Beautifully written and beautifully narrated

I thoroughly enjoyed the tale of Lev and his journey home. The characters are so sensitively portrayed and Juliet Stevenson is quite simply the best narrator I have ever heard- her gorgeous voice can capture any accent/sex/age etc very accurately and the tone and nuances are always spot on! I actually search for audio books narrated by her now!!

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2 people found this helpful

Great story

Beautifully narrated by Juliet Stevenson, this book tells the heartbreaking but finally uplifting story of lev a Russian migrant. How hard life can be for some. Can recommend this book for a good read, but a bit slow in the beginning.

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6 people found this helpful

Rose Tremain is a superb storyteller

I was transported into another world and didn't want this story to end.
It's beautifully read too.

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1 person found this helpful

Beautiful and powerful

Enjoyed every moment…really makes you considered other people’s lives
and the experiences of those coming to the UK .. sad when it ended.

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A terrific experience

I recommend this as one of the best audible books I've listened to in the last year (and I've listened to a lot of good ones). I rapidly became lost in the world of Lev and his progress to the extent that I almost felt I might bump into him in London next week. The mood of the whole book is exquisite and perfectly paced and Juliet Stevenson's reading makes a terrific contribution to this. I'm always wary of 'accents', which can get in the way. But the combination of her own great voice and her effortless characterisation of everyone really enhanced the experience. Fantastic and memorable.

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13 people found this helpful

A treat

This is one of the most moving and enjoyable audiobooks I have had the pleasure of experiencing. The writing is spare, exact and beautiful and Juliet Stevenson’s reading is masterly, capturing all the accents perfectly and injecting just the right amount of pathos . It was a real treat!

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1 person found this helpful

Beautiful and Powerful

This was a wonderful story.
Compassionate, funny, raw, in parts uplifting!
Will stay with me

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The best audiobook ever?

I have listened to many audiobooks and I honestly think it would be almost impossible to better this one. There are two reasons I say this:

Frstly, I have only recently come across Rose Tremain and her books. She makes her characters very real and completely easy to empathise with (which is so important). She is also a comsummate story teller. This book shows both these things in spades.

Secondly, the perormance of this audiobook is quite exceptionally good. Juliet Stevenson is a truly gifted actor and her skill in portraying the different people in the story is quite outstanding. Also, I don't usually like musical interludes in an audiobook but those here somehow add to the narrative rather than detract from it.

The total package is therefore completely satisfying - I was so wrapped up in the book that (almost) everything else was ignored!

Brilliant.

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3 people found this helpful

A beautiful book, beautifully performed.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book. It is well written, heartwarming and ultimately optimistic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lev is the character whose journey the book is about. He has such simple integrity that you feel he will make his way despite setbacks.

What about Juliet Stevenson’s performance did you like?

Juliet Stevenson's performance is sublime. It is incredible how she makes each and every one of the characters authentic - her skill with voices (male or female) and accents is so impressive.
Her characterisation of Lev is inspired.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could have listened to this book all in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This is a book I will be listening to again because I just love the performance.

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A really good book

This is really good book - just listen to it - and enjoy this story.

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2 people found this helpful