Kiss Myself Goodbye Audiobook By Ferdinand Mount cover art

Kiss Myself Goodbye

The Many Lives of Aunt Munca

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Kiss Myself Goodbye

By: Ferdinand Mount
Narrated by: Paul Blezard
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Bloomsbury presents Kiss Myself Goodbye by Ferdinand Mount, read by Paul Blezard.

'Grimly funny and superbly written, with a twist on every page' – Hilary Mantel

'Delightfully compulsive and unforgettably original' – Hadley Freeman

‘Wonderful, funny and wise’ – Kate Summerscale

SHORTLISTED FOR THE DUFF COOPER PRIZE 2021
A SUNDAY TIMES, TLS, SPECTATOR AND NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR

Aunt Munca never told the truth about anything. Calling herself after the mouse in a Beatrix Potter story, she was already a figure of mystery during the childhood of her nephew Ferdinand Mount. Half a century later, a series of startling revelations sets him off on a tortuous quest to find out who this extraordinary millionairess really was.

What he discovers is shocking and irretrievably sad, involving multiple deceptions, false identities and abandonments. The story leads us from the back streets of Sheffield at the end of the Victorian age to the highest echelons of English society between the wars.

An unconventional tale of British social history told backwards, now published with new material discovered by the author about his eccentric aunt, Kiss Myself Goodbye is both an enchanting personal memoir and a voyage into a vanished moral world©2020 Ferdinand Mount (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Europe Great Britain Women Feel-Good

Critic reviews

"Grimly funny and superbly written, with a twist on every page." (Hilary Mantel)

"Delightfully compulsive and unforgettably original." (Hadley Freeman)
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I think this would have been a great book to read but on audible it was perfect. The story hooked me immediately, his family is not only interesting by themselves but tangentially connects to many people you will have heard of.

Each time you think you have finally figured out what the conclusion will be of his aunt's life you discover the story is bigger and more complex than you could have imagined.

I also can't say enough about the delivery. I suspect the story would come off as somewhat humorous if you read it, but the delivery is so wry, the accent so perfect that I occasionally laughed out loud.

Strong recommendation for this book

A great story delivered flawlessly

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Not at all my genre, I thought, but give it a go…
How glad I did. Wise words beautifully written, funny, speaking of history, dogged pursuit of that which lies beneath, the messy lives we lead, our sins of commission and omission. Bravo, bravissimo, Mr. Ferdinand Mount!

Superbly written, superbly narrated, deeply touching book!

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Listened twice to keep up with so many characters. Fascinating story, Munka was amazing - a woman with her own mind.

Interesting

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I kept waiting and waiting for something of interest to happen but this story is as dull as dirt!! The only thing worse than the story was the God awful readers accent. More boorishness British.

Time lost

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Unless you personally know the players, this story is not relevant and only marginally interesting.

Not a compelling story

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