A Complicated Kindness
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Narrated by:
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Miriam Toews
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By:
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Miriam Toews
About this listen
Sixteen-year-old Nomi Nickel longs to hang out with Lou Reed and Marianne Faithfull in New York City's East Village. Instead she's trapped in East Village, Manitoba, a small town whose population is Mennonite: "the most embarrassing sub-sect of people to belong to if you're a teenager". East Village is a town with no train and no bar whose job prospects consist of slaughtering chickens at the Happy Family Farms abattoir or churning butter for tourists at the pioneer village. Ministered with an iron fist by Nomi's uncle Hans, aka The Mouth of Darkness, East Village is a town that's tall on rules and short on fun: no dancing, drinking, rock 'n' roll, recreational sex, swimming, make-up, jewellery, playing pool, going to cities, or staying up past nine o'clock.
As the novel begins, Nomi struggles to cope with the back-to-back departures three years earlier of Tash, her beautiful and mouthy sister, and Trudie, her warm and spirited mother. She lives with her father, Ray, a sweet yet hapless schoolteacher whose love is unconditional but whose parenting skills amount to benign neglect. Father and daughter deal with their losses in very different ways. Ray, a committed elder of the church, seeks to create an artificial sense of order by reorganizing the city dump late at night. Nomi, on the other hand, favours chaos as she tries to blunt her pain through "drugs and imagination." Together they live in a limbo of unanswered questions.
Nomi's first-person narrative shifts effortlessly between the present and the past. Within the present, Nomi goes through the motions of finishing high school while flagrantly rebelling against Mennonite tradition. She hangs out on Suicide Hill, hooks up with a boy named Travis, goes on the Pill, wanders around town, skips class, and cranks Led Zeppelin. But the past is never far from her mind as she remembers happy times with her mother and sister - as well as the painful events that led them to flee town. Throughout, in a voice both defiant and vulnerable, she offers hilarious and heartbreaking reflections on life, death, family, faith and love.
Eventually Nomi's grief - and a growing sense of hypocrisy - cause her to spiral ever downward to a climax that seems at once startling and inevitable. But even when one more loss is heaped on her piles of losses, Nomi maintains hope and finds the imagination and willingness to envision what lies beyond.
Few novels in recent years have generated as much excitement as A Complicated Kindness. Winner of the Governor General's Award and a Giller Prize Finalist, Miriam Toews' third novel has earned both critical acclaim and a long and steady position on our national best-seller lists.
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Critic reviews
2004, Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award - Fiction Book of the Year, Winner
2004, Governor General's Literary Awards - Fiction, Winner
2004, Scotiabank Giller Prize, Nominated
"...knockout novel....There's leave-taking in this book. But there's wholeness, too. It is a joy." (Jennifer Wells, Toronto Star)
"In novel full of original characters...Toews has created a feisty but appealing young heroine.... As an indictment against religious fundamentalism, A Complicated Kindness is timely. As a commentary on character it is fresh and inventive, and as storytelling it is first rate." (The London Free Press)
"Poignant.... Bold, tender and intelligent, this is a clear-eyed exploration of belief and belonging, and the irresistible urge to escape both." (Publishers Weekly)
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Outstanding Story!
- By Jen Seagraves on 07-28-20
By: Renée Carlino
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The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets
- A Novel
- By: Molly Fader
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s been 17 years since the tragic summer the McAvoy sisters fell apart. Lindy, the wild one, left home, carved out a new life in the city, and never looked back. Delia, the sister who stayed, became a mother herself, raising her daughters and running the family shop in their small Ohio hometown on the shores of Lake Erie. But now, with their mother’s ailing health and a rebellious teenager to rein in, Delia has no choice but to welcome Lindy home.
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Great story
- By Nessa on 09-25-23
By: Molly Fader
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The Time Traveler's Wife
- By: Audrey Niffenegger
- Narrated by: Fred Berman, Phoebe Strole
- Length: 17 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Clare and Henry have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was 36. They were married when Clare was 23 and Henry was 31. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself misplaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.
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One of my favorite books
- By Joey on 01-13-08
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The Fourth Child
- A Novel
- By: Jessica Winter
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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The author of Break in Case of Emergency follows up her the “extraordinary debut” (The Guardian) with a moving novel about motherhood and marriage, adolescence and bodily autonomy, family and love, religion and sexuality, and the delicate balance between the purity of faith and the messy reality of life.
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Just OK - Considered Bailing
- By Madeleine Homan on 04-18-21
By: Jessica Winter
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The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season
- By: Molly Fader
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Everything Hope knows about the Orchard House is from the stories of her late mother. So when she arrives at the northern Michigan family estate late one night with a terrible secret and her 10-year-old daughter in tow, she’s not sure if she’ll be welcomed or turned away with a shotgun by the aunt she has never met.
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Really Enjoyed It
- By Kathryn @theBookDate on 03-30-21
By: Molly Fader
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Nothing to See Here
- By: Kevin Wilson
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then, Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal, and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help. Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family, and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: The twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way.
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Elevated art form.
- By KayMac on 10-30-19
By: Kevin Wilson
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Growing Things and Other Stories
- By: Paul Tremblay
- Narrated by: Sean Crisden, Graham Halstead, Cassandra Campbell, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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A chilling collection of psychological suspense and literary horror from the multiple award-winning author of the national best seller The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts. A masterful anthology featuring 19 pieces of short fiction, Growing Things and Other Stories is an exciting glimpse into Paul Tremblay’s fantastically fertile imagination.
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Paul Tremblay is totally nuts.
- By Gary & Jay on 07-07-19
By: Paul Tremblay
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All Manner of Things
- By: Susie Finkbeiner
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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When Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know. In Mike's absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike's safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts.
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Real fiction
- By Katijanae on 01-19-23
By: Susie Finkbeiner
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She Got Up Off the Couch
- By: Haven Kimmel
- Narrated by: Haven Kimmel
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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When we last saw Zippy, she was oblivious to the storm that was brewing in her home. Her mother, Delonda, had literally just gotten up off the couch and ridden her rickety bicycle down the road. Her dad was off somewhere, gambling or "working." And Zippy was lost in her own fabulous world of exploring the fringes of Moorland, Indiana.
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Great fun !!
- By Kim on 04-20-11
By: Haven Kimmel
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Before the Storm
- By: Diane Chamberlain
- Narrated by: Abby Craden, Kris Koscheski
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Laurel Lockwood lost her son once through neglect. She's spent the rest of her life determined to make up for her mistakes, and she has succeeded in becoming a committed, protective parent-maybe even overprotective. Still, she loosens her grip just enough to let Andy attend a local church social-a decision that terrifies her when the church is consumed by fire. But Andy survives...and remarkably, saves other children from the flames.
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Great book...HORRIBLE performance
- By Andrea on 03-10-15
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We Begin at the End
- By: Chris Whitaker
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Duchess Day Radley is a 13-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids. Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.
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Horrible narrator in this audible book
- By M. patton on 03-03-21
By: Chris Whitaker
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The Story of Arthur Truluv
- A Novel
- By: Elizabeth Berg
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Berg
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Three people find their way back from loss and loneliness to a different kind of belonging in this deeply moving novel. Arthur, an old widower struggling to overcome his grief, meets Maddy, a troubled teenage girl who avoids school by hiding out where Arthur goes every day for lunch. The two strike up a friendship that draws them out of isolation.
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Sickly Sweet
- By Amazon Customer on 01-19-18
By: Elizabeth Berg
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The Charmer in Chaps
- By: Julia London
- Narrated by: Tieran Wilder
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Cimarron County knows the youngest son of the fabled Prince family as a womanizing hell-raiser, but Luca has changed, and he intends to prove it. There's just one problem - a woman with sparkling eyes and more fight than a barnyard cat. After a childhood of living in foster homes, Ella Kendall has exactly three things to her name: a dog, a pig, and the rundown house she just inherited. Luca may not remember her from high school, but she definitely remembers him. He is as seductive as he was then, but Ella isn't about to fall for his flirting.
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Very good - great imagery and sweet storyline with purpose
- By rhonda on 08-06-19
By: Julia London
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Kissing Games of the World
- By: Sandi Kahn Shelton
- Narrated by: Myra Platt
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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What if the one person you can't bear to be with is also the one person you can't bear to be without? Jamie McClintock is a free-spirited artist and single mother who has at last found peace and freedom sharing a farmhouse with an elderly man and his young grandson. But when the old man dies suddenly her idyllic country life comes to a halt as the old man's estranged son, Nate, returns to claim the house and his child.
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Great Writer, Great Narrator ! Loved it!
- By Ms. Critic on 05-30-09
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What listeners say about A Complicated Kindness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jordan Deichen
- 02-06-23
Brilliant and compelling
A complicated kindness is wonderfully written. In less than 6 word sentences Toews can be down-to-earth, poignant and hilarious. Naomi will break your heart and make you laugh out loud at the same time.
There are so many descriptions and moments in this book that have lived in my head for years. It was lovely to hear the audiobook and experience it again with her delivery.
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- Edward M Knapp
- 02-06-23
Excellent
What an amazing storyteller. To capture that teenage voice amid the confusion. Real craft , wonderful
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- B. Hudson
- 01-13-23
Narration is rushed, lacks emotion.
The narration is very rushed, and there is a lack of emotion in the narrators voice, as if the words do not cause any particular reaction. Almost annoying to listen to. A pause or an emphasis would’ve been greatly appreciated.
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- Rachel Reaugh
- 07-02-20
...deeply satisfying!
A COMPLICATED KINDNESS written and performed by Canadian authour, Miriam Toews, makes me proud to be a Canadian.
A COMPLICATED KINDNESS was indeed a perfect name for this novel. Showing the life of a 16-year-old girl growing up as an orthodox Mennonite in a very secluded area, can only be complicated. This novel felt like a stream of esoteric ramblings, and, for the purpose of this novel, this was the only way it could have been written. I enjoyed how the novel was strictly from the point of view of the 16-year-old protagonist and, for the most part, it stayed in the present moment. When the book did jump around, I did not get lost, as I always knew that I was listening to a ‘moment to moment’ experience of a 16-year-old girl.
Miriam Toews performed the reading exceptionally well. If she had gotten someone else to read her novel it would not have come off so well.
I don't want to go into too much detail about this novel as it will give too much away. What's I will say is that A COMPLICATED KINDNESS took me on a roller coaster of Unexpected emotions, left me with many unanswered questions, and broke my heart. However, in the end, the unanswered questions, the Unexpected roller coaster of emotions, and the breaking heart made this novel very satisfying.
Life, yours and mine, is not neatly packaged up in yellow tissue paper and pink bows. Life is raw. Life is hard. Life is unexpected. And this is what makes life beautiful.
I feel that the author Miriam Toews did a fantastic job at showing the real blows of life from the perspective of a 16-year-old girl living in a very complicated world.
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- Cedella38
- 05-17-22
I wanted it to last forever
An amazing story teller, Miriam Toews captures the reader from the start. A complicated story of love, rebellion, sacrifice and hope.
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- Amy Leishman
- 12-22-23
Engrossing inner dialogue
Fascinating insight at the development of a teenage girl’s world view immersed in a high demand religious community.
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- Susan M. Scott
- 04-15-24
Struggling to make sense of pain.
This story is told in first person by a 15-16 year of age girl named Naomi. Her sister, when tiny, could not pronounce Naomi so she was ever after called Nomi by her family and community. The girl relates what happens in her life, depicting the slow disintegration of her family. The author shows how confusion, loss, grief, and intense anger can affect a bright teenage girl. She shows how dangerous it is for her to have unresolved grief and loss. The religious community plays a large role in why her family fell apart. I feel the author demonstrated that the dad understood how terrible it was for her. And he ultimately did something to help her.
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