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The Boston Girl: A Novel Audiobook
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(5.00) - 2 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
2016 Audie Award Finalist for Best Female Narrator
New York Times bestseller!
An unforgettable novel about a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century, told “with humor and optimism…through the eyes of an irresistible heroine” (People)—from the acclaimed author of The Red Tent.
Anita Diamant’s “vivid, affectionate portrait of American womanhood” (Los Angeles Times), follows the life of one woman, Addie Baum, through a period of dramatic change. Addie is The Boston Girl, the spirited daughter of an immigrant Jewish family, born in 1900 to parents who were unprepared for America and its effect on their three daughters. Growing up in the North End of Boston, then a teeming multicultural neighborhood, Addie’s intelligence and curiosity take her to a world her parents can’t imagine—a world of short skirts, movies, celebrity culture, and new opportunities for women. Addie wants to finish high school and dreams of going to college. She wants a career and to find true love. From the one-room tenement apartment she shared with her parents and two sisters, to the library group for girls she joins at a neighborhood settlement house, to her first, disastrous love affair, to finding the love of her life, eighty-five-year-old Addie recounts her adventures with humor and compassion for the naïve girl she once was.
Written with the same attention to historical detail and emotional resonance that made Diamant’s previous novels bestsellers, The Boston Girl is a moving portrait of one woman’s complicated life in twentieth century America, and a fascinating look at a generation of women finding their places in a changing world. “Diamant brings to life a piece of feminism’s forgotten history” (Good Housekeeping) in this “inspirational…page-turning portrait of immigrant life in the early twentieth century” (Booklist).
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"My favorite part about this book was Linda Lavin's narration. I could "hear" her smile in her voice! She brought Addie to life for me. Learning what life was like for both women immigrants and native born women in the early 20th century was amazing. Addie was an inspiration although she never thought so for part of her life. I love that Addie had life-long friends a I do. The style of telling her story through memories while being interviewed by her own granddaughter was clever. A wonderful listen. "
— Samantha (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Religion, feminism, the pull between tradition and the modern world…What makes this story engaging is just that old-fashioned straightforwardness, as well as its perfect ear for the locutions of the time…No wonder this book rings so true: reading it feels like lazing away a winter afternoon with a beloved aging relative paging through a family scrapbook.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“A gripping story…This is a stunning look into the past with a plucky heroine readers will cheer for.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Diamant offers impeccable descriptions of Boston life during these early years of the twentieth century and creates a loving, caring lead character who grows in front of our eyes from a naïve young girl to a warm, wise elder. Readers interested in historical fiction will certainly enjoy this look at the era, with all its complications and wonders.”
— Library Journal -
“Enjoyable fiction with a detailed historical backdrop, this sweet tale is paradigmatic book club fare.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“A first-person tour of the early twentieth century through the eyes of Addie Baum…Addie’s vibrant voice makes history come alive in this inspirational story of a young woman who thinks big and makes her dreams come true”.
— BookPage -
“A touching, unforgettable journey with a witty, charming guide. Narrator Linda Lavin brings heartfelt emotions, intelligence, and humor to Addie. Her performance is so truthful it feels as if Lavin is Addie Baum or Addie Baum is Lavin…Lavin is relaxed and mellow, chuckling when Addie finds something amusing—you can hear the impish smile on her face. As Addie’s life unfolds, Anita Diamant offers a well-researched, detailed look at women in the last century, and Lavin gets it just right. PS: I want Linda Lavin to be my BFF. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A BookPage Top Pick for December 2014
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An Amazon Best Book of the Month for December 2014
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
The Boston Girl Listener Reviews
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Sue, 5/15/2022
About Anita Diamant
Anita Diamant is the author of several novels, including the New York Times bestseller The Boston Girl, as well as a collection of essays, Pitching My Tent. An award-winning journalist whose work appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine, Parenting, and many others, she is the author of six nonfiction guides to contemporary Jewish life.