A Town Called Solace
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Narrated by:
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Maggie Huculak
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Tajja Isen
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Ian Lake
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By:
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Mary Lawson
About this listen
National Best Seller
Longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Globe and Mail, CBC Books, and The Daily Telegraph
"I've been telling everyone I know about Mary Lawso.... Each of her novels is just a marvel" (Anne Tyler)
New York Times best-selling author Mary Lawson, acclaimed for digging into the "wilderness of the human heart", is back after almost a decade with a fresh and timely novel that is different in subject but just as emotional and atmospheric as her beloved earlier work.
A Town Called Solace, the brilliant and emotionally radiant new novel from Mary Lawson, her first in nearly a decade, opens on a family in crisis. Sixteen-year-old Rose is missing. Angry and rebellious, she had a row with her mother, stormed out of the house and simply disappeared. Left behind is seven-year-old Clara, Rose’s adoring little sister. Isolated by her parents’ efforts to protect her from the truth, Clara is bewildered and distraught. Her sole comfort is Moses, the cat next door, whom she is looking after for his elderly owner, Mrs. Orchard, who went into hospital weeks ago and has still not returned.
Enter Liam Kane, mid-thirties, newly divorced, newly unemployed, newly arrived in this small northern town, who moves into Mrs. Orchard’s house - where, in Clara’s view, he emphatically does not belong. Within a matter of hours he receives a visit from the police. It seems he is suspected of a crime.
At the end of her life, Elizabeth Orchard is also thinking about a crime, one committed thirty years previously that had tragic consequences for two families, and in particular for one small child. She desperately wants to make amends before she dies.
Told through three distinct, compelling points of view, the novel cuts back and forth among these unforgettable characters to uncover the layers of grief, remorse, and love that connect them. A Town Called Solace is a masterful, suspenseful, darkly funny and deeply humane novel by one of our great storytellers.
©2021 Mary Lawson (P)2021 Penguin Random House CanadaListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
National best seller
Longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize
A Globe and Mail Best Book
A Daily Telegraph Book of the Year
“This deftly-structured novel draws together the stories of three people at three different stages in life, each of whom is grappling with loss. We were captivated by A Town Called Solace’s beautifully paced, compassionate, sometimes wry examination of small-town lives.” (2021 Booker Prize Judges)
"Completely absorbing...A Town Called Solace pleases at every level. It's a captivating tale suffused with wisdom and compassion." (Toronto Star)
“A lovely, gentle novel with edge.” (Saga (UK))
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When Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know. In Mike's absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike's safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts.
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Real fiction
- By Katijanae on 01-19-23
By: Susie Finkbeiner
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The Home
- By: Karen Osman
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Angela was just a baby when she was abandoned, and a children's home is no place to grow up. When manager Ray takes girls off to his 'den' in the garden, they always come back crying.... So, when wealthy couple James and Rosemary come to choose a child to adopt, Angela is desperate to escape. Years later, Angela starts to search for her birth mother, Evelyn, hoping to heal the scars of her childhood. But strange and sinister events start to unfold. And Evelyn fears she may not survive her daughter's return.
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Did not see the twist coming
- By Michelle Yaple on 08-20-19
By: Karen Osman
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What Happens Next
- By: Christina Suzann Nelson
- Narrated by: Rebecca Quinn Robertson
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne has made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy—but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. When she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing person case on her podcast, she uncovers desperate secrets and must face the truth before she can move forward.
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Enjoyed This!
- By Freida Keith on 05-14-23
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The Nothing Girl
- The Frogmorton Farm Series, Book 1
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Getting a life isn't always easy. And hanging on to it is even harder.... Jodi Taylor brings all her comic writing skills to this heartwarming tale of self-discovery. Known as The Nothing Girl because of her severe stutter and chronically low self-confidence, Jenny Dove is only just prevented from ending it all by the sudden appearance of Thomas, a mystical golden horse only she can see. Under his guidance Jenny unexpectedly acquires a husband - the charming and chaotic Russell Checkland.
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So much better than I expected
- By MarilynArms on 07-25-15
By: Jodi Taylor
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The Nanny
- A Novel
- By: Gilly Macmillan
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Patience Tomlinson, Ben Eliot
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In this compulsively listenable tale of secrets, lies, and deception, Gilly Macmillan explores the darkest impulses and desires of the human heart. Diabolically clever, The Nanny reminds us that sometimes the truth hurts so much you’d rather hear the lie.
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Great gripping story!
- By Jordan Zenzel on 10-01-19
By: Gilly Macmillan
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The Girl in the Woods
- By: Patricia MacDonald
- Narrated by: Lynn Norris
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Fifteen years ago, Blair's best friend Molly was murdered. Fifteen years ago, Adrian Jones went to prison for it. Fifteen years ago, the real killer got away with it. And now, Blair's terminally ill sister has made a devastating deathbed confession, which could prove that the wrong man has been imprisoned for years - and that Molly's killer is still out there. Blair's determined to find him, but the story behind Molly's death is more twisted than she could imagine. If she isn't careful enough, the killer will ensnare her and bury Blair with his secret.
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"
- By Kay on 12-24-18
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The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir
- By: Lesley Allen
- Narrated by: Bríd Brennan
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
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Biddy Weir is a quirky girl. Abandoned by her mother as a baby, and with a father who's not quite equipped for the challenges of modern parenting, Biddy lives in her own little world, happy to pass her time painting by the sea and watching the birds go by. That is, until she meets Alison Flemming. Because there are a few things about Biddy that aren't normal, you see. And Alison isn't afraid to point them out to the world. All of a sudden, Biddy's quiet life is thrown into turmoil. If only there was someone to convince her that, actually, everyone's a little bit weird....
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The Lonely Life Of Biddy Weir
- By George Criticos on 08-10-20
By: Lesley Allen
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Stella's Story
- Thrown Away Children, Book 1
- By: Louise Allen
- Narrated by: Melanie Crawley
- Length: 8 hrs
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Named after the lager that christened her at birth, Stella's life is characterised instability and neglect. Her teenage mother abandons her in the first few weeks of her life, and left in the 'care' of her father, she ends up lying deserted in a house with no food, no water, no clothes and no warmth. She eventually lands in the care of foster carer Louise, who is determined to change her life for the better.
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Such an emotional story
- By Heidi Ewing on 12-22-24
By: Louise Allen
What listeners say about A Town Called Solace
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kaysi12
- 01-05-22
Extraordinary
The author has captured so perfectly families and characters in a small town during a short critical period in their lives. Not at all saccharine, it still left me feeling glad to have listened to it. The performance was excellent. Some other reviews panned the child character, but I thought the delivery suited the character.
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- Emily Armet
- 07-06-23
Well Done
This story rings true. The setting, and characters are very well written. The storyline is relatively subtle, but the connections between the characters in their circumstances occur to the reader as the story unfolds, and after the story is complete,
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- Alea Jensen
- 04-15-21
Meh
interesting story but could have been so much shorter. also the volumes/speeds on the various narrators were so different that it woke me up (I fall asleep to a book each night). I did like that each character felt realistic but plot was a tad predictable
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- Madeleine Homan
- 04-12-22
Lovely. Beautiful writing.
I love a good story, and have noticed in a lot of best sellers how most of the writing lacks artistry and subtlety. This book is so beautifully written, so elegant and thoughtful. It isnt trying to tell us what to think, or how to feel, which is a breath of fresh air. I read/listen to 2-3 books a week and share almost none with my reader pals. I will share this one.
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- Barbara S
- 07-06-21
beautiful story
I listened to the audio of “A Town Called Solace” by Mary Lawson. This is a slow burn of a story, culminating into a satisfying suspenseful drama. The narrators, Maggie Huculak, Tajja Isen, and Ian Lake are fantastic.
The story is told from three-character points of view. Clara, 7 years old, is a dutiful cat sitter who begins the story staring out her front window, watching her neighbor, Mrs. Orchard’s, home. Clara’s teenage sister Rose has just ran away, and Clara feels that she needs to keep her vigilance of the neighbor’s home to assure Rose’s safe return.
Mrs. Orchard, aka Elizabeth, is in the hospital with a heart condition. Her narrations are thoughts to her deceased husband. Through Elizabeth, we learn why she left her home to Liam, the third character. We also learn of Elizabeth’s past and what she feels she needed to atone for.
Liam is a character who the reader can’t help but feel sympathetic towards. His life, especially his youthful homelife is tragic. He most certainly received the worst mother possible. He isn’t sure why Mrs. Orchard left him her home, but we find out through Elizabeth’s chapters.
Clara is the needed innocent in the story, providing some humor through her earnest antics. She takes watching Mrs. Orchard’s home very seriously. Other minor characters add to the amusement, although quiet amusement. Lawson deftly adds those moments to what could have been a fully maudlin and tragic story. My heart broke many times for both Liam and Elizabeth. Clara provided hope.
The characters in this story are realistic and human. At the beginning of the story, I thought it was an average read. In the middle, I was dumbstruck in my emotional attachment. At the end, I wanted to take another look and review how the story began and edged its way into my heart.
Author Mary Lawson is noted for writing emotionally moving stories taking place in her beloved Canada. This is one that will stick with me. Another shout-out to Goodreads friend Holly who gave this a stellar review which drew my interest.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Deb Quilts
- 01-16-23
Fascinating story
It was a bit difficult to get into the story because I didn't care for the little girl voice, but I kept listening and really felt like I was in Solace too. Excellent!
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- LA Yogini
- 03-12-23
Cannot wait to read more by this author
Every spare moment in the last 4 days drew me back to listen to this special book. Rereading portions just to savor the story! These 3 characters are beautiful, flawed, filled with grace and their pain moved me to tears.
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- Jody
- 08-25-21
Sweet Story
Beautifully written and narrated. Author developed the characters emotions in a genuine way that made them very real and likeable.
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1 person found this helpful
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- M. L. Nieves
- 09-02-21
Beautiful
This story is beautifully written. I simply loved it. I wasn’t equally in love with the performances but they do not detract from the story. I highly recommend.
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- theburge
- 10-25-23
Starts slow and gets slower.
I normally don’t mind slow meandering reads. This one drove me crazy and it took a lot of effort to finish. The story is simple and unmoving. The town of Solace is beautiful and so are the people and the community. This is the small part that redeemed the effort.
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