
Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Emily Rankin
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By:
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Marie Bostwick
About this listen
From the author of The Restoration of Celia Fairchild, comes a novel about the meaning of family and the places we call home. If you love “Southern summer” fiction authors like Mary Alice Monroe and Kristy Woodson Harvey, you’ll love this delicious novel about family, friendship, and finding your true path in life.
Esme Cahill thinks she has failed spectacularly: fired from her New York City publishing job, divorced from her husband, and possessing little more than a broken-down car and a pile of unfinished manuscripts, she drives home to Asheville at the request of her late grandmother, Adele, who had begged her, just before she died, to return to the place she grew up.
There she discovers the once-charming lakeside retreat run by her family is sliding toward financial ruin, so with the help of her grandfather, George; estranged mother, Robyn; and a travelling chef Dawes (maker of the world’s best grilled cheese sandwich) they set to work. In the attic, Esme unearths a trove of museum-worthy art quilts, sewn by Adele. Piecing together the inspiration behind them, Esme discovers a forgotten chapter in her family history and her grandmother’s untold story, that of a gifted artist who never received her due.
This is an always-emotional, sometimes humorous, very human novel of what it means to be family—the ties that bind us together and the unintentional hurts that can rend us apart. And, along the way, Esme learns that failure can be the first step toward the life you’re meant to find.
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Maeve Fanning is a first-generation Irish immigrant born and raised among the poor, industrious Italian families of Boston's North End by her widowed mother. Clever, capable, and as headstrong as her red hair suggests, she's determined to better herself despite the overwhelming hardships of the Great Depression. However, Maeve also has a dangerous fondness for strange men and bootleg gin - a rebellious appetite that soon finds her spiraling downward, leading a double life.
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I loved this book!!
- By Traci J on 08-19-17
By: Kathleen Tessaro
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Where Foxes Say Goodnight
- Sleeping Foxes, Book 1
- By: Sam Burns
- Narrated by: Greg Boudreaux
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Max is living the screenwriter dream. He's not even thirty, he's just won an Oscar, and he's dating the gorgeous star of his movie. But after that one magical night, everything crumbles. The movie star dumps him, and his latest screenplay is a blank document that stubbornly refuses to write itself. So Max decides to disappear into the middle of nowhere and maybe obscurity. He's just getting settled into his new life when suddenly someone is trying to kill him.
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Nice but ultimately forgettable
- By Sasheenka on 05-28-24
By: Sam Burns
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Pleasantville
- By: Attica Locke
- Narrated by: J.D. Jackson
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Fifteen years after the events of Black Water Rising, Jay Porter is struggling to cope with catastrophic changes in his personal life and the disintegration of his environmental law practice. His victory against Cole Oil is still the crown jewel of his career, even if he hasn't yet seen a dime thanks to appeals. But time has taken its toll. Tired and restless, he's ready to quit.
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An Author You Need to Know
- By L. O. Pardue on 05-18-15
By: Attica Locke
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Emergency Contact
- By: Lauren Layne, Anthony LeDonne
- Narrated by: Tim Paige, Brianna Cohen
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Katherine, an ambitious New York City attorney, gets diagnosed with a concussion and must be monitored for forty-eight hours to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Unfortunately, she forgot to update her emergency contact, so the person they call is her ex-husband, Tom. Unable to be left alone, Katherine reluctantly agrees to travel to Chicago with him for the holidays. But thanks to a blizzard, what should have been a quick plane ride turns into an antagonistic overnight misadventure that stirs up old feelings even as Tom prepares to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve.
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Romantic and Good Banter
- By Monika on 11-12-23
By: Lauren Layne, and others
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Charlie's Secret
- Inspired by a True Story
- By: C. L. Heckman
- Narrated by: Mara Walker
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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As a little girl, Sam had no idea that her life was different than anyone else's. Her days consisted of playing in a nearby pond, banished to the forest until supper by her mother. Thankfully, she wasn't alone out in the woods...her brother, Charlie, was always there to guide and protect her from anything that may bring harm—however, who was going to protect her from him?
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incomplete details
- By Rebecca Caro on 11-25-24
By: C. L. Heckman
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Hope on the Inside
- By: Marie Bostwick
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Hope Carpenter received that advice from her mother decades ago. Now, with their four children grown, Hope and her husband, Rick, are suddenly facing an uncertain future after a forced retirement strains both their savings and their marriage. Seeking inspiration and a financial boost, Hope gets a job teaching crafts to inmates at a local women's prison.
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Great book
- By Sue Haydock on 03-31-19
By: Marie Bostwick
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We Were Brave
- By: Cap Daniels, Melissa Mason
- Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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When New York Times best-selling novelist Cap Millhouse finds himself alone, destitute, and defeated on the cold winter streets of his hometown, his former fame now buried beneath mountains of despair. His new reality dances in the wake of decisions he can never undo and memories he can never escape. Imprisoned inside his own psyche, Millhouse believes his death is the only path capable of finally putting his demons to rest.
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A different path for me
- By Dallas Britt on 05-10-21
By: Cap Daniels, and others
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The Do-Over
- By: Bethany Turner
- Narrated by: Talon David
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Hot-shot lawyer McKenna Keaton finds herself in hot water with her own law firm when she’s (falsely!) accused of embezzlement. Placed on unpaid leave, she suddenly finds herself with the free time to return home and attend her youngest sister’s wedding activities. But it’s not all fun and games. Waiting back home is shy, nerdy Henry Blumenthal—McKenna’s high school rival for valedictorian who once took three hours to beat her at chess. Scratch that. He’s Hank Blume now, the famed documentarian, Durham, North Carolina’s, darling son.
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Really good story.
- By Rebekah52 on 05-14-22
By: Bethany Turner
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The Gold in These Hills
- By: Joanne Bischof
- Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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1902: Upon arriving in Kenworthy, California, mail-order bride Juniper Cohen is met by the pounding of the gold mine, an untamable landscape, and her greatest surprise of all: the kind and charming man who awaits her. But when the mine proves empty of profit, and when Juniper’s husband, John, vanishes, Juniper is left to fend for herself and her young daughter in the dying town that is now her home.
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Excellent story!
- By Amazon Customer on 07-14-23
By: Joanne Bischof
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The Friendship Club
- By: Robyn Carr
- Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Celebrity cooking show host Marni McGuire has seen it all. She’s been married—twice—and widowed and divorced. Now in her mid-fifties, she’s single. Happily so. She just needs to convince her pregnant daughter, Bella, of this fact. And maybe convince herself, too. Especially after Marni’s efforts to humor her determined daughter result in a series of disastrous dates that somehow prompt Marni to wonder if maybe the right man for her is still out there after all.
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A sweet story-one of my favorites, to date!
- By Alison Neil on 03-03-24
By: Robyn Carr
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The Paris Apartment
- By: Kelly Bowen
- Narrated by: Polly Lee, Marisa Calin, Gemma Dawson, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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London, 2017: When Aurelia Leclaire inherits an opulent Paris apartment, she is shocked to discover her grandmother’s hidden secrets - including a treasure trove of famous art and couture gowns. One obscure painting leads her to Gabriel Seymour, a highly respected art restorer with his own mysterious past. Together they attempt to uncover the truths concealed within the apartment’s walls.
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Thank you for an Amazing story!
- By A.vega on 07-20-21
By: Kelly Bowen
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The Keeper of Stories
- By: Sally Page
- Narrated by: Jessica Whittaker
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Everyone has a story to tell. But does Janice have the power to unlock her own? She can’t recall what started her collection. Maybe it was in a fragment of conversation overheard as she cleaned a sink? Before long (as she dusted a sitting room or defrosted a fridge) she noticed people were telling her their stories. Perhaps they had always done so, but now it is different, now the stories are reaching out to her and she gathers them to her.
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I loved it
- By Meaghan Bynum on 02-03-23
By: Sally Page
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If We Survive
- By: Andrew Klavan
- Narrated by: Jeremy Johnson
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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High schooler Will Peterson and three friends journeyed to Central America to help rebuild a school. In a poor, secluded mountain village, they won the hearts of the local people with their energy and kindness. But in one sudden moment, everything went horribly wrong. A revolution swept the country. Now, guns and terror are everywhere—and Americans are being targeted as the first to die. Will and his friends have got to get out fast. But streets full of killers . . .hills patrolled by armies . . . and a jungle rife with danger stand between them and the border.
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Engaging
- By melinda neill on 06-20-23
By: Andrew Klavan
What listeners say about Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly
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- Kit C
- 09-07-24
Enjoyable and well written
The story was compelling and the mother - daughter relationship was realistic and kept me interested.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-23-25
Loved it!
I loved the characters and the storyline. Hope to see the beautiful Biltmore Estate soon. Asheville, here I come!
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- Anitar
- 06-24-23
Delightful with great character development
I enjoyed this book so much. I loved the characters and the interesting and not predicable story lines. The narration was easy and textured and very believable. As a synthesthic artist myself it was refreshing to share her insights. I’ll be listening again right away.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kelvin
- 07-24-23
I love your books!
I’m a fan that can’t wait for your next book release. Every book is a wonderful read. I love the quilt aspect as well. Keep them coming
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1 person found this helpful
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- Tracy shops A Lot
- 09-28-24
Heartfelt and Real
It took a few chapters for me to get into it, but once I did, I really enjoyed it
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- louise
- 06-06-24
wonderful story
I loved this book. the characters were well developed and the story was beautifully written. I'm glad it wasn't completely predictable. I shed a few rears and then went looking for another book by this author.
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- Michael Garner
- 09-05-24
Stories old and New
The stories all came together for an enjoyable journey through life here on earth. Examples of over the top judgements and refusal to learn more about the area being judged are through out and can be frustrating to the listener as hopefully being unrealistic but most are resolved with time.
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- Kathleen T. Carew
- 09-10-24
Love this book
It had me from the start.
The characters were ones you know in your life.
The story shows you sometimes change is good
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- LifelongReader
- 11-09-23
My favorite by this author!
I’ve read all of Marie Bostwick’s books and have enjoyed them. However, this is now my favorite one. I like quilting as a theme, but the historical aspects and setting for the book were really interesting. Ms. Bostwick has a way of describing things that makes me understand exactly what she’s conveying. I listened to the audiobook, and the reader was outstanding!
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- Becky Price
- 09-27-23
Terrific!!
I was a little concerned during the first couple of chapters as the story was set up. But after the book got rolling, I loved the characters, the setting and the story. I really like the idea that failure isn’t fatal, and things work together for our good. That’s something worth reading about.
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1 person found this helpful