Boy from the Valleys
My unexpected journey
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Narrated by:
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Luke Evans
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By:
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Luke Evans
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
From his humble beginnings in a quaint Welsh mining village to the dazzling lights of Hollywood, much-loved star, Luke Evans takes us on a poignant and inspiring journey that spans from the heart of Wales to behind the scenes of the global stage.
Growing up in a small village in the Rhymney Valley, south Wales, Luke Evans’ early life was shaped by his Jehovah's Witness upbringing. While most children of his age spent their Saturday mornings watching Going Live on television, young Luke would dress in a suit and tie and join his parents to knock on doors to spread the word of his religion. From an early age, he felt different. This feeling of displacement was not limited to his faith, as he came to terms with his own sexuality, he also faced a difficult and uncertain path. In his poignant, tender and often humorous account, Luke shares his bold decision to leave home – and the religion – at seventeen to move to London where vibrant Soho scene captured his heart, invigorated his creative journey as an actor and opened a whole new world of opportunity.
In finding himself, Luke also discovered his passions of singing, acting and performing. Starring first on the West End stages in iconic productions like Miss Saigon, Avenue Q and Rent, he quickly captivated the hearts of audiences and caught the eye of Hollywood's elite, going on to secure roles in blockbuster films such as The Hobbit, Beauty and the Beast, Fast and Furious and Dracula Untold.
In this intimate memoir, Luke takes us behind the scenes of his career on the stage and screen. He writes beautifully of the relationship he now has with his family and the respect they all have for one another on their different paths. Luke's story is a powerful tale of resilience, courage, and the pursuit of finding a sense of belonging and identity, but mostly (and hopefully) a story of inspiration.
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Cody Rigsby has a lot of opinions: Kevin is the hottest Backstreet Boy; grape jelly is a crime against nature; if you wear flip-flops in New York City, you do not love yourself. But if there is one opinion—one truth—that he holds above all others, it’s that we shouldn’t let the fear of looking stupid or being judged hold us back from living our best lives.
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This book GIVES MAIN BOOK ENERGY!
- By Coffee N Craft on 09-13-23
By: Cody Rigsby
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(Un)Apologetically Me
- Tales from a Perfectly Imperfect Life
- By: Sophie Neville, Bree Tomasel
- Narrated by: Bree Tomasel
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Known and loved by her many New Zealand and Australian fans as a down-to-earth broadcaster, radio host and social media sensation, Bree Tomasel is an irrepressible force of nature. But behind the banter and success, is a young woman who has battled anxiety and survived a harrowing attack on her as a young child. Funny, candid, raw—this is Bree Tomasel as you've never seen her.
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The realness.
- By AK Stinnett on 11-25-24
By: Sophie Neville, and others
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Miss Memory Lane
- A Memoir
- By: Colton Haynes
- Narrated by: Colton Haynes
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2018, Colton Haynes woke up in a hospital. He’d had two seizures, lost vision in one eye, almost ruptured a kidney, and been put on an involuntary psychiatric hold. Not yet thirty, he knew he had to take stock of his life and make some serious changes if he wanted to see his next birthday. As he worked towards sobriety, Haynes allowed himself to become vulnerable for the first time and discovered profound self-awareness. He had millions of social media followers who constantly told him they loved him.
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Amazing Story and Young Man
- By Carl Allen on 10-18-22
By: Colton Haynes
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Most Talkative
- Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture
- By: Andy Cohen
- Narrated by: Andy Cohen
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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From a young age, Andy Cohen knew two things: He was gay, and he loved television. Now presiding over Bravo's reality-TV empire, he started out as an overly talkative pop-culture obsessive, devoted to Charlie's Angels and All My Children—and to his mother, who received daily letters from him while he was at summer camp, usually reminding her to tape the soaps. In retrospect, it's hard to believe that everyone didn't know that Andy was gay; still, he remained in the closet until college. Finally out, he embarked on making a career out of his passion for television.
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If you're depressed, listen to this book!!!
- By Roberta on 07-02-12
By: Andy Cohen
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The Summer of Us
- By: Lily Morton
- Narrated by: Joel Leslie
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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John is an exceptionally good lawyer. He’s driven, arrogant, and hides a warm heart beneath a façade of cool politeness. He’s used to people disliking him, but for some reason, when meeting Matt in London, the other man’s open dislike bothers him. He’s therefore surprised to find himself offering Matt a place to stay in his villa in the South of France while he’s working nearby. He’d actually planned to spend the summer working on his book and plotting to get his ex-wife back.
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4.5 STARS
- By LausBariatric on 01-05-25
By: Lily Morton
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Tramp for the Lord
- Sequel to "The Hiding Place"
- By: Corrie ten Boom, Jamie Buckingham
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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For years Corrie ten Boom crisscrossed the globe sleeping in thousands of different beds and living out of suitcases—all to fulfill her God-given mission to tell people everywhere that Jesus Christ is reality, that He lives, that He is Victor. This remarkable woman served time in German concentration camps during World War II for the “crime” of hiding persecuted Jews and survived to tell the story in her best-selling book The Hiding Place. Her brush with death lent a new meaning to her life. In her own words: “My life had been given back as a gift . . . for a purpose.” After her ...
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the love and forgiveness she has
- By Patricia k lumbreraz on 11-16-24
By: Corrie ten Boom, and others
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Life at Camp
- By: Doris J. Sumner
- Narrated by: Doris Jean Sumner
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Life at Camp tells the story of a National Guard Equal Opportunity and Diversity Manager who, overtime, recognized a pattern of military culture-androcentrism-and spent the later part of her 36-year military career challenging the bias that impedes gender equality, strategic objectives, and response programs.
By: Doris J. Sumner
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Ashes to Ink
- A Memoir
- By: Lisa Lucca
- Narrated by: Lisa Lucca
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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After her parents' divorce in 1974, Lisa Lucca's idyllic Midwestern childhood is shattered when she learns her father is gay. Sworn to secrecy, she begins carrying the emotions of her family like a cracked bucket, making a mess as she embarks on a life of rebellious choices. Decades later, faced with the aftermath of her father’s death, Lisa revisits the complicated relationship she had with him, delving deeper into the stories she’s held about love, sexuality, and the family she comes from with a shimmering clarity that arises from her grief.
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A story of love and acceptance
- By Denise on 12-24-24
By: Lisa Lucca
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Just Different
- A Memoir
- By: Wayne Sleep
- Narrated by: Wayne Sleep
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Behind the glitz and glamour, Wayne has always felt like an outsider. Sleep reveals the difficulties for a working-class, gay man in handling the prejudices of his generation and living through the AIDS epidemic. Wayne was also the shortest principal dancer in the Royal Ballet - he had to spin twice as fast and jump twice as high to succeed. In this moving - but also laugh-out-loud and gossip filled - memoir, Wayne Sleep shows how he danced his way to success, fulfilment and love, and how he overcame obstacles and prejudice along the way.
By: Wayne Sleep
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When the Band Played On
- The Life of Randy Shilts, America’s Trailblazing Gay Journalist
- By: Michael G. Lee
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Randy Shilts was the preeminent LGBTQ+ reporter of his generation. He was the first openly gay reporter assigned to a gay beat at a mainstream paper and one of the nation's most influential chroniclers of gay history, politics, and culture. Shilts wrote three seminal works on the community: The Mayor of Castro Street, on the life, assassination, and legacy of Harvey Milk; And the Band Played On, detailing the failure of politics as usual during the early AIDS epidemic; and Conduct Unbecoming, a history of the US military's mistreatment of LGBTQ service members.
By: Michael G. Lee
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All Down Darkness Wide
- A Memoir
- By: Seán Hewitt
- Narrated by: Seán Hewitt
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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When Seán Hewitt meets Elias, the two fall headlong into a love story. But as Elias struggles with severe mental illness, they soon come face-to-face with crisis. All Down Darkness Wide is a perceptive and unflinching meditation on the burden of living in a world that too often sets happiness and queer life at odds, and a tender and honest portrayal of what it’s like to be caught in the undertow of a loved one’s deep depression. As lives are made and unmade, this memoir asks what love can endure and what it cannot.
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The very deepest end of the pool
- By Gary Francis Burnham on 05-27-23
By: Seán Hewitt
What listeners say about Boy from the Valleys
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 11-09-24
The reality of being a gay man and being brought up religious How it shapes and changes our lives. 10/10
I absolutely love this book. I have been so excited to hear a story so similar to mine. The difference was I was raised Christian and being closeted gay. The similarities in the story that I can relate to are uncanny. Brilliant book Luke. Thank you for sharing your deepest parts of your life with the world. Fantastic story telling, and a fantastic voice to listen to.
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- Anonymous User
- 12-29-24
Inspiring, Fun & Authentic
A inspiring, funny and incredibly moving memoir. Raw & authentic with fun and unexpected insights. Thank you Luke Evans for sharing your story and journey. Loved it!
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- J.A.J.
- 01-08-25
Endearing and engaging
Such an enjoyable and encouraging listen. Hope to see him write more in the coming years.
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- Ceci135
- 01-03-25
Laugh, Cry, Repeat! Listen to This Now!
Luke Evans’ Boy from the Valleys is a beautiful and wonderful emotional rollercoaster that you won't want to end. From the very beginning it felt like Luke was right there sharing his story like a friend does over a cup of coffee.
I laughed, I cried, I cringed (in the best way), and I smiled until my cheeks hurt. By the end, I was rooting so hard for that boy from the valley and I know you will be too.
This isn’t just something to listen to, it’s an experience you’ll carry with you.
Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one!
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- NYGiantsGal
- 11-25-24
There is always hope
What an amazing story! Everyone has a story and this story kept me spellbound. This is not an LGBT or celebrity story, it's a very human story about a very human experience. I felt this story speaking to my own life, though very different from the author, the experiences of shame, hope, loss, struggle, family bonds, life and love resonate with anyone listening. Great narration by Mr Evans as well.
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- Crispin Haskins
- 12-06-24
Wonderful Story
This book is funny, touching, and fascinating. I cannot recommend it enough. Luke has written a beautiful book that will reach many young people. His smooth Welsh tones wash over every syllable. Enjoy!
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- Anonymous User
- 12-02-24
Honestly Written, Beautifully Rendered
The author went into some uneasy places in his life and described them honestly but within rancor. This reflects, I assume, a naturally optimistic character. This is an autobiography with much to offer, both in content and narration (beautifully narrated by the author himself).
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- J. D. Willd
- 01-02-25
Beautiful
Luke,
Thank you for sharing your story. Just shows we are never to old to live our dreams.
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- J Taylor
- 01-03-25
Luke Evans
I want to hear Luke Evans narrate all the books! His speaking voice is beautiful and his presentation is amazing. The story of his amazing life is compelling. I enjoyed it all!
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- Violeta Stavrositu
- 12-01-24
Great book. I definitely recommend it!
I enjoyed the authenticity of the book and the amazing performance of the author-narrator. Congrats boy of the Valleys.
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