
Setting Free the Kites
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 $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Ari Fliakos
-
By:
-
Alex George
About this listen
From the author of the "lyrical and compelling" (USA Today) novel A Good American comes a powerful story of two friends and the unintended consequences of friendship, loss, and hope.
For Robert Carter, life in his coastal Maine hometown is comfortably predictable. But in 1976, on his first day of eighth grade, he meets Nathan Tilly, who changes everything. Nathan is confident, fearless, impetuous - and fascinated by kites and flying. Robert and Nathan's budding friendship is forged in the crucible of two family tragedies, and as the boys struggle to come to terms with loss, they take summer jobs at the local rundown amusement park. It's there that Nathan's boundless capacity for optimism threatens to overwhelm them both, and where they learn some harsh truths about family, desire, and revenge.
Unforgettable and heartbreaking, Setting Free the Kites is a poignant and moving exploration of the pain, joy, and glories of young friendship.
©2017 Alex George (P)2017 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Infinite Country
- By: Patricia Engel
- Narrated by: Inés del Castillo
- Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Talia is being held at a correctional facility for adolescent girls in the forested mountains of Colombia after committing an impulsive act of violence that may or may not have been warranted. She urgently needs to get out and get back home to Bogotá, where her father and a plane ticket to the United States are waiting for her. If she misses her flight, she might also miss her chance to finally be reunited with her family.
-
-
Disappointed
- By Josh on 04-06-21
By: Patricia Engel
-
Together We Will Go
- By: J. Michael Straczynski
- Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Dan Bittner, Neo Cihi, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mark Antonelli, a failed young writer looking down the barrel at 30, is planning a cross-country road trip. He buys a beat-up old tour bus. He hires a young army vet to drive it. He puts out an ad for others to join him along the way. But this will be a road trip like no other: His passengers are all fellow disheartened souls who have decided that this will be their final journey - upon arrival in San Francisco, they will find a cliff with an amazing view of the ocean at sunset, hit the gas, and drive out of this world.
-
-
Great cast, great writing, an emotional ride!
- By K Ikelman on 07-30-21
-
If I Die in a Combat Zone
- Box Me Up and Ship Me Home
- By: Tim O'Brien
- Narrated by: Dan John Miller
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tim O'Brien gave us this intensely personal account of his year as a foot soldier in Vietnam. The author takes us with him to experience combat from behind an infantryman's rifle, to walk the minefields of My Lai, to crawl into the ghostly tunnels, and to explore the ambiguities of manhood and morality in a war gone terribly wrong.
-
-
A solid Vietnam war memoir
- By Darwin8u on 04-16-14
By: Tim O'Brien
-
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
- By: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 4 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn’s startling book led, almost 30 years later, to Glasnost, Perestroika, and the "Fall of the Wall". One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich brilliantly portrays a single day, any day, in the life of a single Russian soldier who was captured by the Germans in 1945 and who managed to escape a few days later. Along with millions of others, this soldier was charged with some sort of political crime, and since it was easier to confess than deny it and die, Ivan Denisovich "confessed" to "high treason" and received a sentence of 10 years in a Siberian labor camp.
-
-
Non Soviet Citizens, You Need To Know This!
- By MyKidsMom on 08-23-18
-
Remarkably Bright Creatures
- A Novel
- By: Shelby Van Pelt
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
-
-
Hidden gem, incredible narration!
- By Christine T on 05-17-22
By: Shelby Van Pelt
-
The Boy in the Photo
- By: Nicole Trope
- Narrated by: Melle Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Megan waits at the school gates for her six-year-old son, Daniel. As the playground empties, panic bubbles inside her. Daniel is nowhere to be found. According to his teacher, Daniel’s father picked up his son. Except he and Megan are no longer together. After years of being controlled by her cruel husband, Megan finally found the courage to divorce him. Hands trembling, she dials his number, but the line is dead. Six years later, Megan gets the call she has dreamt about for years. Daniel has walked into a police station in a remote town just a few miles away....
-
-
Finally, a really great book that kept my interest
- By cindy on 07-21-19
By: Nicole Trope
-
Infinite Country
- By: Patricia Engel
- Narrated by: Inés del Castillo
- Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Talia is being held at a correctional facility for adolescent girls in the forested mountains of Colombia after committing an impulsive act of violence that may or may not have been warranted. She urgently needs to get out and get back home to Bogotá, where her father and a plane ticket to the United States are waiting for her. If she misses her flight, she might also miss her chance to finally be reunited with her family.
-
-
Disappointed
- By Josh on 04-06-21
By: Patricia Engel
-
Together We Will Go
- By: J. Michael Straczynski
- Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Dan Bittner, Neo Cihi, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mark Antonelli, a failed young writer looking down the barrel at 30, is planning a cross-country road trip. He buys a beat-up old tour bus. He hires a young army vet to drive it. He puts out an ad for others to join him along the way. But this will be a road trip like no other: His passengers are all fellow disheartened souls who have decided that this will be their final journey - upon arrival in San Francisco, they will find a cliff with an amazing view of the ocean at sunset, hit the gas, and drive out of this world.
-
-
Great cast, great writing, an emotional ride!
- By K Ikelman on 07-30-21
-
If I Die in a Combat Zone
- Box Me Up and Ship Me Home
- By: Tim O'Brien
- Narrated by: Dan John Miller
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tim O'Brien gave us this intensely personal account of his year as a foot soldier in Vietnam. The author takes us with him to experience combat from behind an infantryman's rifle, to walk the minefields of My Lai, to crawl into the ghostly tunnels, and to explore the ambiguities of manhood and morality in a war gone terribly wrong.
-
-
A solid Vietnam war memoir
- By Darwin8u on 04-16-14
By: Tim O'Brien
-
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
- By: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 4 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn’s startling book led, almost 30 years later, to Glasnost, Perestroika, and the "Fall of the Wall". One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich brilliantly portrays a single day, any day, in the life of a single Russian soldier who was captured by the Germans in 1945 and who managed to escape a few days later. Along with millions of others, this soldier was charged with some sort of political crime, and since it was easier to confess than deny it and die, Ivan Denisovich "confessed" to "high treason" and received a sentence of 10 years in a Siberian labor camp.
-
-
Non Soviet Citizens, You Need To Know This!
- By MyKidsMom on 08-23-18
-
Remarkably Bright Creatures
- A Novel
- By: Shelby Van Pelt
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
-
-
Hidden gem, incredible narration!
- By Christine T on 05-17-22
By: Shelby Van Pelt
-
The Boy in the Photo
- By: Nicole Trope
- Narrated by: Melle Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Megan waits at the school gates for her six-year-old son, Daniel. As the playground empties, panic bubbles inside her. Daniel is nowhere to be found. According to his teacher, Daniel’s father picked up his son. Except he and Megan are no longer together. After years of being controlled by her cruel husband, Megan finally found the courage to divorce him. Hands trembling, she dials his number, but the line is dead. Six years later, Megan gets the call she has dreamt about for years. Daniel has walked into a police station in a remote town just a few miles away....
-
-
Finally, a really great book that kept my interest
- By cindy on 07-21-19
By: Nicole Trope
-
Lady Tan's Circle of Women
- By: Lisa See
- Narrated by: Jennifer Lim, Justin Chien
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separations, and loneliness—is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient.
-
-
Another Beautiful Novel from Lisa See!
- By TuxedoedCorgi95 on 06-06-23
By: Lisa See
-
Limelight
- A Novel
- By: Amy Poeppel
- Narrated by: Carly Robins
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a smart and funny new novel by the author of the critically acclaimed Small Admissions, a family’s move to New York City brings surprises and humor as their lives merge with the captivating world of Broadway. In an audiobook that delivers laughs, warmth, and delightful wish fulfillment, Poeppel dives into celebrity culture and modern motherhood with her trademark style.
-
-
A wonderful story!
- By Janette A on 05-11-18
By: Amy Poeppel
-
The Stillwater Girls
- By: Minka Kent
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo, Melissa Moran
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ignorant of civilization and cautioned against its evils, nineteen-year-old Wren and her two sisters, Sage and Evie, were raised in off-the-grid isolation in a primitive cabin in upstate New York. When the youngest grows gravely ill, their mother leaves with the child to get help from a nearby town. And they never return. As months pass, hope vanishes. Supplies are low. Livestock are dying.
-
-
All the Stars
- By Yikes on 05-04-19
By: Minka Kent
-
The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven
- By: Nathaniel Ian Miller
- Narrated by: Olafur Darri Olafsson
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1916, Sven Ormson leaves a restless life in Stockholm to seek adventure in Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago where darkness reigns four months of the year and he might witness the splendor of the Northern Lights one night and be attacked by a polar bear the next. But his time as a miner ends when an avalanche nearly kills him, leaving him disfigured, and Sven flees even further, to an uninhabited fjord. There, with the company of a loyal dog, he builds a hut and lives alone, testing himself against the elements.
-
-
Stick with it
- By Cathy Sumeracki on 01-10-22
-
West with Giraffes
- A Novel
- By: Lynda Rutledge
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to become Southern California’s first giraffes. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow.
-
-
Gritty, sweet, amazing, sad, uplifting
- By FL Bird Woman on 02-19-21
By: Lynda Rutledge
-
They Went Left
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Caitlin Davies
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Germany, 1945. The soldiers who liberated the Gross-Rosen concentration camp said the war was over, but nothing feels over to 18-year-old Zofia Lederman. Her body has barely begun to heal; her mind feels broken. And her life is completely shattered: Three years ago, she and her younger brother, Abek, were the only members of their family to be sent to the right, away from the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Everyone else—her parents, her grandmother, radiant Aunt Maja—they went left.
-
-
Heartbreakingly Beautiful
- By Willow Star Serenity on 04-10-20
By: Monica Hesse
-
When All Is Said
- A Novel
- By: Anne Griffin
- Narrated by: Niall Buggy
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He’s alone, as usual - though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story. Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories - of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice - the life of one man will be powerful and poignantly laid bare.
-
-
"Grief is the price we pay for love" Qn Eliz II
- By Will on 03-14-19
By: Anne Griffin
-
The Stranger in the Lifeboat
- A Novel
- By: Mitch Albom
- Narrated by: Mitch Albom
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, 10 people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food, and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in. “Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says. “I am the Lord,” the man whispers. So begins Mitch Albom’s most beguiling and inspiring novel yet.
-
-
Feel good story and a quick read
- By TCooper on 11-18-21
By: Mitch Albom
-
The Tender Bar
- A Memoir
- By: J. R. Moehringer
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper, Daniel Thomas May
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
J.R. Moehringer grew up captivated by a voice. It was the voice of his father, a New York City disc jockey who vanished before J.R. spoke his first word. Sitting on the stoop, pressing an ear to the radio, J.R. would strain to hear in that plummy baritone the secrets of masculinity and identity. Though J.R.'s mother was his world, his rock, he craved something more, something faintly and hauntingly audible only in The Voice.
-
-
I Love this Book
- By Corey on 07-30-21
By: J. R. Moehringer
-
Before We Were Yours
- A Novel
- By: Lisa Wingate
- Narrated by: Emily Rankin, Catherine Taber
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge - until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents - but they quickly realize the dark truth.
-
-
I was rivetted, finished in three days.
- By Lin Cloward on 06-26-17
By: Lisa Wingate
-
Beneath a Scarlet Sky
- A Novel
- By: Mark Sullivan
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 17 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He's a normal Italian teenager - obsessed with music, food, and girls - but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior. In an attempt to protect him, Pino's parents force him to enlist as a German soldier - a move they think will keep him out of combat.
-
-
The Best Thing? It Really Happened!
- By Chip Atkinson on 08-07-17
By: Mark Sullivan
-
The Lincoln Highway
- A Read with Jenna Pick (A Novel)
- By: Amor Towles
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland, Dion Graham
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett's intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden's car.
-
-
I'm totally opposite
- By Meaghan Bynum on 10-10-21
By: Amor Towles
Critic reviews
“George combines wit, sorrow and nostalgia into a story readers young and old will not forget... heartbreaking and real.”(Vox Magazine)
“[A] touching story...George is masterly in his rendition of Maine landscapes and the emotional swings of adolescence.” (Publishers Weekly)
"Replete with soaring emotion. Setting Free the Kites is a coming-of-age novel driven by the forces of hope. Alex George skillfully proves that the tethers of a painful past can be cut, freeing us to rise above our circumstances if only we have fearless hearts.” (Sarah McCoy, New York Times and international best-selling author of The Mapmaker's Children)
What listeners say about Setting Free the Kites
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- dfwproducer
- 07-15-19
Relatable characters, good story
First, I LOVE Ari Fliakos and have picked several books simply because he was the narrator. This was one of them, and I’m happy I did. It’s a coming of age story with plenty of heartache, mischief, young love crush, mystery and relatable characters, but also included the adults’ stories to really fill out the storylines. What i liked the most is that it ultimately wraps up every character’s storyline. There are some chapters that drag a bit and the epilogue seemed to almost provide too much detail that wasn’t really necessary, but I was happy to know exactly what happened with each character. I was pleasantly surprised how much i enjoyed this book.
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
- RueRue
- 04-03-17
Great book, great narration
First of all, Ari Fliakos deserves major kudos for the narration of this lovely coming-of-age story. He creates distinct characters with his voice, and in a character-focused book like this, it makes all the difference. The story itself is also wonderful, lovely prose, excellent characterization. I loved this story of friendship, loss, and life in small-town Maine.
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
- Melissa
- 02-07-19
coming of age in Maine
Loved it but struggled with some of the story. Execellently written. i will loom for more by this author
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Laurel Spence
- 06-01-18
Outstanding!
This book was such a surprise. Filled with such humanity and little gems of wisdom. As always, Ari Fliakos is a brilliant narrator!
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
- D. Greenland
- 04-28-19
Solid 4.5 stars
Really good story with great narrator. I just can’t give 5 stars because that is reserved for the best of the best!
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
- T. Kruse
- 01-03-21
An endearing and charming novel
From the get go I was hooked. The story was woven from the threads of boyhood friendship.
It is much more than a coming of age and yet it is that. No innocents and everyone has a part. I loved this novel. Reflection always has been a part of my life. Highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Empress Karen
- 12-30-21
Precious Friendship Not Forgotten
Great 2 for 1 credit. I chose this story as l like Ari Fliakos narration style. He makes this story sound as the author meant for us to hear it. The opening is great and one would love to have a friendship like this. This story stays with you. Uplifting attitude that is infectious.
Were my comments of help?
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- The sender
- 05-29-22
Surprisingly good
This book touched me. Good writing, well-drawn characters and excellent narration that added to the story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Regina
- 09-21-24
Lovely Surprise
I picked this up on sale a while ago and finally gave it a listen. What a gem. So well written; thoughtful plot with fully fleshed out characters.
Perfect narration by Ari Fliakos. Ill look for other works by both the author and narrator.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 04-12-17
A Poignant Tale of Friendship, Masterfully Told
Alex George captures the angst and uncertainty of teenage friendships against the backdrop of family tragedies, using lyrical prose as memorable as his characters. Ari Fliakos demonstrates, as he did in THE WHITES, that he is a narrator of the first order. His characters are distinct and believable, his narration passionate, and his pace affecting. I strongly recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful