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Ms. Hempel Chronicles Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,103 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Ms. Beatrice Hempel, a seventh-grade teacher, is new to teaching, new to the school, newly engaged, and newly bereft of her devoted father. Overwhelmed by her newness, she struggles to figure out what is expected of her in life and at work. Is it acceptable to introduce swear words to the English curriculum, enlist students to write their own report cards, or bring up personal experiences while teaching a sex education class?
Sarah Shun-lien Bynum finds characters at their most vulnerable and then explores those precarious moments in sharp, graceful prose. This is a journey down the rabbit hole to the wonderland of middle school, memory, daydreaming, and the extraordinary business of growing up.
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"Surprisingly I really enjoyed this book. It's a really simple story about a woman who is trying to survive being a teacher to preteens. As a whole it isn't really much of a story but I fell in love with the main character and how she felt about her students."
— Kyle (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Utterly winning…[Bynum] creates a seamless, intuitive novel of short stories…Each is a small gorgeous thing on its own, but the wise and whimsical Ms. Hempel Chronicles gives them their collective due, deploying them on a broader canvas, their colors more layered, their impact more powerful.”
— New York Sun -
“When I opened this utterly charming novel, I fell in love with it.”
— Washington Post -
“A marvelous new book…Each of these eight stories dazzles on its own terms; all together they create a stunning portrait of an unforgettable character at a crossroads.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Bynum’s first novel, the dreamlike Madeleine is Sleeping, was a finalist for the National Book Award, but it’s her second book that’s the real miracle…With each chapter, Bynum adds to her portrait of Ms. Hempel, quietly offering us small jewels of information that transform her into a complex and disarming character…Bynum is an inventive writer with talent to spare.”
— Arizona Republic -
“Teachers, take note: You’ve got an articulate new advocate in novelist Sarah Shun-lien Bynum. Bynum’s Ms. Hempel Chronicles is not only a warmhearted novel-in-stories about a young seventh-grade teacher navigating the final passage to her own adulthood even as she ushers her students through the tricky narrows of adolescence; it is also a testament to how hard—and important—the work of teaching is.”
— Christian Science Monitor -
“A National Book Award finalist in 2004, Bynum returns with an intricate and absorbing collection of eight interconnected stories about Beatrice Hempel, a middle school English teacher…Bynum’s sympathy for her protagonist runs deep, and even the slightest of events comes across as achingly real and, sometimes, even profound. Bynum writes with great acuity, and the emotional undercurrents in this sharp take on coming-of-age and growing up will move readers in unexpected ways.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“[Gilbert’s] performance is perfectly suited to the writing…For anyone who has worked with or taught young adolescents, this is a delicious glimpse into life from their point of view.”
— SoundCommentary.com -
“Bynum’s second novel provides a narrative voice as unique and engaging as that in her award-winning debut, Madeleine Is Sleeping (2004)…Rather than focus on the major events of Ms. Hempel’s current life, including a broken engagement and the death of her father, Bynum instead uses these as a net to cradle smaller, more telling moments—a troublemaker buried in sand on class “beach day,” a magic routine at the talent show, dancing with colleagues at happy hour. Bynum dares to put much stock in these small moments and in the dreamy perspective of her heroine, and the result is charming without being quirky. This tightly composed novel favors character over a traditional narrative…The attention to detail is spectacular.”
— Booklist -
“The idea that we’re all just aging, idiosyncratic children snatching at happiness is central to Ms. Hempel Chronicles, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum’s gently, deeply affecting second novel…Ms. Hempel’s consciousness is a joy to inhabit.”
— Bookforum -
“Subtle, dazzling…There is so much elliptical richness in the multifaceted character of Ms. Hempel that every chapter in this short, taut novel brings revelation…No sign of sophmore slump in this masterful illumination of character.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Awards
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A 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award Finalist
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A 2008 Los Angeles Times Best Book for Fiction
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One of the Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books for Fiction
Ms. Hempel Chronicles Listener Reviews
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" Maybe I wasn't in the mood for this book, but I'm in the middle of the book when I finally realize the main character is Asian. Important? No, but the book wasn't going anywhere either.... I have to admit that I put the book down with 40 pages to go. "
— Laurie, 2/6/2014 -
" This collection of stories posing as a novel had some problems. I don't know any seventh grade teacher who would teach To Kill a Mockingbird, This Boy's Life, or Romeo and Juliet. Ms. Hempel's argument "justifying" the language of the Wolfe autobiography would never cut the mustard with parents of my seventh graders. Also, Ms. Hempel is an English teacher, but it was obvious that Ms. Bynum could have used an English teacher to assist with grammar, at least to explain how to use colons properly. That being said, this novel did have its moments. I could identify with Ms. Hempel's gruesome daydream about breaking something that would require a full body cast and thus release her from her teaching career. There is some truth in her observation that teaching "had rendered her unfit for everything else." I have felt the deep tenderness she describes as I've watched students pour over yet another standardized test. Some of the observations are valid even if the character is a bit wonky. Bynum seems to me a writer in the vein of Lorrie Moore and Elizabeth McCracken. The generous critic believes her best work is yet to come. "
— Melinda, 1/31/2014 -
" This book was mostly very dull. "
— Azalea, 1/29/2014 -
" A novel in the form of interconnected short stories that I was quite taken with at first, but then I sort of lost interest. I did finish it, though. Good writing and interesting main character, but the format of the book created some distance that kept me from getting caught up in the story/ies. "
— Hannah, 1/24/2014 -
" This is what it's like when boring people introspect. "
— St., 1/15/2014 -
" Favorite quote: "She had chosen instead the squishy embrace of the humanities, where nothing was quantifiable and absolute, and now she was paying for all those lovely, lazy years of sitting in circles and talking about novels." "
— Heather, 1/15/2014 -
" Beautifully written with plenty of resonance for teachers/former teachers. Felt a bit like a creative writing exercise, rather than a novel, though. Still well worth a read. "
— Lynn, 1/9/2014 -
" This is a lovely, fun little book. Bynum's prose is delicate and heartwarming, perfect for describing children on the cusp of adulthood. It will remind you that middle school wasn't that bad. Maybe. "
— Rebecca, 12/31/2013 -
" i enjoyed this author's first book, so i'm giving this one a try. i'm liking it so far! it's about a new teacher... "
— Acacia, 12/22/2013 -
" beautiful, sweet, warm, smart- bynum has the most lovely voice i've read in awhile & i ate this book up quick as anything. "
— Gina, 9/9/2013 -
" Very accurate and well-written descriptions of a secondary teacher's inner thoughts, but doesn't hold together. More like a string of related short stories. "
— Dorothy, 7/14/2013 -
" This is one of those books with absolutely no plot; it's all about a slow exploration of a character. Well done and enjoyable. "
— Alisa, 6/17/2013 -
" Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum's Ms. Hempel Chronicles is witty and humorous, even brilliant at times, but on the whole seems rather aimless. It would be nice if the charming parts were more fully developed and tied together by a plot or some other unifying concept. "
— Trudy, 6/8/2013 -
" This is a short book composed of several short stories. It is a fast read and really captures the life of an upper elementary school teacher. Most teachers will see themselves or their colleges in this book "
— Nancy, 3/30/2013 -
" The best description of teaching I've read. Lovely, funny book about the secret lives of teachers. "
— Laura, 1/5/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book, but some of the inconsistencies really annoyed me. It wasn't until after I finished it that I learned it was originally published as separate short stories, which explains that problem. But, if you are a teacher or love someone who teaches, this is a fun read. "
— Maggie, 10/2/2012 -
" This is the book Jonathan Franzen recommended at the Brooklyn Book Festival. "
— ester, 9/11/2012 -
" I quit reading this book, perhaps because each of the chapters was a short story, and the connection was obtuse at best. perhaps at a later date, I will return and be enthraled but for now there are too many books calling me. "
— Linda, 7/26/2012 -
" This is a terrific story collection. The voice is wonderful and every sentence is pitch perfect. "
— Elliott, 12/31/2011 -
" Very free stream of thought...one minute as a teacher at a school talent show...then back when she was five ... then fast forward to her live in boyfriend... rewind to her mom's childhood.. I constantly felt like I was trying to keep up... exhausting. "
— Toocrazycosmoyahoo.com, 10/9/2011 -
" excellent read. It's a bunch of short stories but all about the same character so it reads like a novel. This book had some of the best sentences I have ever read. I wanted to underline and take notes and all sorts of stuff I never do. "
— Ashima, 7/14/2011 -
" i really liked certain parts of this book. lovely turns of phrase. light. but overall found it unsatisfying as lacking in plot and found the main character oddly pathetic. "
— Deirdre, 6/29/2011 -
" wish I could remember where I read about this book and why I decided to read it...<br/>it's fine, with some beautiful moments, but nothing special. "
— Kathleen, 5/17/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book, but some of the inconsistencies really annoyed me. It wasn't until after I finished it that I learned it was originally published as separate short stories, which explains that problem. But, if you are a teacher or love someone who teaches, this is a fun read. "
— Maggie, 2/16/2011 -
" The Ms. Hempel Chronicles tops my list right now. Sarah Shun-lien Bynum is young, but her first was National Book Award Finalist and she's got some damn fine prose. Also, teachers will "get" this particular book on a whole other level. "
— Ali, 1/18/2011 -
" Really enjoyed the humor, particularly the evil clowns (a real phobia of mine). Want to read more of her. "
— Jennifer, 1/12/2011 -
" Felt very 'convicted' when reading parts of this. In a good way, I suppose. "
— Brandi, 1/7/2011 -
" Charming. A fast read. Thanks, Elissa! "
— Nattha, 12/11/2010 -
" one of my favorite reads of 2010. i loved the simplicity of the writing style & cant wait to read "madeleine is sleeping" "
— Kelly, 12/2/2010 -
" i really liked certain parts of this book. lovely turns of phrase. light. but overall found it unsatisfying as lacking in plot and found the main character oddly pathetic. "
— Deirdre, 12/2/2010 -
" What an odd little melancholy novel. Hints and reminiscences. "
— Joanna, 11/21/2010
About Sarah Shun-lien Bynum
Sarah Shun-lien Bynum’s first novel, Madeleine Is Sleeping, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2004. Her fiction has appeared in the New Yorker, Time, House, Georgia Review, and Best American Short Stories. She teaches writing at the University of California–San Diego and lives in Los Angeles with her family.
About Tavia Gilbert
Tavia Gilbert is an acclaimed narrator of more than four hundred full-cast and multivoice audiobooks for virtually every publisher in the industry. Named the 2018 Voice of Choice by Booklist magazine, she is also winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has earned numerous Earphones Awards, a Voice Arts Award, and a Listen-Up Award. Audible.com has named her a Genre-Defining Narrator: Master of Memoir. In addition to voice acting, she is an accomplished producer, singer, and theater actor. She is also a producer, singer, photographer, and a writer, as well as the cofounder of a feminist publishing company, Animal Mineral.