Preview
  • Cruel Beautiful World

  • By: Caroline Leavitt
  • Narrated by: Xe Sands
  • Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (127 ratings)

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Cruel Beautiful World

By: Caroline Leavitt
Narrated by: Xe Sands
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Publisher's summary

Caroline Leavitt is at her mesmerizing best in this haunting, nuanced portrait of love, sisters, and the impossible legacy of family.

It's 1969, and 16-year-old Lucy is about to run away with a much older man to live off the grid in rural Pennsylvania, a rash act that will have vicious repercussions for both her and her older sister, Charlotte. As Lucy's default caretaker for most of their lives, Charlotte's youth has been marked by the burden of responsibility, but never more so than when Lucy's dream of a rural paradise turns into a nightmare.

Cruel Beautiful World examines the intricate, infinitesimal distance between seduction and love, loyalty and duty, and explores what happens when you're responsible for things you cannot make right.

©2016 Caroline Leavitt (P)2016 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
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What listeners say about Cruel Beautiful World

Average customer ratings
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Great Listen

I really enjoyed this book. The pace was great and the storyline exciting. The narrator did a great job as well. Overall, an excellent listen!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely fantastic

I completed this book in 1.5 days, I was sad that it ended. I’ll be checking out this authors other books!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Kept me listening intently

I was hooked from the first chapter. Surprised in places. Thanks to the wonderful narration, I felt like I was in the story. Definitely recommend.

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7 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Narration spoils this book

The story was interesting but the narrator's cadence is reminiscent of a 1940's Micky Spillane movie. Very inappropriate to the story and very disturbing.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Engaging Listen

I love it when I find a book that I want to listen to every chance I get. I don’t find them often, but this was one. I actually found the narration mesmerizing and thought the performance set the tone of the story.

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2 people found this helpful

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Loved it from beginning to end.

Loved this story from beginning to end. Reread to see what I missed! Xe Sands it perfect for this story

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Loved this

This was a great book. I really like this author.
Also Xe Sands is my favorite narrator of all time.
Worth the listen.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Could not finish listening - narration not for me

I rarely stop a book before I finish, but I found myself dreading this one, and I realized it was the narration. The narrator sounds uncertain and tentative, all the characters speak in the same way (not surprisingly, tentative and uncertain!) The way she modulates her voice caused a lot of volume issues for me, too -- the lack of emphasis on certain words made their volume fall way below the others, and I was constantly trying to figure out what had been said.

I can't say a lot about the story. It might have been glorious, but the narration was so distracting I couldn't really get into it at all.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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seasons of life

iris was portrayed is a dignified manner. I like how the story included love at a more mature age.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Full of love and sadness

Such a beautifully written book about love, sadness, regret, sacrifice and acceptance. This is my second Leavitt read. Worth every minute.

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