"Cathleen McCarron's lilting intonation and Scottish accent beautifully capture the quiet optimism of this heartfelt novel, set in Edinburgh." — AudioFile Magazine
For fans of Josie Silver's One Day in December, The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae is a wholly original, charismatic, and uplifting novel that no listener will soon forget.
Ailsa Rae is learning how to live. She’s only a few months past the heart transplant that—just in time—saved her life. Now, finally, she can be a normal twenty-eight-year-old. She can climb a mountain. Dance. Wait in line all day for tickets to Wimbledon.
But first, she has to put one foot in front of the other. So far, things are as bloody complicated as ever. Her relationship with her mother is at a breaking point and she wants to find her father. Then there's Lennox, whom Ailsa loved and lost. Will she ever find love again?
Her new heart is a bold heart. She just needs to learn to listen to it. From the hospital to her childhood home, on social media and IRL, Ailsa will embark on a journey about what it means to be, and feel, alive. How do we learn to be brave, to accept defeat, to dare to dream?
From Stephanie Butland, author of The Lost for Words Bookshop, The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae will warm you from the inside out.
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"The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae is an enchanting story of a girl whose entire life has been dictated by her medical condition. When she receives a second chance in the form of a new heart, she realizes that, for the first time, she has a future. And now she has to figure out what to do with it. Stephanie Butland has crafted a charming story of second chances, love, loss, and truly growing up in which Ailsa learns that you can’t just blog and dance your way through life—although both certainly make it sweeter. A must read for anyone who has ever been faced with a new beginning and all the joy and heartache that entails. Five huge stars for the delightful Ailsa Ray!"
— Kristy Woodson Harvey, national bestselling author of Dear Carolina and Slightly South of simple
“A must read for anyone who has ever been faced with a new beginning and all the joy and heartache that entails.”
— Kristy Woodson Harvey, author of Dear CarolinaBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Stephanie Butland lives with her family near the sea in the North East of England. She writes in a studio at the bottom of her garden, and when she’s not writing, she trains people to think more creatively. For fun, she reads, knits, sews, bakes, and spins.
Cathleen McCarron is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and recipient of the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration in 2018. She is a London-based coach in voice, text, and accent who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and several major drama schools. She holds a BA in acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, as well as a degree in politics from Edinburgh University.