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Bear: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
From the celebrated, bestselling author of Disappearing Earth comes a tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods—“a mesmerizing story about hope, sisterhood, and survival with a truly shocking twist at the end” (People, Book of the Week).
One of the Most Anticipated Books of the Summer: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, People, Vulture, Elle, Bustle, LitHub, Parade, Publishers Weekly, WBEZ Chicago
“Thrilling and propulsive, glorious and terrifying. Julia Phillips is a brilliant writer.”—Ann Patchett
“Beautiful and haunting . . . this is brilliant.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
They were sisters and they would last past the end of time.
Sam and Elena dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes while Elena bartends at the local golf club, but even together they can’t earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence.
Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it’s time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the desire to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.
A story about the bonds of sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among us—and within us—Bear is a propulsive, mythical, richly imagined novel from one of the most acclaimed young writers in America.
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"The critically acclaimed author of Disappearing Earth returns with this modern-day fable of two sisters and the mysterious animal that arrives on their shores. Sam and Elena, living an impoverished and isolated life off the coast of Washington, dream of escape—until the appearance of a strange bear upends their plans. Mythical and enchanting, Phillips’s second novel delves into sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among—and within—us all."
— Oprah Daily (One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2024)
Quotes
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Phillips is brilliant at balancing sharply drawn characters with finely woven plot and unnerving atmosphere.
— Lit Hub -
Bear takes us to a wild, captivating place, just as Phillips did in her debut, Disappearing Earth.
— Bookpage -
Mythical and enchanting, Phillips’s second novel delves into sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among—and within—us all.
— Oprah Daily (One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2024) -
Intense, moody, fierce, and relentlessly suspenseful, Bear is a modern-day fairy tale about the tenacious bonds and complexities of sisterhood. Readers will fall in love with these enchanting characters, as I did, and root for them to the breathtaking end.
— Angie Kim, bestselling author of Happiness Falls and Miracle Creek -
Julia Phillips’s rare and marvelous new novel weaves fairy-tale magic into a story of sisterhood, daughterhood, care, and devotion, while deftly illustrating the precarity of modern American life and the confines of social class. Building with quiet fury to its astonishing ending, Bear will capture your heart and mind. I read in a state of wonder.
— Jessamine Chan, bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers -
In this haunting fable of two sisters determined to steer their own destiny, Julia Phillips evokes the unsettling ways in which the wilder forces of the world around us will never allow us to tame them. I was spellbound.
— Julia Glass, bestselling author of Vigil Harbor and Three Junes, winner of the National Book Award -
Bear is the brutal cage of the real world and the magical animal within. Julia Phillips has written a book of untamed, glorious, abundant interpretations.
— Megha Majumdar, bestselling author of A Burning -
The critically acclaimed author of Disappearing Earth returns with this modern-day fable of two sisters and the mysterious animal that arrives on their shores. Sam and Elena, living an impoverished and isolated life off the coast of Washington, dream of escape—until the appearance of a strange bear upends their plans. Mythical and enchanting, Philips’s second novel delves into sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among—and within—us all.
— Oprah Daily (One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2024) -
Phillips once again tells a story of two sisters in a remote setting, this time on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where they encounter a strange creature in the woods.
— Publishers Weekly (One of the 10 Most Anticipated Books of the New Year) -
In this haunting fable of two sisters determined to steer their own destiny, Julia Phillips evokes the unsettling ways in which the wilder forces of the world around us will never allow us to tame them. I was spellbound.
— Julia Glass, bestselling author of Vigil Harbor and Three Junes, winner of the National Book Award -
Phillips is brilliant at balancing sharply-drawn characters with finely woven plot and unnerving atmosphere.
— Lit Hub -
Phillips is brilliant at balancing sharply drawn characters with finely woven plot and unnerving atmosphere.
— Lit Hub -
Bear is a novel about a dark and difficult world suddenly illuminated by the presence of one unimaginable being. The story is thrilling and propulsive, glorious and terrifying. Julia Phillips is a brilliant writer. She has my complete attention.
— Ann Patchett -
Building with quiet fury to its astonishing ending, Bear will capture your heart and mind. I read in a state of wonder.
— Jessamine Chan, bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers -
Bear is a story of life on the margins—economically and geographically—of the American project, exploring the bonds of family and the warped relationship between humans and the natural world. There is something unsettling and uncanny about Julia Phillips’s wondrous second book, less a novel than a fairy tale for the strange times in which we live.
— Rumaan Alam, bestselling author of Leave the World Behind, finalist for the National Book -
Bear is a story of life on the margins—economically and geographically—of the American project, exploring the bonds of family and the warped relationship between humans and the natural world. There is something unsettling and uncanny about Julia Phillips’s wondrous second book, less a novel than a fairy tale for the strange times in which we live.
— Rumaan Alam, bestselling author of Leave the World Behind, finalist for the National Book Award -
Beautiful and haunting . . . masterful . . . This is brilliant.
— Publishers Weekly -
In prose of surpassing beauty, Julia Phillips collapses the boundaries between species, communities, and sisters. Bear is wondrous, suspenseful, heartbreaking, and humane. It is a perfect novel. It is the most moving, most accomplished work of fiction I’ve read in ages.
— Anthony Marra, New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena and Mercury Pictures Presents -
Thrilling and propulsive, glorious and terrifying . . . Julia Phillips is a brilliant writer.
— Ann Patchett, author of Tom Lake -
Bear is a story of life on the margins—economically and geographically—of the American project, exploring the bonds of family and the warped relationship between humans and the natural world. There is something unsettling and uncanny about Julia Phillips’s wondrous second book, less a novel than a fairy tale for the strange times in which we live.
— Rumaan Alam, bestselling author of Leave the World Behind, finalist for the National Book Award -
I read Bear in one night and I am speechless. Beautifully balanced between speculative and realistic, it’s a compassionate commentary on the interplay between passion and violence, sisters and lovers, nightmares and dreams. Propulsive and twisty, Bear is a must-read!
— Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation -
Julia Phillips has my complete attention.
— Ann Patchett, author of Tom Lake -
There is something unsettling and uncanny about Julia Phillips’s wondrous second book, less a novel than a fairy tale for the strange times in which we live.
— Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind -
Julia Phillips’s rare and marvelous new novel weaves fairy-tale magic into a story of sisterhood, daughterhood, care, and devotion. Building with quiet fury to its astonishing ending, Bear will capture your heart and mind. I read in a state of wonder.
— Jessamine Chan, author of The School for Good Mothers -
In prose of surpassing beauty, Julia Phillips collapses the boundaries between species, communities, and sisters. Bear is wondrous, suspenseful, heartbreaking, and humane. It is a perfect novel. I haven’t felt so moved by a work of fiction in ages.
— Anthony Marra, author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena -
Intense, moody, fierce, and relentlessly suspenseful, Bear is a modern-day fairy tale about the tenacious bonds and complexities of sisterhood.
— Angie Kim, author of Happiness Falls -
In this haunting fable of two sisters determined to steer their own destiny, Julia Phillips evokes the unsettling ways in which the wilder forces of the world around us will never allow us to tame them. I was spellbound.
— Julia Glass, author of Three Junes -
Bear is the brutal cage of the real world and the magical animal within—a book of untamed, glorious, abundant interpretations.
— Megha Majumdar, author of A Burning -
I read Bear in one night and I am speechless.
— Jean Kwok, author of Searching for Sylvie Lee -
Beautiful and haunting . . . masterful . . . This is brilliant.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
Bear takes us to a wild, captivating place, just as Phillips did in her debut, Disappearing Earth.
— Bookpage -
In prose of surpassing beauty, Julia Phillips collapses the boundaries between species, communities, and sisters. Bear is magical, suspenseful, heartbreaking, and humane. It is the most moving, most accomplished work of fiction I’ve read in ages.
— Anthony Marra, author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena -
A bold and brilliant modern fable of sisterhood, class, and our relationship to the natural world.
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review -
In prose of surpassing beauty, Julia Phillips collapses the boundaries between species, communities, and sisters. Bear is magical, suspenseful, heartbreaking, and humane. It is the most moving, most accomplished work of fiction I’ve read in ages.
— Anthony Marra, author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena -
A bold and brilliant modern fable of sisterhood, class, and our relationship to the natural world.
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review -
“Beautiful and haunting . . . this is brilliant.
— Publishers Weekly, starred review -
I read Bear in one night and I am speechless.
— Jean Kwok, author of Searching for Sylvie Lee -
“Beautiful and haunting . . . This is brilliant.
— Publishers Weekly, starred review -
An enchanting modern-day fairy tale set off the coast of Washington State.
— Alta Journal -
This mythical novel of obsession, moral reckoning, and aspiration glows with fairy tale magic.
— The Boston Globe -
Mythical and enchanting, Phillips’s second novel delves into sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among—and within—us all.
— Oprah Daily (One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2024) -
As in Disappearing Earth, it’s Phillips’ mastery of the world she’s created that firmly roots the reader inside these characters’ psyches—and their story.
— San Francisco Chronicle -
Bear may remind readers of Alice Hoffman’s fantasy-flecked novels, and Phillips sprinkles around the fairy dust liberally in some sections. But she’s actually working closer to the realm of Henry James’s ‘Turn of the Screw,’ in which the central character blankets the story with her distorting anxieties.
— The Washington Post -
An enchanting modern-day fairy tale set off the coast of Washington State.
— Alta Journal
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About Julia Phillips
Julia Philips is a Pushcart-nominated writer whose short fiction has appeared in Glimmer Train, The Rumpus, and The Antioch Review; she has written articles and essays for The Atlantic, Slate, Jezebel, BuzzFeed News, and The Moscow Times.