Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Without doubt. I clicked on the sample and had the most wonderful surprise when I realised that the narrator is actually someone who I have encountered before, albeit accessed in a different way. I have many, many recordings by this narrator and she is, without doubt, one of my all time favourite performers. Her voice is so distinctive that I recognised her within the first sentence so I can say without hesitation that any new listener will not be disappointed. She delivers yet another flawless performance to this story and I loved it from beginning to end. One of her talents is reading a story and putting enough emotion into it to drive it along but still somehow leaving enough room for a listener to interpret it for themselves. As brilliant and understated today as she was on my first listen to her many years ago. I can't wait to hear more of her work now she is available on Audible. Outstanding!
What did you like best about this story?
It was funny, emotional and, above all, very well done in terms of character development and the central theme of family. There were a few hiccups - for instance, one of the characters near the end dropped not one, not two but three HUGE bombshells on his traditional parents and they accepted them with barely a pause but overall it was very entertaining. If you like well thought out, gentle builds to a satisfying happy ending then I throughly recommend this.
Which character – as performed by Jenny Urban – was your favourite?
Due to Jenny's delivery style this isn't really a relevent question as she doesn't follow a lot of narrators and try and differentiate through the use of accent or pitch. Her style is so clean and well delivered that she doesn't need to. Both the main characters are performed very well, as are the supporting cast.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I laughed several times and did have a lump in my throat once or twice, not unusual where Jenny is concerned!
Any additional comments?
I'm not sure that Jenny would get these reviews automatically or if she just checks the site occasionally but I just want to say that I am SO glad to find that she's gone 'professional'. This was a fantastic find and I'm so glad I bought it. The delivery really is flawless and it added so much to the source. If anyone is dithering over buying the book because the narrator is a woman then please take a chance, I promise you won't regret it!