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Others Were Emeralds: A Novel Audiobook, by Lang Leav Play Audiobook Sample

Others Were Emeralds: A Novel Audiobook

Others Were Emeralds: A Novel Audiobook, by Lang Leav Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Shiromi Arserio Publisher: HarperAudio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 5.00 hours at 1.5x Speed 3.75 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: September 2023 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9780063304031

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

22

Longest Chapter Length:

63:08 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

04 seconds

Average Chapter Length:

20:37 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

10

Other Audiobooks Written by Lang Leav: > View All...

Publisher Description

Others Were Emeralds kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. With lyrical and moving prose, Lang tells a stunning tale of love, loss, and the true power of friendship. A deep, beautiful novel."" — Etaf Rum, New York Times bestselling author of A Woman is No Man

Internationally acclaimed poet Lang Leav’s debut adult novel combines her poetical lyricism and emotional acumen to create an enthralling coming of age narrative set against the backdrop of anti-Asian sentiment sweeping Australia in the late 90’s. A stirring portrayal of guilt, loss, and memory, Others Were Emeralds explores the inherent danger of allowing our misconceptions to shape our reality.

What comes first, the photograph or the memory?

The daughter of Cambodian refugees, Ai grew up in the small Australian town of Whitlam populated by Asian immigrants who once fled war-torn countries to rebuild their shattered lives. It is now the late '90s and despite their parents' harrowing past, Ai and her tightknit group of school friends: charismatic Brigitte, sweet, endearing Bowie, shy, inscrutable Tin, and politically minded Sying, lead seemingly ordinary lives, far removed from the unimaginable horrors suffered by their parents.

But that carefree innocence is shattered in their last year of school when Ai and her friends encounter a pair of racist men whose cruel acts of intimidation spiral into senseless violence. Grappling with the magnitude of her grief at such a young age, Ai leaves Whitlam for college before her trauma has a chance to fully resolve. 

In her second year of college Ai suffers a mental health crisis, driving her back home to Whitlam, a place she swore never to return. There, she reconnects with those she left behind and together they are compelled to look back on the tragedy that shaped their adolescence and examine the role they may have unwittingly played.

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“Narrator Shiromi Arserio captivates listeners in this moving coming-of-age story…Presented at times like a memoir, this audiobook draws listeners in through Arserio’s intimate portrayals and heartrending emotions. Her warm, accented delivery combined with the author’s lyrical writing produces an immersive listening experience.”

— AudioFile

Quotes

  • “Others Were Emeralds kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. With lyrical and moving prose, Lang tells a stunning tale of love, loss, and the true power of friendship. A deep, beautiful novel.”

    — Etaf Rum, author of A Woman Is No Man

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About Lang Leav

Lang Leav is an author whose works swing between the whimsical and woeful and across a variety of disciplines encompassing art, poetry, and books. She is a recipient of the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award and was granted a prestigious Churchill Fellowship.

About Shiromi Arserio

Shiromi Arserio is a stage actor, voice talent, and audiobook narrator from London. She holds a BA in theater from Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance. In addition to narrating dozens of audiobooks, her voice can be heard in documentaries, e-learning projects, and video games.