Play Audiobook Sample
Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(0.00) - 0 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Longlisted for the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
A reflection on "freedom" in a dramatic, beautifully written memoir of the end of Communism in the Balkans.
Lea Ypi grew up in the last Stalinist country in Europe: Albania, a place of queuing and scarcity, of political executions and secret police. While family members disappeared to what she was told were "universities" from which few "graduated," she swore loyalty to the Party. In her eyes, people were equal, neighbors helped each other, and children were expected to build a better world.
Then the statues of Stalin and Hoxha were toppled. Almost overnight, people could vote and worship freely, and invest in hopes of striking it rich. But factories shut, jobs disappeared, and thousands fled to Italy, only to be sent back. Pyramid schemes bankrupted the country, leading to violence. One generation's dreams became another's disillusionment. As her own family's secrets were revealed, Ypi found herself questioning what "freedom" really means. With acute insight and wit, Ypi traces the perils of ideology, and what people need to flourish.
Download and start listening now!
“This audiobook combines a memoir that translates perfectly to the spoken-word format with a flawless, memorable narration by Rachel Bavidge…Listeners will relish every moment. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
-
“On one level, it’s a classic coming-of-age story; on another, a fearless examination of freedom and world history.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Utterly engrossing…Ypi's memoir is brilliantly observed, politically nuanced, and—best of all—funny.”
— The Guardian (London) -
“Precious little was known about life in communist Albania under Enver Hoxha. That strange world and its legacy is now stunningly brought to life in Lea Ypi’s Free.”
— Financial Times (London) -
Critical to the audiobook's success is Babbage's ability to deliver Ypi's engaging dialogue flawlessly. Listeners will relish every moment.
— AudioFile
Awards
-
Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction
-
Shortlisted for the Costa Book Award
-
A Sunday Times (London) Best Book of the Year
-
One of the New Yorker’s Best Books of the Year
-
A Financial Times Best Book of the Year
-
A London Guardian Best Book of the Year
-
A London Times Literary Supplement Best Book of 2021
-
Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
Free Listener Reviews
Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
About Lea Ypi
Lea Ypi is a professor of political theory at the London School of Economics and a prominent left-wing voice in Europe. She lives in London and contributes regularly to The Guardian.