
It Is Well
A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $25.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Malcolm Hillgartner
-
By:
-
James D. Shipman
About this listen
Jonathan Beecher, a middle-aged widower and small-town store owner, has never asked for much. But lately, all too much is being asked of him. The bombing of Pearl Harbor plunges America into World War II and deeply fractures Jonathan's own family. His eldest son, a civilian contractor, is trapped on a Japanese-occupied island in the Pacific. Jonathan's feckless younger son ignores his father's pleas to stay home and joins the army. And his bright, devoted daughter, who Jonathan hoped would go to college, elopes with a brutally abusive man instead.
Jonathan has always met adversity with quiet faith, but as his emotional and financial losses accumulate, so do his doubts. In the midst of his pain, Sarah, a widow herself, emerges as a kind, compelling friend. Powerfully drawn to Sarah, Jonathan struggles to remain true to his late wife.
James D. Shipman's tender, wise novel examines the paradox of human suffering: how irrevocable loss, if we are willing to let it, begets spiritual gain.
©2016 James D. Shipman. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
This Terrible Beauty
- A Novel
- By: Katrin Schumann
- Narrated by: Kathleen Gati, Robert Fass
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the windswept shores of an East German island, Bettina Heilstrom struggles to build a life from the ashes. World War II has ended, and her country is torn apart. Longing for a family, she marries Werner, an older bureaucrat who adores her. But after joining the fledgling secret police, he is drawn deep into its dark mission and becomes a dangerous man.
-
-
Riveting
- By Julia Bienek on 03-09-20
By: Katrin Schumann
-
The Brighter the Light
- By: Mary Ellen Taylor
- Narrated by: Megan Tusing
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a shipwreck surfaces, old secrets are sure to follow. Or so goes the lore in Ivy Neale’s hometown of Nags Head, North Carolina. When Ivy inherits her family’s beachfront cottage upon her grandmother’s death, she knows returning to Nags Head means facing the best friend and the boyfriend who betrayed her years ago. But then a winter gale uncovers the shipwreck of local legend—and Ivy soon begins to stumble across more skeletons in the closet than just her own.
-
-
Amateurish
- By RueRue on 07-16-22
-
A Bitter Rain
- By: James D. Shipman
- Narrated by: David deVries
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
East Prussia, Nazi Germany, 1939. History professor Erik Mueller is a model citizen and a family man. He's also a decorated sergeant in the Gestapo. Proving his courage on the battlefields of Poland and the Soviet Union, and proud of the German army's victories across Europe, he embraces what he thinks is the righteousness of the Third Reich's cause. But his loyalties are soon tested when he crosses paths with his old university friend Trude Bensheim.
-
-
Excellent book
- By Ann McNeil on 12-21-17
By: James D. Shipman
-
She's Up to No Good
- A Novel
- By: Sara Goodman Confino
- Narrated by: Holly Linneman
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four years into her marriage, Jenna is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. With time on her hands and her life in flux, she agrees to accompany her eccentric grandmother Evelyn on a road trip to the seaside Massachusetts town where much of their family history was shaped. When they hit the road, Evelyn spins the tale of the star-crossed teenage romance that captured her heart more than seventy years ago and changed the course of her life.
-
-
a feel good story
- By Zingisa on 11-22-22
-
Going Home
- A Novel of the Civil War
- By: James D. Shipman
- Narrated by: David deVries
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brought to the New World from Ireland, young Joseph Forsyth is soon betrayed by his alcoholic father and separated from his beloved family. As he grows older, he finds his kind nature exploited by others - including an alluring young woman named Lucy - until he gets swept away by the conflict that divides a nation.
-
-
A rollercoaster ride. I couldn't put it down.
- By Mindy Pellegrini on 10-23-15
By: James D. Shipman
-
Morning in This Broken World
- A Novel
- By: Katrina Kittle
- Narrated by: Krystal Hammond
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Grieving but feisty widow Vivian Laurent is at a late-in-life crossroads. The man she loved is gone. Their only daughter is estranged and missing. And the assisted-living facility where her husband died is going into quarantine. Living in lockdown with only heartache and memories is something Vivian can’t bear. Then comes a saving grace.
-
-
Great narration & likable characters
- By Thinker on 09-26-23
By: Katrina Kittle
-
This Terrible Beauty
- A Novel
- By: Katrin Schumann
- Narrated by: Kathleen Gati, Robert Fass
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the windswept shores of an East German island, Bettina Heilstrom struggles to build a life from the ashes. World War II has ended, and her country is torn apart. Longing for a family, she marries Werner, an older bureaucrat who adores her. But after joining the fledgling secret police, he is drawn deep into its dark mission and becomes a dangerous man.
-
-
Riveting
- By Julia Bienek on 03-09-20
By: Katrin Schumann
-
The Brighter the Light
- By: Mary Ellen Taylor
- Narrated by: Megan Tusing
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a shipwreck surfaces, old secrets are sure to follow. Or so goes the lore in Ivy Neale’s hometown of Nags Head, North Carolina. When Ivy inherits her family’s beachfront cottage upon her grandmother’s death, she knows returning to Nags Head means facing the best friend and the boyfriend who betrayed her years ago. But then a winter gale uncovers the shipwreck of local legend—and Ivy soon begins to stumble across more skeletons in the closet than just her own.
-
-
Amateurish
- By RueRue on 07-16-22
-
A Bitter Rain
- By: James D. Shipman
- Narrated by: David deVries
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
East Prussia, Nazi Germany, 1939. History professor Erik Mueller is a model citizen and a family man. He's also a decorated sergeant in the Gestapo. Proving his courage on the battlefields of Poland and the Soviet Union, and proud of the German army's victories across Europe, he embraces what he thinks is the righteousness of the Third Reich's cause. But his loyalties are soon tested when he crosses paths with his old university friend Trude Bensheim.
-
-
Excellent book
- By Ann McNeil on 12-21-17
By: James D. Shipman
-
She's Up to No Good
- A Novel
- By: Sara Goodman Confino
- Narrated by: Holly Linneman
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four years into her marriage, Jenna is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. With time on her hands and her life in flux, she agrees to accompany her eccentric grandmother Evelyn on a road trip to the seaside Massachusetts town where much of their family history was shaped. When they hit the road, Evelyn spins the tale of the star-crossed teenage romance that captured her heart more than seventy years ago and changed the course of her life.
-
-
a feel good story
- By Zingisa on 11-22-22
-
Going Home
- A Novel of the Civil War
- By: James D. Shipman
- Narrated by: David deVries
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brought to the New World from Ireland, young Joseph Forsyth is soon betrayed by his alcoholic father and separated from his beloved family. As he grows older, he finds his kind nature exploited by others - including an alluring young woman named Lucy - until he gets swept away by the conflict that divides a nation.
-
-
A rollercoaster ride. I couldn't put it down.
- By Mindy Pellegrini on 10-23-15
By: James D. Shipman
-
Morning in This Broken World
- A Novel
- By: Katrina Kittle
- Narrated by: Krystal Hammond
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Grieving but feisty widow Vivian Laurent is at a late-in-life crossroads. The man she loved is gone. Their only daughter is estranged and missing. And the assisted-living facility where her husband died is going into quarantine. Living in lockdown with only heartache and memories is something Vivian can’t bear. Then comes a saving grace.
-
-
Great narration & likable characters
- By Thinker on 09-26-23
By: Katrina Kittle
-
Night Angels
- A Novel
- By: Weina Dai Randel
- Narrated by: Angela Lin, Jesse Vilinsky, Feodor Chin
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1938. Dr. Ho Fengshan, consul general of China, is posted in Vienna with his American wife, Grace. Shy and ill at ease with the societal obligations of diplomats’ wives, Grace is an outsider in a city beginning to feel the sweep of the Nazi dragnet. When Grace forms a friendship with her Jewish tutor, Lola Schnitzler, Dr. Ho requests that Grace keep her distance. His instructions are to maintain amicable relations with the Third Reich, and he and Grace are already under their vigilant eye.
-
-
Couldn’t finish
- By Ingrid Olsen-Young on 03-17-23
By: Weina Dai Randel
-
The Secret Stealers
- A Novel
- By: Jane Healey
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna Cavanaugh is a restless young widow and brilliant French teacher at an all-girls school in Washington, DC. Everything changes when she’s recruited into the Office of Strategic Services by family friend and legendary WWI hero Major General William Donovan. Donovan has faith in her - and in all his “glorious amateurs” who are becoming Anna’s fast friends: Maggie, Anna’s down-to-earth mentor; Irene, who’s struggling to find support from her husband for her clandestine life; and Julia, a cheerful OSS liaison.
-
-
Sing-song Narration
- By D. N. Fox on 05-24-21
By: Jane Healey
-
A Girl Called Samson
- A Novel
- By: Amy Harmon
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1760, Deborah Samson is born to Puritan parents in Plympton, Massachusetts. When her father abandons the family and her mother is unable to support them, Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant. From that moment on, she yearns for a life of liberation and adventure. Twenty years later, as the American colonies begin to buckle in their battle for independence, Deborah, impassioned by the cause, disguises herself as a soldier and enlists in the Continental Army.
-
-
Alternate facts
- By Kay on 04-20-23
By: Amy Harmon
-
Wild, Beautiful, and Free
- A Novel
- By: Sophfronia Scott
- Narrated by: Channie Waites
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born the daughter of an enslaved woman and a Louisiana plantation owner, Jeannette Bébinn is raised alongside her white half sister—until her father suddenly dies. His vindictive wife refuses twelve-year-old Jeannette her inheritance and sells her into slavery. Now on her own, Jeannette must fight the injustices she faces because of her mixed race. She escapes enslavement and travels from Mississippi to Philadelphia to New York to Ohio, all while searching for purpose, love, and her place in a country torn asunder by the burgeoning Civil War.
-
-
Beautiful
- By AP on 05-19-23
By: Sophfronia Scott
-
Rich Blood
- Jason Rich, Book 1
- By: Robert Bailey
- Narrated by: Joe Knezevich
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Attorney Jason Rich has made a fortune off other people’s bad luck. His billboard slogan—“In an accident? Get Rich!”—accosts motorists on highways from Alabama to Florida. As ambulance chasers go, he’s exceptional. But after a recent divorce and a stint in rehab, Jason has hit a rough patch. And things only get worse when his sister, Jana, is accused of her husband’s murder. Even though Jason has no experience trying criminal cases, Jana begs him to represent her.
-
-
Excellent Story
- By lorre james on 12-16-22
By: Robert Bailey
-
The Girl Beneath the Sea
- A Thriller (Underwater Investigation Unit, Book 1)
- By: Andrew Mayne
- Narrated by: Susannah Jones
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Coming from scandalous Florida treasure hunters and drug smugglers, Sloan McPherson is forging her own path, for herself and for her daughter, out from under her family’s shadow. An auxiliary officer for Lauderdale Shores PD, she’s the go-to diver for evidence recovery. Then Sloan finds a fresh kill floating in a canal - a woman whose murky history collides with Sloan’s. Their troubling ties are making Sloan less a potential witness than a suspect. And her colleagues aren’t the only ones following every move she makes. So is the killer.
-
-
Investigator with quirky but helpful family...
- By shelley on 05-02-20
By: Andrew Mayne
-
A Curve in the Road
- By: Julianne MacLean
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abbie MacIntyre is living the dream in the picturesque Nova Scotia town she calls home. She is a successful surgeon, is married to a handsome cardiologist, and has a model teenage son who is only months away from going off to college. But then one fateful night, everything changes. When a drunk driver hits her car, Abbie is rushed to the hospital. She survives, but the accident forces unimaginable secrets out into the open and plagues Abbie with nightmares so vivid that she starts to question her grip on reality.
-
-
✫✫ 3.5 Stars ✫✫
- By ❤️Cyndi Marie❤️🎧Audiobook Addicts🎧 on 10-28-18
By: Julianne MacLean
-
Half in Shadow
- A Novel
- By: Gemma Liviero
- Narrated by: Sarah Naughton, Alex Wyndham
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1915. In German-occupied Belgium, a tragic loss forces Josephine Descharmes to navigate dangerous new territory. By day it’s compliance, serving German officers at the Hotel Métropole. By night it’s resistance, working with her brothers underground to help Allied soldiers and civilians cross the border into Holland. Both paths put her and her family at great risk. As Josephine struggles to keep her family safe, Arthur, a grief-stricken English soldier trapped behind enemy lines, finds purpose and hope with Josephine and her work.
-
-
Outstanding!
- By H. Painter on 02-13-22
By: Gemma Liviero
-
In a Field of Blue
- A Novel
- By: Gemma Liviero
- Narrated by: Steve West, Sarah Naughton, Will M. Watt, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England 1922. It’s been four years since Rudy’s brother Edgar went missing in war-torn France. Still deep in mourning and grappling with unanswered questions, Rudy and his mother struggle to move on. When the enigmatic Mariette arrives unexpectedly at the family’s manor claiming to be Edgar’s widow, and the mother of his child, Rudy urges her to stay, hoping she’ll shed light on the missing pieces.
-
-
WWI French Gypsies
- By Commoncent$ on 05-16-20
By: Gemma Liviero
-
Light to the Hills
- A Novel
- By: Bonnie Blaylock
- Narrated by: Shannon McManus
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The folks in the Kentucky Appalachians are scraping by. Coal mining and hardscrabble know-how are a way of life for these isolated people. But when Amanda Rye, a young widowed mother and traveling packhorse librarian, comes through a mountain community hit hard by the nation’s economic collapse, she brings with her hope, courage, and apple pie.
-
-
I love this story!
- By Robert on 12-01-22
By: Bonnie Blaylock
-
Beneath a Scarlet Sky
- A Novel
- By: Mark Sullivan
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 17 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He's a normal Italian teenager - obsessed with music, food, and girls - but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior. In an attempt to protect him, Pino's parents force him to enlist as a German soldier - a move they think will keep him out of combat.
-
-
The Best Thing? It Really Happened!
- By Chip Atkinson on 08-07-17
By: Mark Sullivan
-
The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency
- By: Lydia Travers
- Narrated by: Helen McAlpine
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid, Daisy, form a detective agency, they never dream their first case will take place at a glamorous house in the Scottish Highlands. But when the duchess of Duddingston, concerned that a notorious jewelry thief will target her lavish weekend party, employs Maud to go undercover as a guest to find the culprit, the agency has its first case to solve....
-
-
Many mysteries in one!
- By Kathy W. on 07-12-23
By: Lydia Travers
What listeners say about It Is Well
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jennifer McMurtrie
- 12-04-17
Adequate to tell story
This book told a story, but there was no real artistry to it. The characters were one dimensional and fell flat. If it weren't for my weird desire to know how it ends (with all books in general, not just this one) I wouldn't have finished the book. It isn't often I feel that way.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mary J
- 01-20-18
3.5 Stars
The story is set during World War II. It follows the members of the Beecher family. We learn about Jonathan, the father who lost his wife to cancer, his two sons Matthew and Luke and his daughter Mary. We see that each character is not perfect and they each have their own vulnerability and challenges. They are after all human.
Johnathan made a promise to his late wife on her deathbed not to marry again and he believes he has to honor that promise and he works hard to keep his store and keep his promise. Matthew the oldest son left town to try and be more independent. and ends up on an island in the Pacific working as a contractor. Luke the younger son is reckless and joined the army against his father's wishes. Mary, the daughter, marries a man she barely knows and becomes a victim of domestic violence.
The author did do his research and the story does seem to be historically accurate. I had a hard time connecting with Luke or should I say liking the character. He liked to play practical jokes and did things that I thought were horrible in an effort to be liked. In the end he became a changed man and did the honorable thing. I had more of a hard time reading about the domestic violence part than the violence of the war but otherwise liked the story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Grayce Isallthat Matters
- 02-13-18
Excellent story!
The story was engaging from the beginning and heartwarming to the very end. Highly recommended!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MatterPatterns
- 11-06-16
Unexpected...in a good way.
I admit I have loved learning about WWII history my whole life; which is what caught my interest. While the war was in the story it definitely was only the backdrop.
A man, a father & widower, who is trying to live what he believes is a righteous life. His faith is beaten down by work, confusion, loss, parenthood, and the mystery of God we all understand can be frustrating when all you want is clear direction.
This book was not just about the horror of the war or about the victories. It was about the struggle of faith when you try so hard to do what is right. The winding of God and the Holy Spirit (though it is never called that) constantly needing to be sought through the confusion of everyday life.
I thoroughly enjoyed how 'real' the emotion and struggle are portrayed.
I did not give it 5 stars because it was somewhat redundant with the main character. I know many times that would be more accurate to real life, but a book doing it so often makes it drag.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Wanda
- 01-23-20
Engaging historical fiction
only frustration was main character's inability to get beyond his past until he had fallen so far... found myself scolding him as I listened
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lana Lee Plum
- 03-06-18
Story of the Beecher Family
World War II changed the lives of the Beecher family and all the people that lived in the town by the Snohomish river in Oregon. The characters are real and the life struggles realists and heart warming.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- S Mathis
- 05-16-20
captivating!
A realistic story that encouraged me to hold onto my faith in God! It also, helped me to understand my late father who, although served in a different war. This was a healing balm to my soul! Thank you!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- sandy
- 06-16-18
A good read
I liked Bitter Rain much better, but did enjoy this. I like this author. Jonathan was a little too whiny for me . Set an example of weakness to his children. Never saw his household for what it really was? The minister had to tell him? For one night he drinks and acts out and I have a feeling his new wife is never going to let that go the rest of his life! Good man though, I should not critizize.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- D.J. Acrey
- 01-07-18
Amazing Story!
I was really moved listening to this story, Mr.Hillgartner did an amazing job telling this story, he brought the characters off the pages and to life. This is not my normal genre but I did enjoy it much more than I thought I would.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Judy
- 02-08-18
More than just a love story!
This book gave me an education of the World Wars which made it more enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!