Erin Bennett narrates nine short stories, chapters, and novellas, each based on beloved characters from the author's published novels, most of which take place on Nantucket. Bennett gives background on the new material and which published work it builds on. Some of these stories are prequels, some sequels, and some additional chapters that add to the original story. All are enriched by the gentle pace and emotional depth of Bennett's portrayals of characters. She embodies a Nantucket summer, complete with boozy evenings and extravagant lifestyles. This production is especially for Hilderbrand fans who have wondered what happened to a favorite character after an earlier book ended or what happened to a character to make them act the way they did. Bennett answers those questions with finesse.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
Duration: 13 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668609606
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The narrators complement each other as they deliver these stories.
Seven narrators perform this short story collection featuring characters living in Philadelphia. Many of the characters deal with society’s fatphobia, navigating a landscape of diet culture and obsession with thinness. The ensemble cast highlights the unique qualities of every story, making each viewpoint character sound distinct. All the narrators possess a sense of emotional depth that teases out the best of Eisenberg’s prose. In “Beauty,” Samantha Desz perfectly captures the loneliness and emotional complexity of the protagonist as her sense of self fluctuates as she posts videos of herself on the internet doing makeup routines.
The narrators complement each other as they deliver these stories.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 6 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593908167
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
Tóibín empathetically describes characters in extreme moments, and the narrators bring their experiences...
Melancholy hangs like a low cloud over these powerful stories of displacement, adjustment, and self-revelation. Both Derbhle Crotty and Darragh Shannon deliver nuanced and persuasive performances, giving structure and meaning to the often spare and restrained prose. Their Irish accents add music to the proceedings. Shannon offers rich characterizations, and Crotty's pacing is thoughtful; she gets inside the protagonist’s head especially well in the novella-length concluding piece, “The Catalan Girls.” That story follows three sisters who spend most of their lives in Argentina before returning home to Catalonia. Two of the most affecting stories, “Sleep” and the title story, provide different takes on loss.
Tóibín empathetically describes characters in extreme moments, and the narrators bring their experiences eloquently to life.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 29 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797104768
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
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