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The Hand That First Held Mine
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
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The Hand That First Held Mine
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Publisher's Summary
An unforgettable novel of love and motherhood from best-selling author Maggie O'Farrell.
Winner of the 2010 Costa Novel Award and a Sunday Times best seller, The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell is a gorgeously written story of love and motherhood from the author of This Must Be the Place.
When the sophisticated Innes Kent turns up on her doorstep, Lexie Sinclair realises she cannot wait any longer for her life to begin and leaves for London. There, at the heart of the 1950s Soho art scene, she carves out a new life. In the present day, Elina and Ted are reeling from the difficult birth of their first child. Elina struggles to reconcile the demands of motherhood with her sense of herself as an artist and Ted is disturbed by memories of his own childhood that don't tally with his parents' version of events. As Ted begins to search for answers, an extraordinary portrait of two women is revealed, separated by 50 years, but connected in ways that neither could ever have expected.
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What listeners say about The Hand That First Held Mine
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Julie
- 12-02-2018
I was so sad when it ended!
I could have listened to tales from the lives of the two protagonists until the cows came home. I particularly enjoyed Lexi and I would have equally liked Elina if not for the dodgy attempt at her accent on the audible recording. I felt like the book could have happily meandered along ad finitum for me!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katherine
- 13-04-2017
Gripping and moving
Would you listen to The Hand That First Held Mine again? Why?
Yes, it's so intriguing and complicated I think I missed a few clues first time around.
What did you like best about this story?
Great characters, a mystery, interweaving of past and present, beautifully written
Which character – as performed by Karen Cass – was your favourite?
Lexie
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Yes, but I'm not giving it away here!
Any additional comments?
I just love this author and the narrator is brilliant at creating the characters.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-01-2022
Fantastic
True to style and very beautifully crafted and performed. Maggie's books are like bathing in a deep pool of constant delights.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anna
- 07-08-2022
Marvellous!
I absolutely loved this book! I have been entranced to the very last word.
I didn't guess the connection with the two families.
Maggie O'Farrell writes so beautifully.
The narrator is really good.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sue richardson
- 21-10-2022
Well narrated
This is a great book. About motherhood, greed and jealousy. It gets a bit boring in the middle, but wow, the end is fabulous.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- NNJ
- 20-08-2018
Slow to develop
I didn't like the present tense style - he said she said she picks up .... etc. A bit tedious. Very slow to develop.
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