Preview
  • Far from the Tree

  • By: Robin Benway
  • Narrated by: Julia Whelan
  • Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,814 ratings)

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Far from the Tree

By: Robin Benway
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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Publisher's summary

National Book Award Winner and New York Times best seller!

Perfect for fans of NBC's This Is Us, Robin Benway’s beautiful interweaving story of three very different teenagers connected by blood explores the meaning of family in all its forms - how to find it, how to keep it, and how to love it.

Being the middle child has its ups and downs.

But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including:

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she’s quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs.

And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After 17 years in the foster care system, he’s learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can’t hurt anyone but him.

Don't miss this moving novel that addresses such important topics as adoption, teen pregnancy, and foster care.

©2017 Robin Benway (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
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Editorial reviews

Editors Select, December 2017

When I chose this book, I was mainly drawn in by the idea of listening to a YA novel narrated by one of my favorites, Julia Whelan, who performs young voices so well. And then it won the National Book Award, and I knew for sure I'd be in for a good listen. Far From the Tree is the story of three biological siblings getting to know one another for the first time. There's the middle sibling, Grace, who recently had to give her own infant daughter up for adoption; the youngest, Maya, who feels like the lone sheep in her adoptive family; and the oldest, Joaquin, who has bounced from one foster home to another. Having seven (yes, seven) siblings of my own, I related with this story on such a visceral level. But it's about so much more than siblings and biological relationships: It's about finding your own sense of family and home, in whatever form that may take. This is a gorgeous listen all around, made all the more powerful by Whelan's warm, authentic performance. (Sam, Audible editor)

What listeners say about Far from the Tree

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Moving and sweet.

Enjoyable story presenting some of the complexities of adoption, foster care, and cross cultural adoption. If only all such stories could be so n aptly tied up in a bow.

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13 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wow! Great story, great narration!

I don’t think this should be called YA, as this old adult had all the feels “reading” this book through the incomparable voice of Julia Whelan. She is just outstanding. I cannot emphasize how wonderful Julia is- I was just transported to the world of these 3 young people. Yup, I was weeping , so I shouldn’t have been listening while working. 🥰🥰🥰

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

Brutally honest and hugely empathetic

This is a perfectly structured, wonderfully characterized, and masterfully narrated book. I absolutely loved it...highly recommended!

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

Emotionally intense adoption story

Loved this emotionally intense adoption story Excellent audiobook. Terrific narration. Tears were shed. Highly recommended 👍🏼

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Robin Benway is a gifted writer

This book is emotionally engaging. It is a great read for all ages. A real page turner.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

In our current political climate it’s easy to get discouraged - while not all the details of the story are sunny, it’s a generally nice story about separation and the search for family. I found it very hard to put down!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Wow

What a surprise. Got this on sale. So glad I did. It was truly amazing. It made me cry so many times. I have never wanted to give someone a hug more than these three kids. I wanted to hug them so tight that all the broken pieces fit back together. I for real could listen to their life story more. Give me college years. Adulthood. Nursing home. I love all three of them

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

Good story

I really enjoyed this book. The story was good and so was the narrator.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

This book is great! I listen to at least one book a week and this ranks right up there with the best!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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AWESOME!!!

This is an awesome, heartfelt book that might make you cry 😥 but over all, far form the tree is a great book.

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