Blue Diary
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Narrated by:
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Joyce Bean
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By:
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Alice Hoffman
About this listen
Alice Hoffman, the bestselling author of The Rules of Magic, asks how we can find the courage to face the unthinkable in this compelling New York Times Notable Book.
When Ethan Ford fails to show up for work on a brilliant summer morning, none of his neighbors would guess that for more than thirteen years, he has been running from his past. His true nature has been locked away, as hidden as his real identity. But sometimes locks spring open, and the devastating truths of Ethan Ford's history shatter the small-town peace of Monroe, affecting family and friends alike.
Now, the police are at the door. Ethan Ford's life as an irreproachable family man and heroic volunteer fireman has come to an end - and Jorie Ford's life is coming apart. Some of the residents of Monroe are rallying behind Ethan. But others, including his wife and son, and wondering what remains true when so much is shown to be false - and how capable we really are of change.
©2004 Alice Hoffman (P)2004 Brilliance Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Story
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I love this Alice Hoffman novel!
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Almost. Not quite there.
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Amazing!
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Wonderful Wonderful - In Every Way
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good book bad reader
- By C. Carlson on 08-07-08
By: Jane Smiley
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Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules (Unabridged Selections)
- By: Edited by David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris, Mary-Louise Parker, Cherry Jones
- Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules is a collection of short stories, some classic, others impending, selected and introduced by David Sedaris.
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Great stories but only 5 of 17 are included
- By Terri Kirk on 07-13-12
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In the Blink of an Eye
- By: Wendy Corsi Staub
- Narrated by: Allyson Ryan
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Welcome to Lily Dale, New York...a sleepy summer resort, home to a population of psychics, and the place where Julia Garrity and Kristin Shuttleworth formed a fast friendship broken only by death. Ten Summer Street is no ordinary house. It was there, 15 years ago, that Kristin saw something on a Halloween night that would haunt her until the end of her days. Since then, Julia has watched both Kristin and her mother fall prey to whomever - or whatever - lurks there.
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Worst narrator
- By Jenn S. on 05-16-21
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Shadow Show
- All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury
- By: Sam Weller - editor, Mort Castle - editor
- Narrated by: George Takei, Edward Herrmann, Kate Mulgrew, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Ray Bradbury - peerless storyteller, poet of the impossible, and one of America's most beloved authors - is a literary giant whose remarkable career spanned seven decades. Now 26 of today's most diverse and celebrated authors offer new short works in honor of the master; stories of heart, intelligence, and dark wonder from a remarkable range of creative artists.
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THE MAN WHO FORGOT RAY BRADBURY
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 05-27-17
By: Sam Weller - editor, and others
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To See the Moon Again
- By: Jamie Langston Turner
- Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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The first step to letting go of the past is forgiving it …Every day of her life Julia Rich lives with the memory of a horrible accident she caused long ago. In the years since, she has tried to hide her guilt in the quiet routine of teaching at a small South Carolina college, avoiding close relationships with family and would-be friends. But one day a phone call from Carmen, a niece she has never met, disrupts her carefully controlled world.
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Beautiful Story of Forgiveness and Selfless Love
- By sharon on 09-20-14
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Saints for All Occasions
- A Novel
- By: J. Courtney Sullivan
- Narrated by: Susan Denaker
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Nora and Theresa Flynn are 21 and 17 when they leave their small village in Ireland and journey to America. Nora is the responsible sister; she's shy and serious and engaged to a man she isn't sure that she loves. Theresa is gregarious; she is thrilled by their new life in Boston and besotted with the fashionable dresses and dance halls on Dudley Street. But when Theresa ends up pregnant, Nora is forced to come up with a plan - a decision with repercussions they are both far too young to understand.
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The narration ruined it
- By Janis Reynolds on 06-12-17
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Take a Chance on Me
- By: Susan May Warren
- Narrated by: Carol Monda
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Darek Christiansen is almost a dream bachelor - oldest son in the large Christiansen clan, heir to their historic Evergreen Lake Resort, and doting father. But he's also wounded and angry since the tragic death of his wife, Felicity. No woman in Deep Haven dares come near. New assistant county attorney Ivy Madison simply doesn't know any better when she bids on Darek at the charity auction. Nor does she know that when she crafted a plea bargain three years ago to keep Jensen Atwood out of jail and in Deep Haven fulfilling community service, she was releasing the man responsible for Felicity's death.
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Finally!!!!
- By Andrea on 10-12-16
By: Susan May Warren
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On Mystic Lake
- A Novel
- By: Kristin Hannah
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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On the day her daughter leaves for college, Anne Colwater's husband of 20 years announces he wants a divorce. Her roles of wife and mother suddenly gone, Annie retreats to her childhood home of Mystic, Washington, to heal. There she finds her old friend Nick, suddenly widowed and unable to cope with his emotionally scarred young daughter, Izzie.
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Never been so disappointed
- By Anonymous User on 12-28-10
By: Kristin Hannah
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The Lemon Orchard
- A Novel
- By: Luanne Rice
- Narrated by: Blair Brown
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In the five years since Julia last visited her aunt and uncle’s home in Malibu, her life has been turned upside down by her daughter’s death. She expects to find nothing more than peace and solitude as she house-sits with only her dog, Bonnie, for company. But she finds herself drawn to the handsome man who oversees the lemon orchard. Roberto expertly tends the trees, using the money to support his extended Mexican family. What connection could these two people share? The answer comes as Roberto reveals the heartbreaking story of his own loss – a pain Julia knows all too well, but for one striking difference: Roberto’s daughter was lost but never found. And despite the odds he cannot bear to give up hope.
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Great story about a tragic condition
- By Nancy I. Landrum on 10-23-24
By: Luanne Rice
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The Star Side of Bird Hill
- By: Naomi Jackson
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Two sisters, ages 10 and 16, are exiled from Brooklyn to Bird Hill in Barbados, after their mother can no longer care for them. The young Phaedra and her older sister, Dionne, live, for the summer of 1989, with their grandmother, Hyacinth, a midwife and practitioner of the local spiritual practice of obeah. Dionne spends the summer in search of love, testing her grandmother's limits, and wanting to go home. Phaedra explores Bird Hill, where her family has lived for generations.
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My absolute favorite book of all time
- By Eme on 07-16-15
By: Naomi Jackson
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From the town’s founder, a brave young woman from England who has no fear of blizzards or bears, to the young man who runs away to New York City, the characters in The Red Garden are extraordinary and vivid: a young wounded Civil War soldier who is saved by a neighbor, a woman who meets a fiercely human historical character, a poet who falls in love with a blind man, a mysterious traveler who comes to town in the year when summer never arrives.
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Amazing book - I listened twice!
- By Rachelle on 03-19-11
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Women of the Sparrow family have unusual gifts. Elinor can detect falsehood. Her daughter, Jenny, can see people's dreams when they sleep. Granddaughter Stella has a mental window to the future - a future that she might not want to see.
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Nice, gentle story for when you feel bad.
- By Anonymous User on 05-28-17
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Stellar Novel by Hoffman Once Again
- By lil' old me on 07-29-16
By: Alice Hoffman
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Illumination Night
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Illumination Night follows the lives of a young blond giant who is as beautiful as he is frightening; an old woman at the end of her life whose last mission is to save her granddaughter's soul; a family torn apart by a wife's fears and a husband's unrealized desires; and the high school girl who comes to Martha's Vineyard against her will, who steals husbands and cars, and who will bring everyone together in a web of yearning, sin, and ultimate redemption.
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Didn't like the characters but....
- By Tobi on 09-20-15
By: Alice Hoffman
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Here on Earth
- By: Alice Hoffman
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March Murray, along with her 15-year-old daughter, Gwen, returns to the small Massachusetts town where she grew up to attend the funeral of Judith Dale, the beloved housekeeper who raised her. After nearly 20 years of living in California, March is thrust into the world of her past.
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The magical realm of Alice Hoffman
- By Brendolynne on 07-09-12
By: Alice Hoffman
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Faithful
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Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend's future is destroyed in an accident while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt. What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor filled with emotion, from dark suffering to true happiness - a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world.
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Lovely
- By Beth on 11-10-16
By: Alice Hoffman
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The Red Garden
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From the town’s founder, a brave young woman from England who has no fear of blizzards or bears, to the young man who runs away to New York City, the characters in The Red Garden are extraordinary and vivid: a young wounded Civil War soldier who is saved by a neighbor, a woman who meets a fiercely human historical character, a poet who falls in love with a blind man, a mysterious traveler who comes to town in the year when summer never arrives.
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Amazing book - I listened twice!
- By Rachelle on 03-19-11
By: Alice Hoffman
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The Probable Future
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Women of the Sparrow family have unusual gifts. Elinor can detect falsehood. Her daughter, Jenny, can see people's dreams when they sleep. Granddaughter Stella has a mental window to the future - a future that she might not want to see.
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Nice, gentle story for when you feel bad.
- By Anonymous User on 05-28-17
By: Alice Hoffman
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The Third Angel
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- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Nancy Travis
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Headstrong Madeleine Heller finds herself hopelessly attracted to her sister’s fiancé. Frieda Lewis, a doctor’s daughter and a runaway, becomes the muse of an ill-fated rock star. And beautiful Bryn Evans is set to marry an Englishman while secretly obsessed with her ex-husband. At the heart of the novel is Lucy Green, who blames herself for a tragic accident she witnessed at the age of 12, and who spends four decades searching for the Third Angel - the angel on Earth who will renew her faith.
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Stellar Novel by Hoffman Once Again
- By lil' old me on 07-29-16
By: Alice Hoffman
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Illumination Night follows the lives of a young blond giant who is as beautiful as he is frightening; an old woman at the end of her life whose last mission is to save her granddaughter's soul; a family torn apart by a wife's fears and a husband's unrealized desires; and the high school girl who comes to Martha's Vineyard against her will, who steals husbands and cars, and who will bring everyone together in a web of yearning, sin, and ultimate redemption.
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Didn't like the characters but....
- By Tobi on 09-20-15
By: Alice Hoffman
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Here on Earth
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- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
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Overall
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March Murray, along with her 15-year-old daughter, Gwen, returns to the small Massachusetts town where she grew up to attend the funeral of Judith Dale, the beloved housekeeper who raised her. After nearly 20 years of living in California, March is thrust into the world of her past.
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The magical realm of Alice Hoffman
- By Brendolynne on 07-09-12
By: Alice Hoffman
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Faithful
- A Novel
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Amber Tamblyn
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend's future is destroyed in an accident while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt. What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor filled with emotion, from dark suffering to true happiness - a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world.
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Lovely
- By Beth on 11-10-16
By: Alice Hoffman
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Fortune's Daughter
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Carrington McDuffie
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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This fierce and beautiful story charts the histories of two women: Rae, young, unmarried, and far from home, awaits the birth of her first child. Lila, a fortune-teller with no interest in the future, lost her own daughter more than a quarter of a century earlier in New York. When these two women meet in Southern California, it's earthquake weather - the time when unexpected things happen.
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I Think I Like You, Alice Hoffman
- By Jan on 07-05-14
By: Alice Hoffman
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The World That We Knew
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At the time when the world changed, Hanni Kohn knows she must send her 12-year-old daughter away to save her from the Nazi regime. Her desperation leads her to Ettie, the daughter of a rabbi whose years spent eavesdropping on her father enables her to create a mystical Jewish creature, a rare and unusual golem, who is sworn to protect Hanni’s daughter, Lea.
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Not Her Best
- By Phyllis on 10-05-19
By: Alice Hoffman
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The River King
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
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For more than a century, the small town of Haddan, Massachusetts, has been divided, as if by a line drawn down the center of Main Street, separating those born and bred in the village from those who attend the prestigious Haddan School. But one October night, an inexplicable death thrusts the two worlds together, and the town's divided history is revealed in all its complexity.
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The narration speed was horrible !
- By Kimberly on 02-01-13
By: Alice Hoffman
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Turtle Moon
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Sandra Burr
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Turtle Moon transports the listener to Verity, Florida, a place where anything can happen during the month of May, when migrating sea turtles come to town, mistaking the glow of the streetlights for the moon. A young single mother is murdered in her apartment and her baby is gone. Keith, a 12-year-old boy in the same apartment building also disappears. In pursuit of the baby, the boy and the killer, are Keith's divorced mother and a cop who himself was once considered the meanest boy in town.
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An enchanting story
- By A.J. on 05-09-11
By: Alice Hoffman
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Nightbird
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Jenna Lamia
- Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Twig lives in Sidwell, where people whisper that fairy tales are real. After all, her town is rumored to hide a monster. And 200 years ago, a witch placed a curse on Twig's family that was meant to last forever. But this summer, everything will change when the red moon rises. It's time to break the spell.
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I love this Alice Hoffman novel!
- By Lee Ann on 07-25-17
By: Alice Hoffman
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Angel Landing
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Natalie, a therapist, is in love with Carter - but he is deeply dedicated to his environmental work, and the fate of their relationship takes a backseat to the fate of the planet. Then a new client walks into Natalie's office. He is an intriguing man, with an incredible tale to tell, and under his influence she faces questions about the direction of her own passion, the true meaning of commitment...and the possibility of finding the love she seeks - right in her own backyard.
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not a favorite
- By Olivia on 12-13-17
By: Alice Hoffman
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The Invisible Hour
- A Novel
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Jessie Mueller
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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One June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. The Scarlet Letter was written almost two hundred years earlier, but it seems to tell the story of Mia’s mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community—an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden. But how could this be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her?
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An exquisite story about love and libraries.
- By Lori A Benson on 09-26-23
By: Alice Hoffman
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The Drowning Season
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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The matriarch of a Long Island clan with a stubbornly suicidal son and a defiant, restless granddaughter, Esther has hired a Russian landscaper to watch over the family as well as the grounds of their secluded waterfront estate. But he has been watching Esther, too. And his love for her is growing wild enough to uproot them all.
By: Alice Hoffman
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The Ice Queen: A Novel: Booktrack Edition
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Nancy Travis
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Be careful what you wish for. A woman who was touched by tragedy as a child now lives a quiet life, keeping other people at a cool distance. She even believes she wants it that way. Then one day, she utters an idle wish and, while standing in her house, is struck by lightning. But instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event sparks a strange and powerful new beginning. She goes in search of Lazarus Jones, a fellow survivor who was struck dead, then simply got up and walked away. Perhaps this stranger who has seen death face-to-face can teach her to live without fear.
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Extremely distracting background music
- By Angela on 08-19-19
By: Alice Hoffman
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The Museum of Extraordinary Things
- A Novel
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Judith Light, Grace Gummer, Zach Appelman
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Coney Island: Coralie Sardie is the daughter of the impresario behind The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a boardwalk freak show that amazes and stimulates the crowds. An exceptional swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid in her father's "museum", alongside performers like the Wolfman, the Butterfly Girl, and a 100-year-old turtle. One night Coralie stumbles upon a striking young man photographing moonlit trees in the woods off the Hudson River.
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Captivating historical fiction+Hoffman interview!
- By Brendolynne on 06-04-14
By: Alice Hoffman
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Skylight Confessions: A Novel: Booktrack Edition
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Mare Winningham
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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On the night her father dies, Arlyn - a dreamy believer in destiny and love - is certain the man she is meant to be with will walk into her life. But fate seems to be playing a trick when cool, practical, and deliberate John Moody knocks on her door to ask for directions. Their difficult marriage leads them and their children to a house made of glass in the Connecticut countryside, to the avenues of Manhattan, and to the blue waters of Long Island Sound, all in a search for family and identity.
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Brilliant Hoffman Tale, Lousy sound effects
- By VioletWren on 01-26-19
By: Alice Hoffman
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Property Of
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Property Of is the book that launched a major literary career. In it, New York Times best-selling author Alice Hoffman introduces a lonely outsider who wants desperately to belong. She deeply envies the tough, sultry girls who wear mascara and black leather and hang with the local gang known as the Orphans. As the unnamed narrator determinedly tries to become the property of the gang's brooding leader, McKay, she will discover what can and cannot be possessed.
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Not my favorite
- By andi on 08-14-22
By: Alice Hoffman
What listeners say about Blue Diary
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- AGROSS
- 06-26-23
More
Great book but I wish there was more to this story. I’d love a sequel.
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- Tawnya Riddle
- 04-01-24
could not stop listening
This is a brilliant, beautiful story about love, loss, and the things that endure.
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- Jamie
- 08-08-19
Abrupt.....ending!!
I rated "overall" 5 stars because it would have been a very satisfying story if it had an ending. I guess there's a sequel out there somewhere. I'm going to look.
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- Lora S.
- 10-13-17
Medetation on consequences of secrets revealed
I found this book to be more of a long meditation on the consequences of secrets revealed, perceived betrayal, and acceptance of loss.
One day, over thirteen years after it happened, Kat Williams sees the face of her next-door neighbor on television in conjunction with a murder. She feels it is her duty to turn him in. But later on, she is sorry that she did.
Ethan Ford has been living an exemplary life in Monroe, Massachusetts since a few days after that long-ago murder. He had been on his way somewhere else when he happened to stop in Monroe for a drink and ran into Jory, the girl he eventually married. They have been madly, passionately in love ever since. And Ethan has been an active member of the volunteer fire department, a coach for the little league team, and the owner of a small business (he repairs and remodels homes) for much of that time. He and Jory have a son, Collie, who is Kat Williams’ best friend.
The people in Monroe have strong opinions about the murder charges. Some of them, jealous of Ethan and Jory’s happiness, are only too happy to believe the worst, and begin to vilify him publicly and insult Jory and Collie to their faces. But many of the others – those who have worked with him in the fire department, and in particular the plumber he works with on the home remodeling and the lawyer who coaches the little league team with him – are immediately certain that it can’t be true. Or that if it is, he should receive clemency for his good behavior ever since.
The most surprising reactions, however, are those of his wife and son. At first, of course, they are in shock and don’t believe it. But once Ethan confesses to them, they feel somehow betrayed, and while much of the rest of the town launches a campaign to save Ethan, Jory and Collie find they can no longer bear to face him.
Jory undertakes a journey to the scene of the crime trying to understand what happened. And somewhere along the way her relationship with her lifelong best friend, who has tried all along to be supportive, but who has just been diagnosed with cancer, becomes of more immediate importance to her than her relationship with the husband who kept such a devastating secret from her for more than a decade.
My favorite character is Kat. She is a rather hard bitter person for a young teenager, but some of this is because she has her own problems. Her father committed suicide almost exactly a year earlier, and she is still trying to deal with this. This allows her to understand Collie better and help him with his feelings. Her methods of working out her own salvation are interesting, to say the least.
I thought the narrator did a good job. I was a little taken aback by her accent for some of the characters at first until I realized she was giving them a Massachusetts accent. You get used to hearing southern, western, and country accents specifically given to characters. It is more unusual to hear discernable northern accents in a performance.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Roxie
- 09-30-22
Left me wanting the story to continue
Alice Hoffman has a writing style that pulls me into the story. She develops characters so well you feel like you know them and care what happens to them. This particular storyline could be a series!
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- Placeholder
- 09-15-12
Unlock the Mystery
What did you love best about Blue Diary?
The solid story.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Jory. Honest, fair and truly in love with her roles as wife, mother and friend.
Which scene was your favorite?
When Jory went searching for the truth about her husband.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When Jory decides to leave behind her old life in order to secure a better life for her son.
Any additional comments?
A well written page-turner.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Claudia Udy
- 06-30-22
Interesting
I really liked the reason for the story and the questions that arise. I do think people should be forgiven and that they do change … I understand the author may feel differently .., I am sure people in real life who have gone through something like this may feel differently but I was raised to forgive and I do.
I change . I have ever done anything terribly wrong to be forgiven … so this is not said to vindicate myself .
It is simply an approach to life .
But I also feel it is important to allow people to be who they are … and so I accept that this is another wonderful and compelling story from a most brilliant author that I admire tremendously.
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- Michele
- 09-02-12
like the author but was very disappointed
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
I have always liked Alice Hoffman but ordered this book by mistake and didn't even listen to the first hour =( It was very long and drawn out & much more dramatic thsn others by the same author.
Has Blue Diary turned you off from other books in this genre?
I will be more careful choosing books by Alice Hoffman.
How could the performance have been better?
The performance was too breathy and full of doom.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Blue Diary?
I couldn't even get that far into the book.
Any additional comments?
I will have to be moreful choosing books.
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Overall
- Lori
- 11-13-08
UGH
This is my first download for my new iPod Touch and I couldn't be more disappointed - the quality is terrible, where did they find this narrator??? It is unlistenable.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Joe the plumber
- 09-02-24
Meh
The reader's "Boston accent " was awful. It was more like a Brooklyn accent. Being from the North Shore myself, it was very distracting. I can't help but wonder if I would have liked the book more if I read it rather than listened. The story itself was ok but not at all believable that someone could change that much.
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