Far and Away

A Novel

By: Amy Poeppel

Narrated by: Patti Murin, Lisa Flanagan, Jennifer Jill Araya, Kevin R. Free, Pete Simonelli

The “absolutely hilarious” (Real Simple) Amy Poeppel delights once again with a charming new novel about a house swap gone wonderfully awry.

Perfect strangers Lucy and Greta have agreed to a house swap—and boy, are they going to regret it.

Lucy’s hometown of Dallas has gone from home sweet home to vicious snake pit in the blink of an eye after her son makes a mistake he can’t undo. And Greta’s beloved flat in Berlin is suddenly up for grabs when her husband Otto takes a dream job in Texas without even telling her. In their rush to leave town, Lucy and Greta make a deal, pack their bags, and—thanks to martinis, desperation, and some very rusty German—have absolutely no idea what they’re getting themselves into.

Trading Southern charm and barbecue for European sophistication and schnitzel, the two women get a lot more than a change of scenery as they move into each other’s houses, neighborhoods, and lives. Greta and Lucy’s husbands are no help: Otto is winning over his colleagues, swimming laps in the backyard pool, and rooting for the Rangers, while Lucy’s husband is doing a six-month stretch out west, either in a NASA biosphere or in jail, depending on who you ask. Meanwhile, Greta’s daughter Emmi and Lucy’s son Jack get tossed into each other’s orbits, where they both discover secrets they can’t ignore.

When Greta’s biggest career achievement—the buzzworthy purchase of a Vermeer at auction—is thrown into question and Lucy’s past with a hot Viking named Bjørn invades her present, the two women need each other in ways they never could have imagined. Through jet lag, culture shock, suspiciously nice neighbors, and scandals that refuse to be left behind, Lucy and Greta will have to decide if they can ever go home again.

Critic reviews

"Narrated by an ensemble, Poeppel’s novel is delightful. Berliners Greta and her husband need a place to live in Dallas when he takes a one-year position there without discussing it with her. Lucy needs to flee Dallas quickly after her teenage son makes a mistake that puts his future in jeopardy. Connected by a mutual contact, Lucy and her children head to Berlin to stay in Greta’s antique-filled apartment, while Greta and her husband move into a modern home in the sprawling suburbs of Dallas. Patti Murin’s Lucy and Lisa Flanagan’s Greta are perfect matches for the two matriarchs. The supporting characters, especially Lucy’s parents, are funny; the international mishaps are entertaining; and the German dialogue sprinkled throughout make this modern home-swap story a must-listen."

Great Storylines!

I thought this would be similar to The Holiday (which I enjoyed), but it was not! The only parallel was the house swap. That said, I loved this book. I rooted for (almost) every character. It was paced well and I felt truly invested in the outcome of each character’s story and POV. I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this book.

Peacefully chaotic

Enjoyed this one just as I did The Sweet Spot. Great narration and character development. I enjoyed each of the POV’s whereas sometimes there’s one you want to skip past. Engaging and if you like things tied up with bow you’ll find it here.

Great story, narration was hit and miss

Story is great but some of the narration was quite poor. The main characters Lucy and Gretha were excellent, but the rest of the performances (esp Jack) were not good.