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Outside the Ordinary World Audiobook
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(3.04) - 474 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Writers in Progress literary arts center founder and debut novelist Dori Ostermiller has created a compelling work of love, regret, and forgiveness about a woman with a painful past and a boring marriage. New England landscape painter-turned-teacher Sylvia Sandon becomes fascinated by the father of one of her students. But she's torn between her desire for this man and her desire to keep her family together. "[An] astonishingly moving and complex novel."-Boston Globe
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"This book keeps coming back to me time and time again. I daydream and I come back to her writing, or snippets of a moment where it felt like I was living Ms. Ostermiller's characters. It felt real, authentic, and deeply motivated by real experience. I want to write like Ostermiller and am deeply hopeful that her next story comes out soon."
— Katie (5 out of 5 stars)
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An astonishingly moving and complex novel.
— Boston Globe
Outside the Ordinary World Listener Reviews
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" I thought this book might be very good. I just could not get into it. I found myself turning the page hoping that it would get better. I do not like books that go back and forth between the past and the present, and this book did just that. "
— Eleanor, 2/14/2014 -
" Sylvia has much to remember growing up with her sister and parents: a dysfunctional family where the daughters must keep information about thier mother's ongoing affair from their father. As her memories from then are alternated with her present life-we find that perhaps the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I really had to trudge through this book. The pace didn't agree with me; it was slow and overly in-depth. "
— Melissa, 1/19/2014 -
" This is an easy read with a subject matter that is frustrating. But the mystery and good character development keep you very well engaged, I read the book in a few nights. "
— Mandi, 1/17/2014 -
" A good read by a first time novelist about mothers and daughters and the cycle of life. A daughter swears she will never repeat the mistakes her mother made but finds she is doing exactly that in her own marriage. Well written and an author to look forward to. "
— Sherman, 1/12/2014 -
" Enjoyed it very much, though a bit predictable at times, but still enjoyable, good book for the beach or a camping trip. "
— Sharon, 12/22/2013 -
" A thought provoking tale that spans four generations of mothers and daughters involving dysfunctional family life and adultery. This book will have the reader thinking about what it most important in life. "
— Nancy, 12/17/2013 -
" Great easy read. Touches on the all the realities that are faced in marrige, parenting and understanding of family. "
— Lauren, 12/17/2013 -
" Far and away the most beautifully written novel I've ever read! "
— Nancy, 11/24/2013 -
" 3.5 stars would be a better rating. It was a very interesting book "
— Jenny, 10/22/2013 -
" I was ready to quit reading this book right in the middle. I was mad at her and her handling her affair, but as I read further things started happening to keep me interested. "
— Debbie, 6/4/2013 -
" A little slow at first....interesting story line...the connection between our past and present the author really makes you think about it. "
— Julie, 5/29/2013 -
" Beautifully written, awesome insights into the complicated business of life and love. The author does a good job of breathing life into her characters. "
— Rosemaryknits, 5/5/2013 -
" UGH...again, a book with a good premise but then started reading like a romance novel. UGH UGH UGH "
— Julie, 2/15/2013 -
" Can't stop recommending this book. Amazing the way this author puts beautiful story, characters and language together without letting you go. One reviewer said, "...it will make you want to grab those you love and hold them close." And, by the first few chapters, I did. "
— Jinni, 12/17/2012 -
" Good themes on cheating "
— Shannon, 2/20/2012 -
" Generational book about marriage and what we learn from our parents about how to deal with difficulty. "
— Mary, 6/14/2011 -
" This is an easy read with a subject matter that is frustrating. But the mystery and good character development keep you very well engaged, I read the book in a few nights. "
— Mandi, 4/9/2011 -
" The book has interesting views, but then some slow spots as well. I wasn't a huge fan, but quite a few of my book club members enjoyed it. "
— Sharone, 4/8/2011 -
" starts out a bit strange, but really enjoyed the characters. "
— Pat, 3/26/2011 -
" This book was so well written. I loved the author's use of language. I really couldn't put it down. "
— Christine, 3/16/2011 -
" A good book- really makes you think about the power of being a parent and the burdens we place on our kids. "
— Heather, 2/13/2011 -
" Great easy read. Touches on the all the realities that are faced in marrige, parenting and understanding of family. "
— Lauren, 2/3/2011 -
" This was a good book, but not a great book. I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t overly eager to get back to it each day. It was well written, but difficult to read at times due to the subject matter. Ultimately, it wasn’t really my type of book. "
— Laura, 1/24/2011 -
" Beautifully written, insightful. At first I was too frustrated that an intelligent, artistic woman like the protagonist couldn't find a more meaningful way to process her traumatic childhood than having an affair. As I learned more, her self-destructiveness made sense. "
— Jendi, 1/11/2011 -
" I hated this book until just past the half way mark, then it was pretty good. "
— Cheryl, 1/11/2011 -
" Ms Ostermiller has landed herself firmly in the women's fiction category. We'll see great things from her, no doubt. "
— Daniella, 12/26/2010 -
" Just purchased on my new NOOK!<br/>Ho Hum and fairly predictable... "
— Gisela, 12/26/2010
About Dori Ostermiller
Dori Ostermiller was born in Los
Angeles as a fifth-generation Californian. In her early twenties, she abandoned
her path as a premed student to pursue an MFA in writing at the University of
Massachusetts. Since then, her work has appeared in numerous literary journals,
including Calliope, Bellingham Review, Roanoke Review, Aura, Alligator Juniper, Chautauqua Literary Journal, and the Massachusetts Review. She is the recipient of a Massachusetts
Cultural Council Artist’s Grant and a Tobias Wolf Fiction Award and is the
founder of Writers in Progress, a literary arts center in Western Massachusetts.
She lives in Northampton with her husband and children.
About Johanna Parker
Johanna Parker is an Audie and Earphone Award–winning actress living and working in San Francisco. Since narrating her first audiobook in 2002, she has received praise for her work in all genres, including her portrayal of Sookie Stackhouse in Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire books. She received her BFA in acting from Boston University and studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She has performed on stages in London, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York and has numerous film and television credits. As a voice-over actress, she has voiced commercials, video games, documentaries, and websites.