The House We Grew Up In

Written by:
Lisa Jewell
Narrated by:
Karina Fernandez

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
246
Narrator
86
Release Date
September 2019
Duration
13 hours 26 minutes
Summary
Meet the picture-perfect Bird family: pragmatic Meg, dreamy Beth, and towheaded twins Rory and Rhys, one an adventurous troublemaker, the other his slighter, more sensitive counterpart. Their father is a sweet, gangly man, but it’s their beautiful, free-spirited mother Lorelei who spins at the center. In those early years, Lorelei tries to freeze time by filling their simple brick house with precious mementos. Easter egg foils are her favorite—craft supplies too. She hangs all of the children’s art, to her husband’s chagrin. Then one Easter weekend, a tragedy so devastating occurs that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear the family apart. Years pass and the children have become adults, while Lorelei has become the county’s worst hoarder. She has alienated her husband and children and has been living as a recluse. But then something happens that beckons the Bird family back to the house they grew up in—to finally understand the events of that long-ago Easter weekend and to unearth the many secrets hidden within the nooks and crannies of home.
Reviews
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Christine A.

The book was fascinating. It wasn’t captivating in a way that a great novel often is but you can’t help but want to know what’s next. I would recommend to someone who’s looking for something different. I really enjoyed the narrator. I thought she was excellent. Narrators can make or break an audiobook.

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Anonymous

I felt that the whole "plot" was carefully and thoughtfully worked out by the author and much of it rang true. The story is about how one (emotionally damaged) member of a family can affect the lives of all of the family. I found the story engrossing and true to life. It is as much about PTSD as it is family relationships. An often difficult story to read/listen to because of the pain that many of the characters carry inside, but is worth it. The end of the book was a little too optimistic to seem likely, but it did provide answers for all that had gone before. I recommend the book to anyone who wants to be able to get a better look at her/his own life and family relationships. The narrator was first-rate. I felt that she must be a professional actress because she really took on the voices of the various characters and projected them out to the listener. Excellent.

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Anonymous

I liked the book and the narration except the Australian accent. Most Australians don’t speak like that at all.

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Danita N.

Wow! What a fantastic read! The characters were developed with depth. The story…oh my goodness…it actually gave me anxiety. I found myself cringing often. What a hot mess of a family—and don’t we all have a story and a mess of our own. I couldn’t stop listening.

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Anonymous

Lesbian lovers tale of discovery. And a whole of of other plot tales. Kindof exhausting for me. But the narrator was stellar.

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Anonymous

Scary how relatable this novel is in some places! Had me calling my mom to see if she had dehumidifiers in her hoarded home.

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TorriLyn

Excellent novel, not my usual genre but I loved it. I found it to be emotional and captivating. The narrator was fantastic as well. I will definitely purchase more books by this author.

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Ken B

Wow, good book. Don’t know what to think.

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Anonymous

Loved this book. Relevant in surprising ways to my own life - the brokenness of family. The only thing I disliked was the "kisskisskisskisskisskisskiss..." that went on too long us many places. I'm not sure if that was in the writing or in the narration but I found it so over-the-top annoying it occasionally almost made me stop listening. The story, however, was so engaging that I continued. Besides that annoyance, quite enjoyable!

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Christin T.

Some of the themes of this book were relatable to me- sibling loss, hoarding. I thought it would be difficult to listen and at times I did cry. That being said, it completely sucked me in. I didn’t want to stop. The family dynamics are too much for me to wrap my head around and didn’t feel realistic. As an oldest sibling I related to Meg.

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Anonymous

excellent narrator

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Hajnalka S.

Well written but not my style. The narration is excellent

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Amanda L.

Was free VIP selection. It is not my usual genre either. It drags a bit in the middle, but overall, it's not bad.

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Ger Faughnan

The first hour was slow & I wasn't sure if I was going to listen through to the end but it hooked me thereafter. Brilliant book. Intriguing and unpredictable. I ended up being hooked & skipping reading, TV etc to listen to hear what happened next!

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Madeline P.

The story was fine, I didn't find it riviting like Lisa Jewell's other works, but it was a good look at how a traumatized family deals with it in their own individual way.

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Tali B.

LOVED everything about this book interesting story amazing narrator highly recommend

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KateinSD

I LOVED this book! So well written and narrated. It was suspenseful and fun and interesting to listen to with a surprising ending. So many instances of family dysfunction and coping that kept me wondering what was next. This author hasn’t disappointed me yet with this and her other books. Highly recommend!

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Lynay B.

LOVED this book!!

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Jamie

What a great and somewhat tragic story. This book kept me enthralled. Characters were well developed, and the narrator was perfect.

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Nancy S.

Excellent, well thought out story. I savored every moment. The narration was SUPERB!

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Jackie H.

I enjoyed the plot as it moved reasonably quickly. Great narrator.

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Gabriela M.

The narrator was outstanding. The book itself I felt dragged on more than it needed to. By the time you arrive to the big reveal, you’re too exhausted to be “shocked”. I just wanted it to be over and done with. That being said, it had a nice plot.

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Kat M.

Took me a while to get into it,but glad I persevered. Narrator was lively and not at all annoying

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Anonymous

The book was good, interesting story of family traumas and how they manifest in every individual. The narrator was absolutely superb, really made the book for me.

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Petar V.

Lisa knows how to write a great story!

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Carrie D.

Excellently written. Wonderful character development. Plot is laid out so well!

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Bianca1976

This was a really interesting book with a real in-depth look into family, drama, mental illness, relationships. the narrator was brilliant great book.

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Thorn

Loved the narrator really getting into the story. Enjoyed the different perspectives all contributing (not repeating) towards the central story line. A gentle read on a tough topic.

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