The People We Keep

By: Allison Larkin

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

BOOK RIOT’S BEST BOOKS OF 2021

“This is a novel of great empathy, about connections and coming-of-age, built families and self-acceptance. It contains heartbreak and redemption, and a plucky, irresistible protagonist…[A] propulsive, empathetic novel.” —Shelf Awareness

Little River, New York, 1994: April Sawicki is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. Failing out of school, picking up shifts at a local diner, she’s left fending for herself in a town where she’s never quite felt at home. When she “borrows” her neighbor’s car to perform at an open mic night, she realizes her life could be much bigger than where she came from. After a fight with her dad, April packs her stuff and leaves for good, setting off on a journey to find a life that’s all hers.

Driving without a chosen destination, she stops to rest in Ithaca. Her only plan is to survive, but as she looks for work, she finds a kindred sense of belonging at Cafe Decadence, the local coffee shop. Still, somehow, it doesn’t make sense to her that life could be this easy. The more she falls in love with her friends in Ithaca, the more she can’t shake the feeling that she’ll hurt them the way she’s been hurt. As April moves through the world, meeting people who feel like home, she chronicles her life in the songs she writes and discovers that where she came from doesn’t dictate who she has to be.

This lyrical, luminous tale “is both a profound love letter to creative resilience and a reminder that sometimes even tragedy can be a kind of blessing” (Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author).

Critic reviews

"Julia Whelan is wonderful as April Sawicki, a teenager escaping an abusive home through travels, music, and meeting strangers. Whelan's husky timbre and thoughtful tone draw listeners into April's thoughts, which are mostly filled with self-doubt."

I didn't want it to end.... ever !

I don't have the words to explain how good this book is or how attached I was (right off the bat) to the characters. So beautifully written, poetic and detailed story, amazing character development, and perfect narration . The only thing I didn't like was that it had to end... ever! This just shot to the top of my favorite books list. I will miss these people

Amazing

I cried and I laughed it was amazing. My heart is so Full after this read.

Novel that reads like a memoir

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one. It's a novel that reads like a coming of age memoir, about a girl in the 90s really struggling both physically and mentally to survive and figure out where she belongs and who she belongs to in the world. Parts of April's story were captivating and all types of heart wrenching. At the same time, other parts of her "journey" to self-discovery were really disjointed, and made me cringe, or ask myself, where is this going and why do I care that April is in Bradenton, FL? For instance, the book starts with music, and then leaves that part of April on the shelf for a long time while diving into a completely different storyline that made me feel like I was reading different books. I also got distracted by the age gap in her romantic relationships, and the way she just repeatedly would self-sabatoge and not let people in.

Still, this book was overall very good, there were just some sticking points that I couldn't get over that bugged me throughout the book. Good beginning, good ending (although it wrapped up a little abruptly into a bow). Worth a read.

Fantastic

I too love Ithaca! It’s a wonderful and magical place that I spent every summer at for most of my life and continue to return every summer. All the places in this book are such wonderful places that I too have spent time experiencing life. Binghamton a cross road to all things upstate NY. It offers a warm cultural exchange of people. True people that will open their doors to you. Anna Maria Island and Bradenton Fl and it’s beautiful sandy beaches and the roads that connect them all make for an amazing trip . This book made my heart race and tugged at my memories of Cayuga Lake. It brought me home again. April’s journey is a reminder of the people I have met in all those places and really hits home. She is strong and she is a survivor and the people from that part of NY understand small town, desperation, loneliness , living off the land and the quiet. Bravo to an amazing and well written book and the narration was wonderful !
I feel like Allison Larkin could be my best friend.

Worth the credit

Good story of one young women’s adolescent years. Good writing, great narrator. I like to reserve the five stars for books I can’t put down and stay with me long after, but I enjoyed this book , it was very solid all around.