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Up Island (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,633 listener ratings
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“A wonderful story. . . .Siddons has returned to what she does best: gives us a book full of laughter and adventure that has enough soul to leave us with something to think about after we finish reading.” — Detroit News/Free Press
From childhood, Molly Bell Redwine was taught by her charismatic, domineering mother that ""family is everything."" But no one warned Molly that family can change unexpectedly. In rapid succession, her husband of more than twenty years abandons her for a younger woman, her mother dies, and her Atlanta clan scatters to the four winds. Molly is set adrift in a heartbeat.
With her old world crumbling, Molly takes refuge with a friend on Martha's Vineyard, hoping to come to terms with who she truly is. When the summer season ends, Molly decides to stay on, renting a small cottage on a remote up-island pond—becoming part of an odd, new, very real family that taxes her old outworn notions. And as the long Vineyard winter approaches, Molly braces herself for the arduous task she must undertake: a search for renewal and identity, and the strength to carry her through to the warm and healing spring.
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"I'm not usually a mass-market paperback kind of girl, but I read this book during the summer that I spent on Martha's Vineyard, which is also where the book is set. Very apropos, wouldn't you say? It's been ten years, so I barely remember the book now, but I remember thinking it was fun."
— Lara (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Siddons at her best.”
— USA Today -
“Wonderful.”
— Detroit News-Free Press -
“Get ready for a treat…Every bit as good as Colony, her newest contribution to the literary world helps define the modern family…For Anne Rivers Siddons fans who have been waiting for another novel that lives up to Siddons’ reputation, Up Island is it.”
— Spartanburg(SC) Herald-Journal -
“Up Island is a fractal of a book: complicated but ultimately satisfying as only the completion of a pattern can be. Intelligent and insightful, it is good story tenderly told.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“As with most of Siddons’ heroines, Molly is an engaging woman who battles successfully with adversity and remains unsinkable. The author’s fans will be delighted with her latest novel and its setting.”
— School Library Journal -
“What has seemed at first an unbearable burden transforms Molly in ways she couldn't have imagined…This beaten-down housewife’s journey to self-reliance and happiness has surprising quirks, lively characters, and actual feeling.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
Up Island Listener Reviews
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" Actually, more of a 2.5. Didn't care for her writing style, but story was okay. "
— Lori, 2/15/2014 -
" Good, pleasant, read. Nice to be absorbed in a good, old novel. "
— Judy, 2/7/2014 -
" Really enjoyed it. Shows a family can be anyone. "
— Diane, 2/5/2014 -
" Not great literature, but a good read. Love the dog. "
— Carol, 2/4/2014 -
" The woman I work for introduced me to this author..... I enjoyed reading this and think that I will definitely be reading some of her other books. "
— Karen, 1/30/2014 -
" I thought the main character was a bit mopey and overly depressed, I kept thinking "get over it already" to myself. Still not a bad story and I enjoy the author. "
— Judith, 1/23/2014 -
" This book annoyed me for some reason. I finished it as it was a quick read, but it was just so odd and depressing at times. "
— Ann, 1/22/2014 -
" An okay story. Simple. Basic. Typical. "
— Laurie, 1/15/2014 -
" My first time to read this author and loved the book. Just when I thought I had figured out the story, something new was introduced. Not what I was expecting. "
— Kristie, 11/26/2013 -
" My first Siddons book; I liked the plot and the characters but my Lord she is wordy. "
— Heather, 11/25/2013 -
" I listened to the audiobook "
— Lauretta, 10/29/2013 -
" Well written and enjoyable. Gives you something to think about after reading. "
— Patricia, 10/9/2013 -
" This was not your typical love story, if it can be considered that. But I found it to be a interesting read. I wish she would write a sequal to it "
— Connie, 9/24/2013 -
" i cared more about the swans than i did the characters. not too sure WHY i made myself finish it? guess i kept waiting for that A-ha moment. "
— Lillian, 12/4/2012 -
" Author sets all these books in the Carolina Low Country, my favorite place on earth. I can hear the slow drawl of this part of the south and smell the ocean as I read her books. "
— Erin, 7/30/2012 -
" One of this author's better books, although my husband made fun of it when we listened to it as a book on tape (I had previously read it but forgotten a lot of it). Interesting to learn a little about people who live in northern Maine, since I know nothing about that part of the US. "
— Courtney, 6/23/2012 -
" Really like this audio book. The reader was really great and fit the character so well. I couldn't wait to get back into my car every day to hear more but didn't want it to end. "
— Rhonda, 6/5/2012 -
" One of the most charming books I have read. I actually laughed out loud. The characters are endearing and she draws you into their lives. "
— Teresa, 5/4/2012 -
" Enjoyed that it took place on Marthas Vineyard! and just loved the story SO MUCH!!! "
— Debbie, 4/30/2012 -
" Siddons' descriptions are exquisite. "
— B., 2/14/2012 -
" Nice book about how we can make our own "families." Well written. I have a couple more of her books on my shelves and I look forward to reading them, although I will probably read something else in between. "
— Hope, 11/28/2011 -
" The book was okay. The beginning, I thought was very slow and dull. It did pick up a little...enough to hold my interest to finish the book. It was a very slow reading. I definitely like her other book better..Islands. "
— Christine, 9/21/2011 -
" Love her stuff. "
— Ginnie, 9/21/2011 -
" Molly Redwine has a year of change and upheaval. Her husband, Tee, confesses an affair and asks for a divorce. Molly retreats to Martha's Vineyard to recover after her mother's death adds to her grief. Interesting read. "
— Kitty, 9/13/2011 -
" A lovely book about relationships. One of my favorites! "
— Carol, 4/11/2011 -
" A surprisingly good read. I did not expect to read it in just three days considering that the author is not familiar to me. I like the dialogue and the flow of the story. "
— Crestina, 4/5/2011 -
" My favorite Ann River Siddons book! "
— Kori, 1/12/2011 -
" An uplifting, some-what comically written, story about finding yourself and making it through tough times. "
— Cassy, 7/8/2010 -
" Nice book about how we can make our own "families." Well written. I have a couple more of her books on my shelves and I look forward to reading them, although I will probably read something else in between. "
— Hope, 5/10/2010 -
" I just seriously don't get why so many women read romance novels. I'm sorry. "
— Shellie, 4/8/2010 -
" Siddons, as usual, delivers a likeable tale of well-drawn characters. A great relationship read. "
— Nancy, 3/2/2010 -
" Well written and enjoyable. Gives you something to think about after reading. "
— Patricia, 2/25/2010
About Anne Rivers Siddons
Anne Rivers Siddons (1936–2019) wrote nineteen novels, including several New York Times bestsellers, as well as a work of nonficton and two movie scripts. Her novels received praise from Stephen King and Pat Conroy. Her debut novel, Heartbreak Hotel, was made into a major motion picture in 1989 titled Heart of Dixie. Her novel The House Next Door was made into a made-for-television movie that aired in 2006 on Lifetime Television.
About Dana Ivey
Dana Ivey was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her undergraduate degree at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and then received a Fulbright grant to study drama at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She was a member of the Phi Mu sorority at Rollins College. She received an Honorary Doctorate (Humane Letters) from Rollins College in February 2008. She made her Broadway debut playing two small roles in a 1981 production of Macbeth. She has appeared in many film and television roles. Recently Ivey was in the Broadway production of The Importance of Being Earnest as Lady Bracknell.