Emily, Alone
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Andrea Gallo
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By:
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Stewart O'Nan
About this listen
A sequel to the best-selling, much-beloved Wish You Were Here, Stewart O'Nan's intimate new novel follows Emily Maxwell, a widow whose grown children have long moved away. She dreams of vists by her grandchildren while mourning the turnover of her quiet Pittsburgh neighborhood, but when her sole companion and sister-in-law Arlene faints at their favorite breakfast buffet, Emily's days change. As she grapples with her new independence, she discovers a hidden strength and realizes that life always offers new possibilities. Like most older women, Emily is a familiar yet invisible figure, one rarely portrayed so honestly. Her mingled feelings-of pride and regret, joy and sorrow- are gracefully rendered in wholly unexpected ways.
©2011 Stewart O'Nan (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLCListeners also enjoyed...
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Editorial reviews
It’s been a long while since we first met the Maxwell family in Stewart O’Nan’s Wish You Were Here, which follows Emily, the widowed family matriarch, on one final summer trip to Lake Chautauqua with her two troubled children and four confused grandchildren. O’Nan’s gift for character study is truly in evidence as Emily, Alone picks up the thread with the title character now approaching 80, yet feeling instantly familiar.
Emily’s life may still have a few unexpected turns left, but it’s the deep, daily psychology that makes for such a moving portrait. Andrea Gallo narrates the intensely nuanced calculations of old age with grace and clarity, putting in a touch of gravel when Emily’s emotional strength occasionally fails, such as when she watches her equally ancient sister-in-law pass out and cut her forehead on the other side of the salad bar. Arlene, the sister-in-law, and Rufus, her old cocker spaniel, provide excellent sidekick material. Despite the cloudy skies of memory, there are plenty of laughs, as everybody is trying not to break a hip.
Gallo’s voice gives such an elegant texture to Emily’s thoughts, and never overreaches to garner sympathy. Her forthright manner is completely befitting of this woman who is crumbling just like her beloved Pittsburgh is crumbling. Whether Emily is contemplating the dusty old car she hasn’t driven in more than a decade, the unabashed real estate scramble going on at the brownstone for sale next door, or the grandchildren who are growing up and away from her, the tension is palpable. On the level of plot, one couldn’t say this novel is very action-packed. Yet between O’Nan’s lines and Gallo’s voice, there lurks something devastatingly suspenseful as Emily inches along the remainder of her mortality. Whether enjoyed as a sequel or on its own, this is a novel that haunts. Megan Volpert
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Sensational stories! Brilliant new author.
- By MidwestGeek on 05-04-14
By: Molly Antopol
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Magnolia Nights
- By: Ashley Farley
- Narrated by: Steven Menasche, Rachel Jacobs, Rebecca Gibel
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Ellie Pringle has spent endless hours and countless dollars working with a therapist to remember the lost years of her childhood. She's baffled and more than a little intrigued when the grandmother she hasn't seen in 34 years dies and leaves her a fortune. The time has come to face her past in person. Still reeling from a recent breakup of a long-term relationship, and with nothing to keep her in San Francisco, Ellie packs her meager belongings and boards a plane for the South Carolina Lowcountry.
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Magnolia Nights
- By Kindle Customer on 01-18-19
By: Ashley Farley
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Blue Diary
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Joyce Bean
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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When Ethan Ford fails to show up for work on a brilliant summer morning, none of his neighbors would guess that, for more than 13 years, he has been running from his past. His true nature has been locked away, as hidden as his real identity. But sometimes locks spring open, and the devastating truths of Ethan Ford's history shatter the small-town peace of Monroe, affecting family and friends alike.
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Medetation on consequences of secrets revealed
- By Lora S. on 10-13-17
By: Alice Hoffman
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Coming Home
- Chesapeake Diaries Series #1
- By: Mariah Stewart
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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In the wake of his wife's murder, agent Grady Shields turned his back on the FBI - and everything else-to retreat into the vast solitude of Montana, grieve for his lost love, and forget the world. But after years in seclusion, his sister's wedding draws him to St. Dennis, a peaceful town on the Chesapeake Bay. Though he swears he isn't interested in finding love again, Grady can't ignore the mutual sparks that fly when he meets Vanessa Keaton.
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Graet New Series from Audible
- By casey on 08-25-12
By: Mariah Stewart
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Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules (Unabridged Selections)
- By: Edited by David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris, Mary-Louise Parker, Cherry Jones
- Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules is a collection of short stories, some classic, others impending, selected and introduced by David Sedaris.
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Great stories but only 5 of 17 are included
- By Terri Kirk on 07-13-12
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Here on Earth
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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March Murray, along with her 15-year-old daughter, Gwen, returns to the small Massachusetts town where she grew up to attend the funeral of Judith Dale, the beloved housekeeper who raised her. After nearly 20 years of living in California, March is thrust into the world of her past.
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The magical realm of Alice Hoffman
- By Brendolynne on 07-09-12
By: Alice Hoffman
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Garden Spells
- By: Sarah Addison Allen
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers.
Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.
Together again in the house they grew up in, the Waverley sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom - or with each other.
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I so want to give it 5 stars...!!!!
- By Joihelene on 10-09-10
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They Left Us Everything
- A Memoir
- By: Plum Johnson
- Narrated by: Pilar Witherspoon
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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After almost 20 years of caring for elderly parents - first for their senile father and then for their cantankerous 93-year-old mother - author Plum Johnson and her three younger brothers have finally fallen to their middle-aged knees with conflicted feelings of grief and relief. Now they must empty and sell the beloved family home, 23 rooms bulging with history, antiques, and oxygen tanks. Plum thought, How tough will that be? I know how to buy garbage bags. But the task turns out to be much harder and more rewarding than she ever imagined.
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Thought provoking
- By Margaret on 05-02-17
By: Plum Johnson
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Wedding Ring
- A Shenandoah Album Novel
- By: Emilie Richards
- Narrated by: Isabel Keating
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Needing time to contemplate her troubled marriage, Tessa MacRae agrees to spend the summer helping her mother and grandmother clean out the family home in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. But the three women have never been close.
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Loved it All Over Again
- By Kathryn @theBookDate on 03-26-16
By: Emilie Richards
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Property
- Stories Between Two Novellas
- By: Lionel Shriver
- Narrated by: Lionel Shriver
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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A striking new collection of ten short stories and two novellas that explores the idea of property in every meaning of the word, from the acclaimed New York Times best-selling author of the National Book Award finalist So Much for That and the international best seller We Need to Talk About Kevin.
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Painful and drawn out
- By JR on 06-27-18
By: Lionel Shriver
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Strong Motion
- By: Jonathan Franzen
- Narrated by: Scott Aiello
- Length: 20 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Louis Holland arrives in Boston in a spring of ecological upheaval (a rash of earthquakes on the North Shore) and odd luck: the first one kills his grandmother. Louis tries to maintain his independence, but falls in love with a Harvard seismologist whose discoveries about the earthquakes' cause complicate everything.
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Compelling Story, Ridiculous Narrator
- By DianeReads on 02-28-16
By: Jonathan Franzen
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The Walking People
- By: Mary Beth Keane
- Narrated by: Sile Bermingham
- Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Greta Cahill never believed she would leave her village in the west of Ireland until she found herself on a ship bound for New York, along with her sister Johanna and a boy named Michael Ward. Labeled a "softheaded goose" by her family, Greta discovers that in America she can fall in love, raise her own family, and earn a living.
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Irish immigratn story
- By Chrissie on 09-10-13
By: Mary Beth Keane
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Grief Cottage
- By: Gail Godwin
- Narrated by: Jacob York
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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The haunting tale of a desolate cottage, and the hair-thin junction between this life and the next, from best-selling National Book Award finalist Gail Godwin. After his mother's death, 11-year-old Marcus is sent to live on a small South Carolina island with his great aunt, a reclusive painter with a haunted past. Aunt Charlotte, otherwise a woman of few words, points out a ruined cottage, telling Marcus she had visited it regularly after she'd moved there 30 years ago because it matched the ruin of her own life.
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Character story or ghost story ?
- By RueRue on 12-18-17
By: Gail Godwin
What listeners say about Emily, Alone
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- John S.
- 07-23-12
Examination of a mundane existence
Having found O'Nan's "Snow Angels" a bit grim, but well-written, and" Last Night at the Lobster" equally well-written, and not nearly as sad as I'd feared, I spent a credit on this book ... which is very well-written, and not at all grim. Like "Lobster", it's character-driven; however, in a full-length novel (the other was a novella) that's tougher to pull off. Listening to the audio may have contributed as the short chapters (more or less) ran together, whereas a print book would've seemed less daunting (for lack of a better term).
Having lived a roughly parallel life to Emily's kids, I can vouch that O'Nan completely nailed the character aspect, although the isolation of Emily (and her sister-in-law) seemed a bit overdone to me. It may seem incongruous, but it is accurate that someone who buys a new car in cash would make a point of remembering to bring a restaurant coupon for a couple of bucks off.
There's almost no tension in the novel, except for a bit between Emily and her daughter, and daughter-in-law; the latter almost entirely "off screen" filtered from Emily's point-of-view, leading to me wonder whether that had been covered already in the previous book "Wish You Were Here". Instead, those chapters consist of Emily's reactions to various situations: new neighbors taking the place of the last other "old guard" resident (my folks were about the last to go in their neighborhood after 35 years), Election Day (she votes for McCain, unenthusiastically), etc. One vignette has her attending the funeral of an old friend, who's survived by a same sex partner - Emily is pleased to note that the woman's (biological) family accords her "widow" status. Later, she expresses disappointment that she hasn't gotten to meet her granddaughter's partner (they live in Boston). Demographically, seniors may be the strongest group opposed to gays, but O'Nan has made it clear that educated WASP's are an exception. One episode I didn't care for was Emily's refusal to try a product recommended by her cleaning lady for dealing with car scratches, with its class-conscious dismissal; instead she moans about paying $500 to the dealership. She also sneers at the woman's "Butler" accent.
The lack of action is at least partially compensated for by the author's sense of place. I've never been to Pittsburgh, but came away seeing the area clearly - and I'm not that "visual" a reader. Granted, he does get carried away at times: it wasn't really necessary to go through all the choices on the salad bar at the (coupon) restaurant in an early episode.
So - would I recommend the book? Yes, if one bears in mind that each chapter is a small part of a larger whole, that doesn't really contain a traditional story arc. If you're new to O'Nan, however, I'd go with Lobster first.
Audio narration itself was overall good, although at times it seemed even Ms. Gallo was overcome by the task of maintaining interest in quite mundane matters.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Mary
- 08-06-12
Lots of insights and truths about aging
What did you love best about Emily, Alone?
I identified with Emily, for better or worse, because I am getting up there myself. It seemed an accurate description of life at the end.
What did you like best about this story?
The insights
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
There were times when it made me angry because she was a good person, but forgotten by most people. It was true to life as you get old.
Any additional comments?
I don't know if younger readers would get it, or care, but anyone approaching or living in old age would be pleased to read about an everyday woman at this stage of life who is not boring or feeling sorry for herself but speaking the truth.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Margaret
- 05-13-11
The Invisible Woman
I loved this novel for its rare protagonist, the invisible woman. This story is about what at least 50% of us will become at some time in the future; an elderly woman. Emily is adaptable to the changes occurring in her life, and makes the best of them. Nothing earthshaking happens, just like in real life. The tedium and the risks, of her life are given equal time. Many pages are devoted to one sided conversations between Emily and Rufus her aging springer spaniel...... thankfully the dog does not die, he soldiers on just like Emily.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Carolyn
- 05-23-11
I've Met Her
It is difficult to imagine how a male author could capture the persona of a woman near her ninith year.
A widow, Emily faces the end days with practical courage. O'Nan paints her world with a balanced brush. You see her come to understand how her sometimes strained relationships with her children are not that much different than hers with her mother. Emily's health is remarkable; she has a comfortable living allowing her to keep the self reliance that has supported her since the death of her beloved husband. No whine and moan for Emily, she soldiers on determined to make the best of each day. The narrator is perfect for the part. This is not a book for someone looking for adventure or drama. However, if like me, you are a woman of a certain age looking for a gentle read about someone you might just know, this is the book for you. I found it a book with a lot of food for thought about my own life.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Teresa
- 05-17-11
Wonderful book - insight into aging
Loved this book. A sensitive insight into the life of an aging woman. O'Nan doesn't pull any punches, but listening, I had the impression he really cared about Emily.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Kathleen McDonald
- 06-07-11
Emily is an admirable woman
This story about a time in the life of an eighty year old woman is so real that one wonders how a young man could have written it. The cares and concerns of this demographic are right on target - carrying on after the death of the husband, worrying about the ability to drive his big boat of a car, needing yet chafing under the somewhat clawing friendship of a female contemporary, coming to grips with her flawed children who will never be all she had hoped and recognizing the deterioration of her formerly capable body. This was a moving and enjoyable book. I know lots of women like Emily, women who continue to be productive well into their nineties and beyond. They are my heros and Emily is right up there among them.
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2 people found this helpful
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- daughter1216
- 06-11-19
Tedious
This was particularly painful to me to listen to. I really don't need to hear how they split a sandwich, couldn't eat it all, then wrapped the rest to take home for later. Really?! Obviously many readers enjoyed this, but this one is not for me.
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1 person found this helpful
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- "unknown"
- 09-25-11
the most boring book I ever listened to
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
someone with no window to look out of
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
disappointment
Any additional comments?
I kept listening all the way to end, thinking it just had to get better. It never did.
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4 people found this helpful
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- L G Spicher
- 09-15-19
Kept waiting for this book to begin.
A book about nothing that never got good.
I wish I count get my money back.
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1 person found this helpful
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- S. Honeycutt
- 05-17-23
I wanted to love it
I listened to Henry, Himself just before this one so I had high hopes because I liked that one so much. This was just tedious. Boring, boring, boring. And the narration did nothing to help it, tho she had little to work with in the story. Super disappointed.
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