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The Blessings Audiobook
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"Bursting with wise observations." -- J. Courtney Sullivan, author of The Engagements and Maine "Gleams like a jewel." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer "Stunning. . . Unique and unforgettable." -- Glamour Hailed as one of the best books of 2014 by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Elise Juska's The Blessings is a moving novel about a tight-knit Irish Catholic clan over the course of twenty years. The Blessings rally around one another in times of celebration and those of sorrow, coming together for departures and arrivals, while its members harbor private struggles and moments of personal joy. College student Abby ponders homesickness in her first semester away from her Philadelphia home, while her cousin Stephen commits a petty act of violence that takes a surprising turn, and their aunt Lauren faces a crisis in her storybook marriage she could never have foreseen. Through the lens of one unforgettable family, this beautifully moving novel explores how our families define us and how we shape them in return.
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“Several generations of the Blessings, a Philadelphia-based, Irish American family, come beautifully to life in a deceptively simple tale that examines the foibles, disappointments, and passions that tie family members together…The Blessings rally round each other—whether that attention is wanted or not—and the reader leaves feeling lucky to have spent some time in their presence.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“In Juska’s latest, her beautiful storytelling captures the trials and tribulations of the Blessing family. Told from multiple poignant perspectives, Juska’s story touches on matters of the heart and the importance of family. With genuine characters who resonate and a pace that moves along well, this heart-stirring novel is one readers will savor.”
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars) -
“This family saga explores the ups and downs of a close-knit extended Irish American clan in Philadelphia over a couple of decades…This wonderfully readable work about family life will have you eagerly turning pages to find out what happens to characters about whom you really care.”
— Library Journal -
“The Blessings are a large, close-knit Irish Catholic family. Living within a short radius of Philadelphia, all four generations of the Blessing clan gather together for every life event, no matter how big or small…This heartfelt tribute to the ups and downs of a large, devoted family is warm, uplifting, and recommended for readers from families of all sizes.”
— Booklist -
“Juska explores the collective experiences, traditions, and loyalties of a close-knit family and the perspectives of individual members as they journey through a span of thirty years…The author has created an ordinary fictitious family and stitched together a multilayered, sympathetic account of its members’ lives.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
Elise Juska is so good at describing people, places, and moments that you not only picture them, you feel them.
— Curtis Sittenfeld
Awards
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A May 2014 LibraryReads Pick
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About Elise Juska
Elise Juska is a writer of novels, nonfiction, and short fiction that has appeared in numerous publications including Ploughshares, The Gettysburg Review, Harvard Review, American Literary Review, Salmagundi, Black Warrior Review, The Seattle Review, Colorado Review, The Carolina Quarterly and The Hudson Review. Her story "The Way I Saw The World Then" was published in The Missouri Review and cited as distinguished by The Best American Stories.
Elise earned her Master’s in Fiction Writing at the University of New Hampshire, where she received the Tom Williams Memorial for fiction writing and the Charait Award for best short story. She has since taught fiction writing at The New School in NYC, in the MFA program at the University of New Hampshire, and at various summer writing conferences.
Elise now spends summers writing on an island in Maine and the rest of the year teaching in Philadelphia, where she directs the undergraduate Creative Writing Program at the University of the Arts.
About Thérèse Plummer
Thérèse Plummer is an actor, award-winning voice-over artist, and counselor. She has won eighteen AudioFile Earphones Awards and has been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has appeared in a variety of television and film roles. As a counselor for adolescents, she spent five years using drama therapy techniques in individual and group settings.