Kerry

Storytelling

Reviewed: 10-09-24

Slow reveal. Goosebumps. Something not quite right but What/Who is it and Why. Excellent.

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Powerful coming of age story

Reviewed: 08-10-24

Great audio. on the short list for the Miles Franklin prize 2023. Narrated beautifully by Zoe Carides
A coming of age story with magnificent nature descriptions, wild animals, rabbits and Men messing around in boats in Tasmania.

This is my third Arnott book. This Australian fiction writer who writes about the nature of this wild land is a favorite. I find his work magical and this is no exception.

It begins with rumors of a whale gone mad at the mouth of a river, destroying fishing boats, making high pitched ancient sounds and its fluke seen breaking the water repeatedly. This whale both begins and ends this coming of age story.

The novel has two timelines, the first, Ned, a 17 year old boy, working long summer days, trying to find ways to earn enough money to buy a small boat. Alone on his family's farm with only his father and sister for company as his two older brothers are away fighting in the last days of the World War II in the Pacific. The second timeline is the same man now grown with a farm and children of his own recalling this summer of his youth and how instrumental it was in shaping who he has become.

"He suddenly felt very old. Felt the distance between his youth and what he was now. He flexed his wrists, touched his face, wondered if the troubled boy of that summer would recognize the man he'd become.

The story centers around the buying of that boat he worked so hard for and the trapping and then the healing of a Quoll, a type of wild cat of the forests close to the family ranch. Small events play big roles in this story and there is a wild beauty in both the telling and the words. The life here is not an easy one and it has a truth in the telling that I found hard to put down. As Ned goes back over events he begins to wonder if he is remembering the details and wether they are that important.

"He realized his recollections might not be as clear as he'd assumed. It was a horrible sensation, feeling that the facts of his life had blurred. He wondered if his past was slipping away?"

A wonderful read. The writing gave me a chance to picture and explore a part of the world I have not seen and to experience how a boy grows into a man and reflects on events that played an important part. Really so good it is hard for me to describe. A simple story with great power.

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A love story

Reviewed: 06-30-23

A love story about two people and two countries trying to understand each other across emotions and oceans and time. Great narration wonder writing and beautiful story. Loved it

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Great story with many mysteries

Reviewed: 02-20-17

Loved the stories and descriptions. Setting of OKC right on. Great fun and impossible to put down. First few chapters a little confusing but keep at it. Wonderful narration and such good story telling

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Wonderful audio

Reviewed: 02-16-17

So much fun, some history, some witches, great narrator. Well worth the time spent. Loved it

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Great historical fiction mystery

Reviewed: 09-16-16

Loved the narration by Davina Porter. The characters were wonderful and the history thrown in on top of it just added to the amazingness of the fun listen. Have to admit it took me about 9 chapters to really get into to. It was a little to fluffy, language and descriptions at first. I started it about five times till I got over that hurdle. But once hooked could not put it down. Loved this the first in the series and plan to listen to all

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great writing. a lucky pick

Reviewed: 02-27-13

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

have already recommended it to several friends. I wanted to see if others liked it as much as I did

What other book might you compare Beautiful Ruins to and why?

Would compare it to Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and/or City of Thieves both of which I really enjoyed. Just good stories, not mysteries but ones that keep you listening to see how it all turns out

Which character – as performed by Edoardo Ballerini – was your favorite?

Narrator was very great. Can't narrow it down to a character, each had a distinct voice

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Life has a way of surprising you

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