 person found this helpful
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- Colleen Customer
- 04-12-22
This is an unconventional and fun read!
Entertaining- Strange- Unpredictable- Suspenseful- This beautifully
written novel is a fun vacation from the every day.
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- Kindle Customer
- 08-20-22
charming tale
loved this story set in the 50s in London. great characters with a very subdued British dtory. an enjoyable listen
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- Placeholder
- 04-11-23
Terrific
I’ve not read this author before so I was in for an unexpected treat. Hidden depths and fully realized characters make it a perfect choice for me. The look into book publishing in the 1950’s and 1960’s was a plus.
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- Deborah 52
- 04-02-23
A bit quirky
I really enjoyed the book’s characters and wish it had gone on a bit longer.
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- Kaye Liles
- 03-09-24
I liked it
Interesting story about post WWll. Narration was really good. Characters were interesting and quirky. Overall good read
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- LJStevie
- 12-16-18
Underwhelming.
I never quite understood the point of this story. There were several characters introduced though the book seemed to be a position of voyeur into a snippet of lives and no real reason for doing so. I think other readers enjoyed this but for me it was boring and never really presented a purpose.
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5 people found this helpful
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- S. Coats
- 06-22-21
A gem from Muriel Spark!
Hadn’t heard of this novel by one of my favorite authors, so it was a treat to discover it. The narrator did an excellent job and the story was fascinating and full of surprises. I highly recommend it.
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