
The Breakdown Lane
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $22.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Anna Fields
About this listen
Giving advice is what Julieanne does for a living; every Sunday she doles it out in a column in her local Wisconsin paper. But when it comes to her personal life, Julie herself seems to have missed some clues. Having worked creatively to keep her 20-year marriage to Leo fresh and exciting and to be a good mother, she is completely caught off guard when he tells her he needs to go on a "sabbatical" from their life together, leaving Julie and their three children behind. But it soon becomes clear that his leave of absence is meant to be permanent. Things take a turn for the worse when Julie is diagnosed with a serious illness and the children undertake a dangerous journey to find Leo...before it's too late. As the known world sinks precariously from view, the clan must navigate their way through the shoals of love, guilt, and betrayal. Together, with the help of Leo's parents and Julie's best friend, they work their way back to solid ground and a new definition of family.
No one illuminates modern love, marriage, and parenting better than Jacquelyn Mitchard. Written with her trademark poignancy, humor, and insight, The Breakdown Lane is her most moving, eloquent, and life-affirming work yet.
©2005 Jacquelyn Mitchard (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
A Theory of Relativity
- By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Narrated by: Juliette Parker
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At 24, Gordon McKenna thinks he's already heard the worst news of his life when he learns that his sister, Georgia, is fatally ill. Then Georgia and her husband die in a car accident, leaving behind their baby daughter, Keefer. Gordon and his parents are able to survive their sorrow only by devoting themselves to the care of the beloved one-year-old. But the decision of who will raise Keefer is far from over, and soon Gordon's most basic assumptions about his family will be challenged in ways so provocative that he will be driven to disbelief and then to outrage.
-
Second Nature
- A Love Story
- By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sicily Coyne was just thirteen when her father was killed in a school fire that left her face disfigured. Twelve years later, a young surgeon, Eliza Cappadora, offers hope in the form of a revolutionary new surgery that may give Sicily back the grace and function she lost. Raised by a dynamic, tenacious aunt who taught her to lead a normal life, and engaged to a wonderful man who knew her long before the accident, Sicily rejects the offer: She knows who she is, and so do the people who love her.
-
-
Fascinating read
- By Brendolynne on 06-03-12
-
The Good Son
- A Novel
- By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stefan was just seventeen when he went to prison for the drug-fueled murder of his girlfriend, Belinda. Three years later, he’s released to a world that refuses to let him move on. Belinda’s mother, once Thea’s good friend, galvanizes the community to rally against him to protest in her daughter’s memory. The media paints Stefan as a symbol of white privilege and indifferent justice. Neighbors, employers, even some members of Thea's own family turn away.
-
-
The idea? 10/10 The execution? ...4/10
- By Sparky on 04-01-22
-
Two If by Sea
- By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just hours after his wife and her entire family perish in the Christmas Eve tsunami in Brisbane, American expat and former police officer Frank Mercy goes out to join his volunteer rescue unit and pulls a little boy from a submerged car, saving the child's life with only seconds to spare. In that moment, Frank's own life is transformed. Not quite knowing why, Frank sidesteps the law when, instead of turning Ian over to the Red Cross, he takes the boy home to the Midwestern farm where he grew up.
-
-
What a waste! Keep your credit!!!!
- By Allen Anthony on 03-18-16
-
The Scenic Route
- A Short Story
- By: Christina Baker Kline
- Narrated by: Amanda Leigh Cobb
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once happily married with a young son, Jess takes to the road to escape her failed relationship and the disappointment of losing touch with her son. Four years into a nomadic existence, she has learned the hacks of van life and promotes a fantasy version of it on Instagram that bears little resemblance to her eclectic community of fellow travelers. But it’s that camaraderie, and the vastness of the great outdoors, that gives Jess the space she needs to find out what really matters to her. And act on it.
-
-
Simple yet complicated.
- By jolleyreader on 09-13-23
-
The Younger Wife
- A Novel
- By: Sally Hepworth
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik, Caroline Lee, Jessica Douglas-Henry, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Aston is getting married again. The only problem is, he's still married to his first wife, even though she is in a care facility for dementia. But he'll take care of that easily, by divorcing her—even if his adult daughters protest. Tully and Rachel Aston look upon Heather as nothing but an interloper. Heather is the same age as Rachel and even younger than Tully. Clearly she's a gold digger and after their father's money. Heather has secrets that she's keeping close, and reasons of her own for wanting to marry Stephen.
-
-
Brilliant
- By Violet on 04-11-22
By: Sally Hepworth
-
A Theory of Relativity
- By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Narrated by: Juliette Parker
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At 24, Gordon McKenna thinks he's already heard the worst news of his life when he learns that his sister, Georgia, is fatally ill. Then Georgia and her husband die in a car accident, leaving behind their baby daughter, Keefer. Gordon and his parents are able to survive their sorrow only by devoting themselves to the care of the beloved one-year-old. But the decision of who will raise Keefer is far from over, and soon Gordon's most basic assumptions about his family will be challenged in ways so provocative that he will be driven to disbelief and then to outrage.
-
Second Nature
- A Love Story
- By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sicily Coyne was just thirteen when her father was killed in a school fire that left her face disfigured. Twelve years later, a young surgeon, Eliza Cappadora, offers hope in the form of a revolutionary new surgery that may give Sicily back the grace and function she lost. Raised by a dynamic, tenacious aunt who taught her to lead a normal life, and engaged to a wonderful man who knew her long before the accident, Sicily rejects the offer: She knows who she is, and so do the people who love her.
-
-
Fascinating read
- By Brendolynne on 06-03-12
-
The Good Son
- A Novel
- By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stefan was just seventeen when he went to prison for the drug-fueled murder of his girlfriend, Belinda. Three years later, he’s released to a world that refuses to let him move on. Belinda’s mother, once Thea’s good friend, galvanizes the community to rally against him to protest in her daughter’s memory. The media paints Stefan as a symbol of white privilege and indifferent justice. Neighbors, employers, even some members of Thea's own family turn away.
-
-
The idea? 10/10 The execution? ...4/10
- By Sparky on 04-01-22
-
Two If by Sea
- By: Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just hours after his wife and her entire family perish in the Christmas Eve tsunami in Brisbane, American expat and former police officer Frank Mercy goes out to join his volunteer rescue unit and pulls a little boy from a submerged car, saving the child's life with only seconds to spare. In that moment, Frank's own life is transformed. Not quite knowing why, Frank sidesteps the law when, instead of turning Ian over to the Red Cross, he takes the boy home to the Midwestern farm where he grew up.
-
-
What a waste! Keep your credit!!!!
- By Allen Anthony on 03-18-16
-
The Scenic Route
- A Short Story
- By: Christina Baker Kline
- Narrated by: Amanda Leigh Cobb
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once happily married with a young son, Jess takes to the road to escape her failed relationship and the disappointment of losing touch with her son. Four years into a nomadic existence, she has learned the hacks of van life and promotes a fantasy version of it on Instagram that bears little resemblance to her eclectic community of fellow travelers. But it’s that camaraderie, and the vastness of the great outdoors, that gives Jess the space she needs to find out what really matters to her. And act on it.
-
-
Simple yet complicated.
- By jolleyreader on 09-13-23
-
The Younger Wife
- A Novel
- By: Sally Hepworth
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik, Caroline Lee, Jessica Douglas-Henry, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Aston is getting married again. The only problem is, he's still married to his first wife, even though she is in a care facility for dementia. But he'll take care of that easily, by divorcing her—even if his adult daughters protest. Tully and Rachel Aston look upon Heather as nothing but an interloper. Heather is the same age as Rachel and even younger than Tully. Clearly she's a gold digger and after their father's money. Heather has secrets that she's keeping close, and reasons of her own for wanting to marry Stephen.
-
-
Brilliant
- By Violet on 04-11-22
By: Sally Hepworth
-
Run
- By: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's a winter evening in Boston and the temperature has drastically dropped as a blizzard approaches the city. On this fateful night, Bernard Doyle plans to meet his two adopted sons, Tip the older, and more serious and Teddy, the affectionate dreamer, at a Harvard auditorium to hear a speech given by Jesse Jackson. Doyle, an Irish Catholic and former Boston mayor, has done his best to keep his two sons interested in politics, from the day he and his now deceased wife became their parents, through their childhoods, and now in their lives as college students.
-
-
Don't listen to the interview at the end.
- By S. Elder on 12-16-07
By: Ann Patchett
-
We Are Water
- A Novel
- By: Wally Lamb
- Narrated by: Wally Lamb, George Guidall, Maggi-Meg Reed, and others
- Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After 27 years of marriage and three children, Anna Oh - wife, mother, outsider artist - has fallen in love with Viveca, the wealthy Manhattan art dealer who orchestrated her success. They plan to wed in the Oh family’s hometown of Three Rivers in Connecticut. But the wedding provokes some very mixed reactions and opens a Pandora’s Box of toxic secrets - dark and painful truths that have festered below the surface of the Ohs' lives.
-
-
Lamb writes Fine Literature/What a Book!
- By Suzn F on 10-27-13
By: Wally Lamb
-
Good Bad Girl
- A Novel
- By: Alice Feeney
- Narrated by: Katherine Press, Stephanie Racine
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth. Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but at eighty-years-young, she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning messes and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything. Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door…and their intentions aren’t good.
-
-
Finished it the day it came out
- By Sara on 08-30-23
By: Alice Feeney
-
The Hike
- By: Lucy Clarke
- Narrated by: David Johansen-Menkin, Stephanie Racine
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Burned-out by both her marriage and work, Liz is desperate for an escape. More than that, she craves an adventure, a total reset. So, when she plans a vacation with her three best friends, she persuades them to spend four nights camping in the stunning mountains of Norway. Following a trail that climbs through lush valleys, towering peaks, and past jewel-blue lakes, Liz is sure that the hike is just what they need. But as they stride farther from civilization, it becomes clear that the women are not the only ones looking to lose themselves in the mountains.
-
-
Ultimately insufferable
- By Jennifer on 09-11-23
By: Lucy Clarke
-
Just an Ordinary Family
- By: Fiona Lowe
- Narrated by: Rebecca Macauley
- Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alice Hunter is smarting from the raw deal life has thrown her way: suddenly single, jobless and forced to move home to her parents' tiny seaside town. And now she faces an uncomfortable truth. She wants her twin sister Libby's enviable life. Libby's closest friend Jess Dekic has been around the Hunter family for so long she might as well be blood. She's always considered herself a sister closer to Libby than Alice ever could be.
-
-
Just started book
- By Shannanigan’s reviews on 02-26-21
By: Fiona Lowe
-
Other People's Marriages
- By: Kerry Fisher
- Narrated by: Emma Spurgin Hussey
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Steph has spent decades building a family with her husband, Mal, and putting their family first. She is the glue that holds them all together, and she has convinced herself that she’s been happy...most of the time. But as she stands at her birthday party watching her husband talking about a wonderful marriage she doesn’t fully recognise, the doubts that she has been pushing down for so long begin to grow.
-
-
Friendships are dear
- By Anonymous User on 02-24-22
By: Kerry Fisher
-
Forever Hold Your Peace
- By: Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke
- Narrated by: Nan McNamara
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When their newly engaged kids ask all four divorced parents to meet each other over brunch, everyone RSVPs yes—secretly hoping someone at the table will get to the bottom of the bottomless mimosas fast enough to say what they’re all thinking: that this engagement, coming after a whirlwind romance between two people barely out of college, is too much too soon. But at that brunch it’s not the impulsive couple's decisions that end up under the microscope, as it turns out June, mother of the bride, and Amy, mother of the groom, certainly do know each other—they're ex-best-friends.
By: Liz Fenton, and others
-
What Happened to the Bennetts
- By: Lisa Scottoline
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jason Bennett is a suburban dad who owns a court-reporting business, but one night, his life takes a horrific turn. He is driving his family home after his daughter’s field hockey game when a pickup truck begins tailgating them, on a dark stretch of road. Suddenly two men jump from the pickup and pull guns on Jason, demanding the car. A horrific flash of violence changes his life forever.
-
-
Oh my gosh! You have outdone yourself! 💚🍀
- By Kindle Customer on 03-30-22
By: Lisa Scottoline
-
The Intern
- A Novel
- By: Michele Campbell
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case. When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to help Madison or use her as a pawn? And why is somebody trying to kill her?
-
-
Another Terrific Michele Campbell Novel
- By William G. Stuart on 11-15-23
By: Michele Campbell
-
The Peacock Emporium
- A Novel
- By: Jojo Moyes
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Sastre, Christine Rendel, Fabio Tassone
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the '60s, Athene Forster was the most glamorous girl of her generation. Nicknamed the Last Deb, she was also beautiful, spoiled, and out of control. When she agreed to marry the gorgeous young heir Douglas Fairley-Hulme, her parents breathed a sigh of relief. But within two years, rumors had begun to circulate about Athene's affair with a young salesman.
-
-
Major Disappointment
- By Taryn on 04-29-19
By: Jojo Moyes
-
I Almost Forgot About You
- A Novel
- By: Terry McMillan
- Narrated by: Terry McMillan
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In I Almost Forgot About You, Dr. Georgia Young's wonderful life--great friends, family, and successful career--aren't enough to keep her from feeling stuck and restless. When she decides to make some major changes in her life, including quitting her job as an optometrist and moving house, she finds herself on a wild journey that may or may not include a second chance at love. Georgia’s bravery reminds us that it’s never too late to become the person you want to be, and that taking chances, with your life and your heart, are always worthwhile.
-
-
I Almost Forgot About You
- By Brown Sugar Carolyn on 06-11-16
By: Terry McMillan
-
I Know This Much Is True
- By: Wally Lamb
- Narrated by: Ken Howard
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the long awaited follow-up to the highly praised novel She's Come Undone, Dominick Birdsey must come to terms with himself, as well as with the schizophrenic twin brother he has spent his life both protecting and resenting.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Douglas on 03-20-08
By: Wally Lamb
Editorial reviews
Anna Fields evokes an earthy, perceptive woman you'd enjoy having across the backyard fence. Fields has a knack for creating characters with vocal mannerisms and inflections that are authentic. This is especially true in Fields's performance of Julie, Mitchard's protagonist, an advice columnist for a Wisconsin paper who unexpectedly finds that no one is more in need of help than she. Her husband abruptly leaves her and their three children to go find himself (and a younger, more malleable mate) in a commune. Soon after, Julie learns she has multiple sclerosis. The blows keep coming, but even in Julie's many unheroic moments, Fields's humor and good nature maintain a sympathy she always merits.
Critic reviews
"Rousing melodrama, fluid, often funny, dialogue, and the convincing portrayal of children involved in the collapse of a marriage add up to another page-turner from Mitchard." (Publishers Weekly)
"An astute observer of family dynamics, Mitchard renders her characters flawlessly, endowing them with a humanity that is both accessibly grounded and astonishingly deep." (Booklist)
What listeners say about The Breakdown Lane
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Shannon
- 02-11-06
Enjoyable
I enjoyed listening to this book. It took a while to get used to the narrator's voice when she does the husband and son's voices. My mom also listened to it and really liked it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Susan
- 07-13-05
The narrator grows on you
I enjoyed this book a great deal. I found the narrator a little jarring at first, but soon became accustomed to her voice. She does a good job of differentiating the characters--her adolescent girl voice is excellent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Melanie W. Muse
- 06-27-24
unusual book
I enjoyed the book. I found the family situation to be familiar in many ways. And admired Julie Anne with her battle with multiple sclerosis. I was glad they got through their trials and tribulations, way better than I had hoped, when I started the book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Patricia B Tripoli
- 09-25-07
A So-So Story
I was dissappointed in this book. It started out "fair" and continued at that level. I found the husband-bashing to be a little much, or was it that the wife could actually be that dumb? The children characters were not any more realistic.
The narration was also so-so. I found her male voices disturbing (typical of many female narrators).
There could have been so much more to this story, but it was a come-again hippie, mid-life crisis, coming-of-age tale that has been told too many times.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful