
Rainbirds
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Narrated by:
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David Shih
About this listen
Ren Ishida is nearly finished with graduate school when he receives news of his sister Keiko's sudden death. She was viciously stabbed one rainy night on her way home, and there are no leads. Ren heads to Akakawa to conclude his sister's affairs, still failing to understand why she chose to abandon the family and Tokyo for this desolate town years ago.
But Ren soon finds himself picking up where Keiko left off, accepting both her teaching position at a local cram school and the bizarre arrangement of free lodging at a wealthy politician's mansion in exchange for reading to the man's catatonic wife. As he comes to know the figures in Akakawa, from the enigmatic politician to his fellow teachers and a rebellious, alluring student named Rio, Ren delves into his shared childhood with Keiko and what followed, trying to piece together what happened the night of her death.
Haunted in his dreams by a young girl who is desperately trying to tell him something, Ren struggles to find solace in the void his sister has left behind.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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dull
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Overall
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Performance
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New York City is not only The New Yorker magazine's place of origin and its sensibility's lifeblood, it is the heart of American literary culture. Wonderful Town, an anthology of superb short fiction by many of the magazine's most accomplished contributors, celebrates the 75-year marriage between a preeminent publication and its preeminent context with this collection of 44 of its best stories from (so to speak) home.
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Overall
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Performance
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Awesome
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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Awful reader
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Cinderella Girl
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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loved it
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What listeners say about Rainbirds
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- RueRue
- 06-05-19
Unusual
Not really a typical mystery, although the set-up for the narrative is a murder, which is "solved" (sort of) by the end of the book. This is really a story about rather diverse characters who come in contact with the main character, Ren, as he tries to accept the loss of his sister. The writing is lovely, simple and fluid, but for a story set around a murder, it's strangely detached. This would be a good choice for something different, but not if you are looking for a typical mystery. There's really no suspense.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Jenn Candler
- 03-26-18
Family Legacy, Family Secrets, Family
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This book captures the importance of Family in the Chinese culture.
What did you like best about this story?
Strong family presence.
Have you listened to any of David Shih’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
How them anonymous items were pieced together even when he didn't know who delivered the anonymous items or how they related.
Any additional comments?
I wanted to add a bit of diversity to my TBR pile. This went straight to the top when it was delivered. so glad this is on my self.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Diana H-B
- 05-07-18
Captivating Journey of mystery and grief
Goenawan spins an inextricable web of Ben 's grief and resolution to discover/solve his sister's death.
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