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All My Puny Sorrows

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All My Puny Sorrows

By: Miriam Toews
Narrated by: Erin Moon
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About this listen

Elf and Yoli are sisters. While on the surface Elfrieda's life is enviable (she's a world-renowned pianist, glamorous, wealthy, and happily married,) and Yolandi's a mess (she's divorced and broke, with two teenagers growing up too quickly), they are fiercely close - raised in a Mennonite household and sharing the hardship of Elf's desire to end her life. After Elf's latest attempt, Yoli must quickly determine how to keep her family from falling apart, how to keep her own heart from breaking, and what it means to love someone who wants to die.

©2014 Miriam Toews (P)2014 Recorded Books Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt Funny Tear-jerking Fantasy Elf

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Loved this book, an honest and beautiful story of a family through the best and worst of life.

Honest and Beautiful

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This book should not be free. It’s funny it’s heartbreaking it’s the bonds of family and sisterhood. The struggle of holding on to someone who just wants to let go.

Wow

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Very intense book, that combines the dark humour with the sadness and helplessness of life

Deep and heartbreaking

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Hilarious, sad, rich, the book does everything so well and it's made all the better by the performance. I loved it so much, I bought the book too.

Narrator brought this book to a new level

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A thoughtful and thought provoking exploration of the idea of suicide as euthanasia for people suffering with mental illness. Miriam Toews skilful writing cleverly keeps its hand on the small of the reader’s back, steering us safely through ground that is painful at times, until we find ourselves back in the light. It’s an extraordinary novel.

Stunning, beautiful, devastating and joyous

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I am very pleased that I also have a hard copy of this beautifully written heart rending book, because unfortunately the narrator’s rather monotonous tone and neutral pace do not lift the words off the page, nor do they do justice to Miriam Toews very sensitive and partly autobiographical novel. This narration will not put me off reading more of Miriam Toews’ intriguing work, but I hope that future narrations will be more lively and pertinent.

A skillful mixture of humour, wise and witty observations woven into a thread of inextricable sadness.

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A poignant, yet often witty story, with fine attention to detail. A gentle and absorbing listen.

Beautiful writing

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This is a totally stunning, heart-wrenching, witty, 'real' book. I just loved it so much. I don't feel any words I can say will pay it the praise it deserves. All I can say is that I recommend it whole heartedly, especially if you are into novels exploring family dynamics, the unique bond between siblings, and have an appreciation for dark humour. I will forewarn that it is very focused on suicide and although Toews writes so sensitively and with such an original and contemplative way, I am aware that some may not find this a book they can read.

Toews Captures the love between sisters better than any other

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Love Miriam Toews' writing - honest, amusing, realistic. Despite the subject matter, amusing and uplifting, as well as being desperately sad, poignant and thought-provoking.

Pragmatic insight into mental illness

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I loved this book and felt so involved in the characters lives that I didn't want to end it! Miriam Toews is a beautiful writer, this story is all the more poignant that it came from true experiences. Her views on the mental health system, even though in Canada are very accurate and insightful .

Great read

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