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Ellen Foster

By: Kaye Gibbons
Narrated by: Ruth Ann Phimister
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Publisher's summary

"When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy. I would figure out this or that way and run it down through my head until it got easy."

So begins the tale of Ellen Foster, the brave and engaging heroine of Kaye Gibbons's first novel, which won the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Wise, funny, affectionate and true, Ellen Foster is, as Walker Percy called it, "The real thing. Which is to say, a lovely, sometimes heart/wrenching novel.... [Ellen Foster] is as much a part of the backwoods South as a Faulkner character and a good deal more endearing."

©1987 Kaye Gibbons (P)2011 Simon & Schuster Audio
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Critic reviews

"Filled with lively humor, compassion and integrity.... Ellen Foster may be the most trustworthy character in recent fiction." ( New York Times Book Review)
"The story of a redoubtable girl who overcomes adversity with humor, spunk, and determination, Kaye Gibbons's first novel is a work of considerable subtlety and intellectual sophistication. A terrific book." ( Washington Post Book World)

What listeners say about Ellen Foster

Average customer ratings
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Weird Story

This story is okay, it goes back and forth between past and present and it gets really confusing.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Very spunky survivor

Ellen tells the story a out her sad childhood and how she was able to persevere in spite of it. She was bright and creative and ultimately finds herself a home.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great!!

This is one of the most unique books I have ever read! I really really enjoyed reading it and I hope that you will take the time to read it as well. I don't think you'll be disappointed at all!

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2 people found this helpful

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

read for assignment

Had to read this one for school. It was a quick read thankfully, and the narrator nailed Ellen’s childhood charm. The book itself is just okay, it’s sad but cute. If you’re reading this for school, listen to the audiobook. It makes a lot more sense.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

Loved it. Made me smile. Well worthwhile. Ellen is a wonderful charachtor I would like to hear more from!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved this story!

This is southern storytelling at its best. I'm a long-time fan of Kaye Gibbons' work and I enjoyed this audio version of Ellen Foster.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Good narration but…

The narrator did a good job of narrating the story and doing Ellen’s voice, but sometimes it glitches and it skips over a part in the book or it’ll read a line in the very end in the middle area of the book and then get back to where it was. Other than that it was pretty good.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

hard to get into

i had to read this for school and it was kind of boring. it was extremely hard to get into.

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