You Can Select Any Audiobook in Fiction, Contemporary Top Rated

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Title: My Father's Wives

Author: Mike Greenberg

Narrator: Andy Paris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-15

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 51 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The co-host of ESPN's Mike and Mike follows up his New York Times bestseller All You Could Ask For with this poignant story of one man's search for the secret to understanding his father, his marriage, and himself.

Jonathan Sweetwater has been blessed with money, a fulfilling career, great kids, and Claire, his smart, gorgeous, sophisticated wife. But there is one thing Jonathan never had: a relationship with his father.

Percival Sweetwater III has been absent from his son's life since Jonathan was nine years old. A five-term U.S. senator, Percy was beloved by presidents, his constituents, and women alike, especially the five women who married him after he and Jonathan's mother divorced.

Jonathan hasn't thought about Percy or the hole he left in his life for years. But then he discovers evidence that everything in his marriage may not be as perfect as he thought.

On a quest for understanding - about himself, about manhood, about marriage - Jonathan decides to track down his father's five ex-wives. His journey will take him from cosmopolitan cities to the mile-high mountains to a tropical island... and ultimately back to confront the one thing Jonathan has that his father never did: home.

Members Reviews:

Terrible

this books gives no closure to a story that had lots of questions. would not recommend.

Wasn't expecting this but enjoyed it

Greeny writes a great story and keeps you guessing nice work good easy read

It was easy to get involved with the characters

Not the Novel It Might Have Been

I downloaded this audiobook immediately upon seeing Mike Greenberg being interviewed (primarily by Gayle King, who claimed to have loved the book) on "CBS This Morning." I was intrigued by the notion of a man who seeks to discover the father he hardly knew through the stories his father's six wives are willing to share with him. This is a nice story peopled, in general, with nice characters; in the hands of a more talented/sophisticated writer, it could have been a very good novel, indeed. As is, it's a pleasant enough listen with a few insights and even more basketball thrown in.

Great listen

Any additional comments?

This book was awesome! I really enjoyed it! It was fun to be able to follow the journey that Jonathan went on to not only sort out his personal life but to also find out about who is father was and how that has formed him as a man, husband and father! I wa fully engaged and entertained. There was enough going on that kept us all turning pages. There is a bit of everything! 4.5 stars

I loved it until the end

Would you consider the audio edition of My Father's Wives to be better than the print version?

Only listened, but I fell in love with the narrator!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Claire, the wife

What does Andy Paris bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

He's wonderful. No one could have done better

Any additional comments?

I loved the book but found the ending a big letdown. He had me so involved, waiting to find out....(don't want to spoil the end), but then it just felt like he got tired of thinking and just wanted to end the story. He could have done so much more with the plot that was setup.

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Title: The Little Old Lady Who Struck Lucky Again!

Author: Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

Narrator: Patience Tomlinson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-15-15

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

You're never too old to have some fun . . . The little old lady is back! This time, Martha Andersson and her friends - the League of Pensioners - have left behind their dreary care home in Stockholm and are enjoying the bright lights of Las Vegas.

This is their opportunity for a new lease of life and they plan to make the most of it. But before long, they are up to their old tricks and with ingenious tactics, a pair of false teeth and a wheelchair each, they plot to outwit the security system at one of the casinos.As their antics become more and more daring, Martha and her friends head back to Sweden full of ideas for more money making schemes.

However, they aren't the only ones planning on stealing bucket loads of cash and soon find themselves pitted against a gang of dangerous criminals. Can the group of elderly friends work together to outsmart the younger robbers and get away with their biggest heist yet? Or will this job be a step too far for The League of Pensioners?

Members Reviews:

League Of Pensioners Win Again!

Once again a complete and utterly enjoyable story.

Martha and her friends truely are amazing. I want to be in the League Of Pensioners so I can enjoy life to the full when I'm in my golden years too

Quite enjoyable

the narration was good and clear, the plot was just far fetched enough to be amusing

The Little Old Lady is wonderful!

great fun to meet our gang again. . this time up against Motor Bike gangs and the Police..

Entertaining and lighthearted.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Martha, she was the leader.

What does Patience Tomlinson bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you had only read the book?

I enjoy listening while doing housework and gardening.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Martha thinks about her dead child.

Not as good as I hoped.

The story is mildly entertaining due to the maturer generation getting one (or several) over the young but very fanciful and not believable when all but the main characters are portrayed as simpletons and idiots.

Unfortunately it also felt as if it had been written for a child with the dialogue and text appearing very basic.

I ploughed through to the end because I never like leaving a book unfinished.

This is not a patch on "The Hundred year Old Man..." Or "The Girl Who Saved The King Of England".

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Title: Stalked!

Subtitle: My Encounter with a Colorado Bigfoot

Author: Brad Morris

Narrator: Richard Henzel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-04-14

Publisher: Desert Varnish Press/Roger D. Miller

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A wild story of dread and horror in the remotest part of Colorado, Stalked! is full of adventure and tension. Brad Morris relates this terrifying tale of an encounter with a Bigfoot at 14,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies, where he finds something that will change his life forever.

But this discovery also results in something strange stalking him, and Brad soon finds himself not only fighting his fears and an early high-altitude snowstorm, but also a strange creature whose intentions are unknown.

Members Reviews:

a wonderful read

Being from the San Luis Valley, and Native American.. surrounded by the 14ers the author speaks of, it truly brought a tear to my eye..

Hard to identify . . .

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It's tough to care about or identify with the protagonist of the story, who seems to have bitten off more than he can chew, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. His endurance is undercut by his extreme sensitivity to temperature and his wild emotional mood swings. Anyone who's done some traveling in the back country would know that this is the kind of guy you don't want to be out with. He's elated by the scenery one minute and sobbing uncontrollably the next. No wonder the Bigfoot feels sorry for him, lol. I might try one more Rusty Wilson book (having heard great things about them), but if they're all like this I for one won't stay interested. I've got no use for people, real or fictional, who are afraid of firearms.

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Title: The Robber Bride

Author: Margaret Atwood

Narrator: Bernadette Dunne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-14

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Margaret Atwoods The Robber Bride is inspired by "The Robber Bridegroom", a wonderfully grisly tale from the Brothers Grimm in which an evil groom lures three maidens into his lair and devours them, one by one.

But in her version, Atwood brilliantly recasts the monster as Zenia, a villainess of demonic proportions, and sets her loose in the lives of three friends.

Critic Reviews:

'Moving amid these three women, touching up their portraits with one perfect detail after another, conjuring Zenia from their memories and tears, Atwood is in her glory. What a treasure she is, and what a fine new book she has written.' (Newsweek)

'A provocative version of the war between the sexes; entertaining, imaginative and suspenseful, it finds Atwood in rare form.' (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Meet some true evil

Story:

This really is an interesting re-imagining of a Grimm's classic. There is something very beguiling about truly evil people (that's why the most interesting character in Paradise Lost is the devil, right?) and Zenia is truly an abomination. I really liked Atwood's characterisation of three very different women; all seduced by her lies, as are their men by her charisma and sexuality. The ending wasn't strong - but that didn't really matter - the unravelling of the story is brilliant. Overall, I think this is a strong work by Atwood.

Narration:

When I first started listening it sounded a little bit like the woman at the beginning of Desperate Housewives, which really put me off. I did gradually get used to her voice, but I'm not sure she was the best for intonation and particular passages didn't get quite the right emphasis. However, this did not overly detract from the story which was excellent and overall I wouldn't allow it to put you off a listen.

Gripping

Couldn't stop listening to this. The story switches between the point of view of 3 different women who you can all empathise with. A fascinating psychological thriller / mystery.

I love this book

I'm a big Margaret Attwood fan. I've read this book twice before. 1st time listening to it. I didn't like the narrator's voice at 1st but I guess it was because it wasn't the same as in my head. she really grew on me and I found it impossible not to listen as much as I could.

could not understand the story

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

this book had great ratings so I downloaded it. But I could not understand what it was about. I went through 6 chapters and finally gave up as it was boring.

What was most disappointing about Margaret Atwoods story?

Maybe she is meant to be read. The read performance does not work for Margaret Atwood

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Could not understand the dialogue- who was saying what

If this book were a film would you go see it?

no

Boring and uninspiring

I loved the Handmaid's Tale and was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I have just decided to give up about half way through as it is terribly longwinded and nothing happens. I even googled the story line in case I was being impatient......but it doesn't get much better! Maybe it's just too high-brow for me although I love a challenging well written book.

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Title: The Firelight Girls

Author: Kaya McLaren

Narrator: Tanya Eby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-14-14

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The past and present collide as five women work to save the summer camp of their youth in this heartwarming novel.

The Firelight Girls is a story of three generations of women and men whose lives are pieced back together when they return to the place that made them who they are, a summer camp on Lake Wenatchee in Washington State. Seventy-year-old Ethel is directionless after losing Haddie, the love of her life, to a heart-attack. Camp was where they met way back in the 50s, and they made their home down the shore from camp. Once a vibrant, capable camp counselor, Shannon has just had her heart shattered by the loss of her job. Ruby, estranged from Ethel for fifty years, has been living with a secret for almost as long. Finally, there is Amber, a homeless teen who has been hiding out in one of the cabins, hoping that no one at school will catch on to her plight. When they learn that the camps future is in jeopardy, Ethel and Ruby send out the alarm, reuniting campers and staff to save the place that was so instrumental in all of their lives. A story of enduring friendship and romance, The Firelight Girls is about what has been lost and what can still be created.

Members Reviews:

Great to read

This was a perfect book to read on the way home from summer camp- in spite of a somewhat predictable ending, this book is a good reminder that we all have, at times, happy endings in our life.

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Title: Who I Am

Subtitle: FireNine Series, Book 3

Author: S. Q. Williams

Narrator: Christian Fox, Veronica Meunch

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-13-14

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 90 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Some stories aren't easy to tell. Some situations aren't easy to relive. But I was raised to be strong - to hold my own. Because of it, I was hurt, torn down, beaten, and even had my heart snatched right out of my chest. But I'm ready now. It's time for me to speak up. You want to know what really goes on inside my head? Well, I'm right here. Real. Raw. Intense. This is all me. Roy Sykes. This is my story, and trust meit's far from pretty.

Contains mature themes.

Members Reviews:

Disappointing ending. But decent overall

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this story was pretty amazing, but the ending was kind of unrealistic. I was dissapointed.

Would you be willing to try another book from S. Q. Williams? Why or why not?

Yes. She's got great potential but hasn't completely fulfilled it yet. The books are good but there is some greatness throughout. So eventually I expect to come across a great book of hers. This was close but dived at the end. Maybe next time.

What does Christian Fox and Veronica Meunch bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

I love Christians voice.

Any additional comments?

As much as I adore Roy, he should have had to work much harder for forgiveness. The way this ended was unrealistic to me. It took this book from great to good.

Good

I thought it would have been better if they narrated Kelsey still having her country accent. We were introduced to her having it and it was so cute.

Good

The story was good as the series have been. Really like to listen to Fox read. I like the dual narration. Would have been better if they would have read all the girl parts and Fox read all the male parts.

I've The narrator Christian fox & Veronica Meunch

This series it's beautiful first time for me on this author love it , I will get more from her .l

DRAMA, PASSION, ROMANCE.... IT TICKED EVERY BOX

I'm just coming down from the euphoric 'high' that this well-written and well narrated book has left me in. It flips back in time to tell the story of Roy's tragic past with all it's heartbreak, drama and painful decisions he was forced to make to support his dying Mom which involved gangs, drugs and the Mafia. It also tells the story of his first love Rose and the sweet highs and bitter soul destroying lows of that relationship. It also covers the early days of Fire Nine and how they got started and how they came up with their band name.

Then it flips back to the present day where Roy's in such a good place, he's successful and in a happy loving relationship with Kelsey.... that is until a face from the past brings feelings and memories back which threatens to destroy everything.... and very nearly does.

I couldn't stop listening and I was captivated by Roy's bitter-sweet early years and all the heartbreaking drama he went through. Then, when he messed up his relationship with Kelsey, I could've smacked him round the head to knock some sense into him. More pain, more tears and more heartfelt drama. But, at the end of the day, there was a beautiful, passionate love story.

Dual POV's, well loved characters from the previous books, tense, raw, edge of your seat drama in parts, suspense, twists, revelations, passion filled sex scenes and a beautiful Epilogue.

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Title: The Rehearsal

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Eleanor Catton

Narrator: Nicole Arumugum

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-07-14

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A teacher's affair with his underage student jolts a group of teenage girls into a new awareness of their own power. Their nascent desires surprise even themselves as they find the practice room where they rehearse with their saxophone teacher is the safe place where they can test out their abilities to attract and manipulate. It seems their every act is a performance, every platform a stage.

But when the local drama school turns the story into their year-end show, the real world and the world of the theater are forced to meet. With the dates of the performances - the musicians' and the acting students' - approaching, the dramas, real and staged, begin to resemble each other, until they merge in a climax worthy of both life and art.

Critic Reviews:

"Uncommonly witty and bold... [The Rehearsal has] a real knack for narrative." (The Times of London)

"The Rehearsal is a significant debut novel from an exciting young writer. Eleanor Catton is a new talent who has arrived fully formed... This is a startling novel, striking and strange and brave." (New Zealand Listener)

Members Reviews:

Waste of time

Beautifully written at times, but then pretentiously abstract at others. I found myself wondering, "Is this really happening in the characters' lives? Is it imagined? Is it all playing out on an unseen stage in an alternate reality? Or am I being manipulated into believing there could be an answer to any of these questions?" To add to the confusion, the story jumped back and forth between a chronological narrative of the characters at the all-girls school and the very non-chronological narrative at the drama college, which, even more confusingly intersect at times! Although uniquely and expertly written, the dark storyline and twisted main character/puppetmaster of "The Rehearsal" left me disturbed and wishing I hadn't lost the many hours to reading it.

Is life a rehearsal? (4.5*s)

Though this first novel is structurally challenging, the author keeps the tension high in her juxtapositioning of scenes that do not permit the reader to ascertain whether they are witnessing reality or performances - replicas. Ostensibly, the primary concern is to resolve the alleged seduction of a senior student at an all-girls school, Abbey Grange, by a band teacher; but then there is the possibility that the teen-ager has precipitated the situation through purposeful usage of her nubile charms. Eschewing the conventional path of detailing a police investigation, the author dramatizes the event through the vehicle of a play produced by college-aged students at an adjacent drama institute. The subjectivity and arbitrariness of artistic interpretation and persuasiveness are now injected into the entire scenario in addition to the near impossibility of gauging whether scenes and dialog stand outside the play or are a part of it. Given its innovative approach, this novel does require sharp attention.

At the drama school, the students are literally forced to "peel" away social veneers and defenses and to embrace authenticity, including a willingness to reveal one's most intimate moments. The school has departments of Acting, Improvisation, Movement, Voice, etc. The instructors are almost harsh in their demands, looking for ways to humiliate. Yet exercises in role playing underscore that actors play parts, which are seldom coincident with searches for truth.

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Title: Wilderness Tips

Author: Margaret Atwood

Narrator: Jennifer Vuletic

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-29-14

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In each of these tales Margaret Atwood deftly illuminates the single instant that shapes a whole life: in a few brief pages we watch as characters progress from the vulnerabilities of adolescence through the passions of youth into the precarious complexities of middle age. By superimposing the past on the present, Atwood paints interior landscapes shaped by time, regret, and life's lost chances, endowing even the banal with a sense of mystery.

Richly layered and disturbing, poignant at times and scathingly witty at others, the stories in Wilderness Tips take us into the strange and secret places of the heart and inform the familiar world in which we live with truths that cut to the bone.

Critic Reviews:

"Margaret Atwood deserves an adjective Atwoodian in recognition of her vituoso wit and unmistakable style." (Chicago Tribune)

"Each of the stories in Wilderness Tips is a gem, a glittering piece to which one is drawn again and again." (The Denver Post)

"This is masterful writing." (Globe and Mail)

Members Reviews:

The cool Canadian observer

Originally I only ordered this collection because one of her masterpieces, "The Age of Lead", is in it and I only knew this short story in an abbreviated version used at written exam in the Danish "gymnasium" back in the '90s - but all the short stories in this collection are brillliant. Hawk-eyed Atwood is dry, wry, and extremely funny!

Peter Mortensen, Holbk, Denmark

Thanks for helping me in my studies!

Thanks for helping me in my studies!

Incredible read!

One of the truly greats!

Good Purchase

I got this for a friend for his class. The condition was exactly how it was explained in the purchase description

Okay, this book HAD to be written. So glorious, so amazing, and it felt personal.

Okay - this is one of my favorite anthologies of all time. This book totally represents Margaret Atwood, one of my favorite writers.

The stories are very serious â and also rigid, and even tragic. I was enormously impressed when this book was first published, and I enjoyed most of the stories.

All the stories are readable. They vary on entertainment but in terms of poignancy, they are all about the same.

The first story, âTrue Trashâ is enjoyable. But so is âHairball,â âIsis in Darkness,â âThe Bog Man,â âUncles,â and âWilderness Tips.â

The stories appear very personal. As if they represent someone Margaret Atwood knew, or maybe some of the tension occurred with her.

This book is specific to women. It was deep, involving, and breathtaking. Very eloquently written, sometimes sad, but always beautiful.

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Title: Life Sentence

Author: Judith Cutler

Narrator: Diana Bishop

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-25-14

Publisher: Isis Publishing Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Chief Superintendent Frances Harman has been assigned to investigate the case of a woman beaten into a coma. Elise has been in a coma for two years, and if the hospital switches off her life support now, her attacker will be guilty of murder. Fran faces overload as she takes on more responsibilities - her elderly parents, Elise, a child abduction, the disappearance of her only witness, and the growing affection that she and her long-time colleague Mark Turner seem to share for one another. But is this all too much for one woman to handle?

Members Reviews:

GreatListen

Just discovered JudithCutler. I really enjoyed this book. Great narrator and Interesting characters especially DCI Fran Harman under the kind of pressure that a lot of women can understand. Good story . Now on to the next in the series.

A strange one this

Just slightly older than Chief Superintendent Frances Harman I was able to understand some of the personal quandries that our main character was battling with. Tough job, elderly parents (tho mine was lovely unlike poor Frances) and that appallingly awkward older love affair. All very well done - the latter spot on! There were times when I thought that surely a Chief Superintendent would have behaved differently in her work environment but perhaps when you get older and further up the ladder that is how you would react who knows. This is a slow story read by someone who sounds incredibly like my first mother in law. The change in tone for different characters isn't great but the overall pace and Frances Harman's main voice to me rings very true. This isn't particularly exciting, thankfully not violent but well written and quite spellbinding. I enjoyed it and am just going to look for what I think is the 2nd in series.

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Title: The Arsonist

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Sue Miller

Narrator: Sue Miller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-24-14

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 100 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From the best-selling author of While I Was Gone and The Senators Wife, a superb new novel about a family and a community tested when an arsonist begins setting fire to the homes of the summer people in a small New England town.

Troubled by the feeling that she belongs nowhere after working in East Africa for 15 years, Frankie Rowley has come home - home to the small New Hampshire town of Pomeroy and the farmhouse where her family has always summered. On her first night back, a house up the road burns to the ground. Is it an accident, or arson? Over the weeks that follow, as Frankie comes to recognize her fathers slow failing and her mothers desperation, another house burns, and then another, always the homes of summer people. These frightening events, and the deep social fault lines that open in the town as a result, are observed and reported on by Bud Jacobs, a former political journalist, who has bought the local paper and moved to Pomeroy in an attempt to find a kind of home himself. As this compelling book unfolds, as Bud and Frankie begin an unexpected, passionate affair, arson upends a trusting small community where people have never before bothered to lock their doors; and Frankie and Bud bring wholly different perspectives to the questions of who truly owns the land, who belongs in the town, and how, or even whether, newcomers can make a real home there.

Members Reviews:

keeps you listening!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Arsonist to be better than the print version?

I don't know, I didn't read it, I listened.

What did you like best about this story?

It was interesting on many levels, with several different stories going on.

The ending was interesting and not quite what I thought would happen.

Have you listened to any of Sue Millers other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

That is not possible, but it kept me lidtening.

Boring

What disappointed you about The Arsonist?

Although I like her descriptive writing there was no plot in the book worth following. The Arsonist, the lover and the family issues were all boring and, for the most part, ended unceramoniously.

Would you ever listen to anything by Sue Miller again?

Possible, if there was a story worth following.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Arsonist?

I would have added more excitement about pursuing the arsonist and made the love story or her families life more emotional. It's like her parents were more her second cousins than her Mother and Father.

Wonderful! And not (thank heaven) a "crime" novel

What did you love best about The Arsonist?

Not able to figure out the ending, until I got there. That's because the people in the book are complex and realistic. The arsons challenge and divide them. And throughout, they have also to deal with and adapt to the regular stuff that happens to people and families at various stages of their lives.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sylvia, the main character's mother. She struggles with what others need or expect from her, and what she needs. She balances, adapts, makes mistakes, takes chances.

Who was the most memorable character of The Arsonist and why?

Alfie, the main character's father, who has dementia.