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The Railwayman's Wife: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
In a small town on the land’s edge, in the strange space at a war’s end, a widow, a poet and a doctor each try to find their own peace, and their own new story.
In Thirroul, in 1948, people chase their dreams through the books in the railway’s library. Anikka Lachlan searches for solace after her life is destroyed by a single random act. Roy McKinnon, who found poetry in the mess of war, has lost his words and his hope. Frank Draper is trapped by the guilt of those his treatment and care failed on their first day of freedom. All three struggle with the same question: how now to be alive.
Written in clear, shining prose and with an eloquent understanding of the human heart, The Railwayman’s Wife explores the power of beginnings and endings and how hard it can sometimes be to tell them apart. It’s a story of life, loss, and what comes after, of connection and separation, longing and acceptance. Most of all, it celebrates love in all its forms and the beauty of discovering that loving someone can be as extraordinary as being loved yourself.
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“Narrator Fiona Hardingham…is superb at bringing the characters in Annika’s story to life with unique voices, allowing the listener to know and care about the grief and wounds that Iris, Roy, and Frank carry in the aftermath of war. In alternating chapters, narrator Steve West portrays the Scottish Mac, who is full of life, humor, and love for Annika, his wife, and Isabel, his daughter. The language is beautifully poetic and descriptive, and the narrators’ deliveries complement the author’s strengths.”
— AudioFile
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“A literary and literate gem of a book.”
— Psychology Today -
"[Hay’s] prose style is simple yet vivid.”
— Minneapolils Star-Tribune -
“A melancholy love story…Hay’s venture there is wishful, astringent, and rewarding.”
— Canberra Times (Australia) -
“A moving tale of love, loss, and hope.”
— Us Weekly -
“Beautifully written…this book will dazzle you [and] will have you feeling every emotion at once.”
— Bustle -
“The prose is so elegant that it seems to glide.”
— Historical Novel Society -
“Multilayered, graceful, couched in poetry, supremely honest, gentle yet jarring, Hay’s thought-provoking novel pulls you along slowly, like a deep river that is deceptively calm but full of hidden rapids. Much to ponder.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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About Ashley Hay
Ashley Hay is a writer who lives in Brisbane, Australia. She has published two novels and four books of narrative non-fiction. Her latest novel, The Railwayman’s Wife, was awarded the Colin Roderick Prize by the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies and also won the People’s Choice Award at the 2014 NSW Premier’s Prize.
About the Narrators
Steve West, the winner of multiple Earphones Awards for narration, is an international actor who has starred on London’s prestigious West End stage, including productions of Mamma Mia! and Oh, What a Night! He is widely known for his television and film work in both the United States and the UK, and he has performed for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He hosts his own television show for the UK live from Los Angeles.
Fiona Hardingham is a British-born actress, singer, voice-over artist, and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. On stage, she appeared at the Edinburgh Festival in her comedic one-woman show The Dark Show. She has also starred in the dark-comedy short film The Ballerino. She earned a BA honors degree in performing arts from Middlesex University, London, and also studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.