Play Audiobook Sample
Jacob Have I Loved (Abridged): A Newbery Award Winner Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.00) - 14,815 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
Katherine Paterson's remarkable Newbery Medal-winning classic about a painful sibling rivalry, and one sister’s struggle to make her own way, is an honest and daring portrayal of adolescence and coming of age.
A strong choice for independent reading, both for summer reading and homeschooling, as well as in the classroom, Jacob Have I Loved has been lauded as a cornerstone young adult novel and was ranked among the all-time best children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal.
"Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated . . ." With her grandmother's taunt, Louise knew that she, like the biblical Esau, was the despised elder twin. Caroline, her selfish younger sister, was the one everyone loved.
Growing up on a tiny Chesapeake Bay island, angry Louise reveals how Caroline has robbed her of everything: her hopes for schooling, her friends, her mother, even her name. While everyone pampers Caroline, Wheeze (her sister's name for her) begins to learn the ways of the watermen and the secrets of the island, especially of old Captain Wallace, who has mysteriously returned after fifty years.
The war unexpectedly gives this independent girl a chance to fulfill her dream to work on the water alongside her father. But the dream does not satisfy the woman she is becoming. Alone and unsure, Louise begins to fight her way to a place for herself outside her sister's shadow. But in order to do that, she must first figure out who she is...
Download and start listening now!
"Although I first read this book as a child. I reread it at least once a year. It continues to speak to me 20 years later with all of it's beauty. I have yet to read a Paterson book I don't like, but this is one that I LOVE! "
— Piper (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“A novel of special brilliance.”
— New York Times -
“Paterson offers no cheap sentiment or glib solutions. She’s brilliant at evoking both the idealism and the ignorant prejudices of childhood, the romantic stirrings of adolescence, and the oblique, offhand way kids express their deepest feelings. Her characters warm us with their humor and courage; her plots, plunging vigorously through the thickets of adversity, are, in the end, bracingly hopeful.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“Simply irresistible.”
— Publishers Weekly
Jacob Have I Loved Listener Reviews
-
" This book was slow going for me, but was good enough that it kept me interested. I liked the ending and can easily apply the moral of the story to my own life. "
— Kali, 2/14/2014 -
" This was one of my favorite books growing up and it still is! "
— Gnomerockyahoo.com, 2/9/2014 -
" An all-time favorite. I wonder if they still read this in classrooms? They should. "
— Alaina, 2/7/2014 -
" I vaguely remember reading this in 5th grade. I had forgotten many details. Wheeze is kind of annoying. She had so many unexpressed feelings building up inside of her, it was frustrating for me as a reader too. It did end ok. 3 stars. "
— Martha, 2/4/2014 -
" I forgot to write a review of this book when I finished it a few weeks ago so it isn't fresh on my mind. I did like it but I don't really remember specifics (I've read at least 2-3 books since then...). "
— Jess, 2/3/2014 -
" More mature topics than I remembered. Still an excellent book. Fun to reread my old favorites. "
— Bernadette, 1/30/2014 -
" I thought that I had once read this book but I didn't remember anything about it so I decided to read it again. While I was reading it I just thought it was ok but once I finished it and thought about the book as a whole I really enjoyed the message. "
— Brandi, 1/17/2014 -
" I was at camp and someone gave me this book as 'secret gift' thing. I loved it and that person was someone I have known since I was four. She told me last year it was her that gave it to me...we are in our thirties now. "
— Carolyne, 1/10/2014 -
" I loved this Newbery Award Winner as a child, but didn't have quite the same feelings rereading it as an adult. I rediscovered this title in a book I read about a month ago called "Shelf Discovery". "
— Amy, 1/2/2014 -
" A great book about family, roots, and learning to be free while embracing them. Katharine and Caroline--twins, little islands, Call and the Captain, etc.. "
— Christi, 12/26/2013 -
" Such a beautiful book about the "second best" child who finds a niche in the word just for her. I actually found myself crying at the end happy that she found her own peace and hoping that i would be able to find my own. "
— Roxanne, 12/10/2013 -
" FINALLY! A book that has some depth and meaning to it. Had me thinking about it for a long time afterwards. This would be a great Book Club book. I loved it! "
— Trish, 11/23/2013 -
" Read as a child and enjoyed it!! "
— Me,, 11/14/2013 -
" What a depressing book! I read this years ago and I can still remember the sour aftertaste! Ugh. Don't do this to yourself. "
— Vera, 11/8/2013 -
" Favorite book from my childhood. Don't pyscho-analyze it. It is what it is. I've probably read it at least 12 times (but I read 10 hours a day as a kid, so take that for what it's worth). "
— Elise, 9/29/2013 -
" I remember picking up this book from my middle school library, thinking it would be a romance. There's a dude's name in the title, right? Plus the word "loved." Little did I know it was this strange 1940s fisherman deal. I liked it, but it threw me. "
— Librarian, 9/10/2013 -
" I don't know how I missed reading this one but I'm so glad I did. Meggan was right - being a mother added a whole additional dimension to the last chapter. That it's set in Maryland, on the Bay, made it even cooler. "
— Laura, 4/16/2013 -
" Not one of my favorites - hard to get into "
— Kelly, 3/16/2013 -
" Honestly the main character needed to buck up and make things happen in her life. She pretty much just sat in the backseat, no wait she was in the trunk letting it drive away without looking. "
— Kelsea, 1/14/2013 -
" One of my all-time favorites. "
— Janet, 12/17/2012 -
" I read this as a tween and remember liking it quite a bit. My mom made encouraged me to read all the Newberry winners and this was one of them. This story is about twin daughters and is named for the Jacob and Esau brothers in the Bible. "
— Amie, 10/25/2012 -
" did not like this book "
— Windy, 8/19/2012 -
" All I really remember about this book is the title and the rest of the line it came from - a phrase which has stuck with me and seems to come up in my mind fairly often. "
— Rhi, 3/19/2012 -
" if I could vote zero, I would. This book was very bland, in my opinion. "
— Alyssa, 3/2/2012 -
" This was a re-read for me, and I still didn't love it. "
— Stephanie, 2/29/2012 -
" A book that was extremely written well, but very hard to read, purely based on the subject matter. Classic Jacob and Esau, Sister//sister tension and parental favoritism, which makes this book hard to read. "
— Kelli, 5/20/2011 -
" Very different from the title. I've always stayed away from this book thinking it was some sort of teenage love/angst book. The title, in actuality, refers to a scripture. The books is about twins who have Jacob and Esau relationship. "
— Joshlyn, 5/17/2011 -
" This book wasn't what I expected. It had a great story and it was easy to read. I enjoyed it very much. "
— Smiley, 4/22/2011 -
" a great young adult coming of age story. <br/> <br/>a book i'd want all my girls to read at around 13/14. "
— Annie, 4/11/2011
About Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson was born in China, where she spent part of her childhood. After her education in China and the American South, she spent four years in Japan, the setting for her first three novels. She has received numerous awards for her writing, including two National Book Awards and two Newbery Medals. An active promoter of reading and literacy, she lives with her husband in Barre, Vermont. They have four grown children.