
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
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Narrated by:
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Fiona Hardingham
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Lorelei King
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By:
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Katarina Bivald
About this listen
A debut novel to charm all listeners, that shows beyond all doubt that it's books, along with love, that make the world go round.
It all began with a correspondence between two quite different women: 28-year-old Sara from Haninge, Sweden, and 65-year-old Amy from the small town of Broken Wheel, Iowa. After years of exchanging books, letters and thoughts on the meaning of literature and life, Sara, mousy, disheveled, who has never been anywhere in her life--has really lived only for her work in a beloved bookshop, which has just closed its doors for the last time--bravely decides to accept her unknown friend's invitation to visit. But when she arrives, she finds her house empty, the funeral guests just heading home. . .
Sara finds herself alone. And what choice do the inhabitants of Broken Wheel have but to take care of their bewildered tourist? And what choice does Sara have, faced with a town where nobody reads and her desire to honour her friend, but to set up the perfect bookshop with all the books she and Amy shared--from Yann Martel's Life of Pi to Iris Murdoch and Jo Nesbo, to Bridget Jones and Doug Coupland's All Families Are Psychotic to Little House on the Prairie? And then watch as the townsfolk are, one by one, transformed in unexpected ways. . .
In the glorious tradition of 84 Charing Cross Road, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, Will Schwalbe's The End of Your Life Book Club, Jane Austen, and movies such as You've Got Mail and Love Actually, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a big-hearted, witty book about books, friendship, love--and always being open to the unexpected.
©2016 Katarina Bivald (P)2016 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Sharron
- 05-07-16
Wonderful sweet funny story
Delightful story - well read. I do wish the British narrator realized that folks in Iowa do not speak with Southern accents, but that is a minor complaint
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- georgia
- 02-01-16
Wonderful New author
Would you consider the audio edition of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend to be better than the print version?
yes
What other book might you compare The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend to and why?
All Girl Filling Station
Which character – as performed by Fiona Hardingham and Lorelei King – was your favorite?
obviously Sara
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The entire book was moving and delightful
Any additional comments?
would suggest it to anyone it was wonderful
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- Tay-Tay
- 05-11-16
Nice Easy story
I enjoyed the story, a little predictable but still good! I thought the southern accents a little steep for Iowa but still enjoyed the pleasant story. Lovely happy ending...
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- The Chocolate Chick
- 01-02-23
Sweet but predictable
This book was selected for our book club reading. It was certainly fun and interesting however, it was quite predictable as to what was going to happen in the end, but it was still a nice story.
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- PaloAlto
- 05-26-23
Uplifting book
So enjoyed. Sometimes made me laugh and mostly made me smile. Excellent narration and unlikely but very enjoyable storyline
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- Popo 137
- 08-23-21
Disappointment.
The story itself is great. However the narrator could not be worse. Who talks like that? It is completely distracting. I will buy the book. I can’t listen to it any longer.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-19-18
Sweet story!
Lovely story with a happy ending. Although it was disorienting to listen to residents of Iowa portrayed with southern accents, the book was very enjoyable.
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1 person found this helpful
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- B. smith
- 03-06-16
We the readers
I enjoyed this book though it seemed to drag on a bit. It was great to get to know the characters but the story development was too long.
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- Becky L.
- 07-27-17
It takes you along to the town
This is going to be a classic as Fried Green Tomatoes is. The people are so real with all their quirks, goodness, and failures. I felt like I truly met them and now mourn their departure now that the book is over. The reader was amazing! I'll be looking for more by this author and for more books read by this reader
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- LCNanny
- 09-13-16
Lovely Story about Books, Friendship and Belonging
If you could sum up The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend in three words, what would they be?
Friendship, Acceptance, Books
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend?
There isn't just one memorable moment, the writing is strong and the wonderful moments are from beginning to end. Sara and Amy have been exchanging books and letters about their lives for 2 years when Amy invites Sara (from Sweden) to visit. But before Sara lands in the USA, Amy dies and the towns folk of Broken Wheel conspire to keep Sara around to honor Amy (and a few more reasons unfold, too).
Sara didn't feel a sense of belonging or purpose in Sweden, but the longer she is in the small town of Broken Wheel, the more these life changing issues resolve into a lovely ending, for her and many of the people in town as well. The author inserts some of the letters Amy sent to Sara throughout the book, and from them we learn more of the back story for each principle character, adding to the depth and likability of each person, and understanding some of their quirks.
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