Preview

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Alaskan Laundry

By: Brendan Jones
Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.79

Buy for $25.79

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The Alaskan Laundry is beautiful evocation of a place and a testament to the unshakable lure of home. It also offers an unforgettable story of one woman's journey from isolation back to the possibility of love.

©2016 Brendan Jones. Recorded by arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (P)2016 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"This is a truly towering debut novel. Brendan Jones charts new novelistic territory and sends back moving dispatches from the frontiers of the human heart." (Adam Johnson, author of The Orphan Master's Son)
"There are the easy journeys, the ones that take us where we mean to travel, and there are those we shy from, the dark and uncertain treks of the soul. Without flinching, nineteen-year-old Tara ventures from South Philly to the male-dominated "Rock," an island off the coast of Alaska. True to her boxer instincts, Tara comes out swinging, unsure what the island will make of her. As layers of her former life wash away, she proves as raw and tender as the landscape, as striking and unforgettable. A promising debut, true to the core - a novel of grit and redemption." (Deb Vanasse, author of Cold Spell and Out of the Wilderness)
" The Alaskan Laundry is a novel of bracing air that gets deep into your lungs. As Tara Marconi reinvents herself in Alaska, we see all facets of the American dream of self-reliance and boundless possibility play out on the stage of the Last Frontier. A strong, singular person grows in these pages. Like a protagonist in a Daniel Woodrell novel, she is stubborn, heroic, and capable of anything." (Will Chancellor, author of A Brave Man Seven Storeys Tall)

What listeners say about The Alaskan Laundry

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    27
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    28
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    25
  • 4 Stars
    18
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

I really enjoyed listening to this story. I did not want to stop, at every free minute I had, I would try to listen to the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Different and very interesting

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I definitely would recommend this book to anyone that will listen. Brendan Jones did a very good job describing the fishing industry in Alaska. Also, the young woman shows bravery as well as frailties. She was amazing. I'm hoping the author will write more just like it. I'll be first in line.

What does Rebecca Gibel bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her voice describes audibly Tara's youth, vulnerabilities, and courage.

If you could rename The Alaskan Laundry, what would you call it?

I think it's perfect the way it is. The title is what drew me in.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for a sequel.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Super interesting story!

Great story. Learned a lot about Alaska and fisheries. I would recommend reading or listening to this book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent first novel

From start to finish, this story is full of beautifully described landscapes, exciting scenes in unexpected places ( I don't want to give any thing away), and unusual, sympathetically written characters.
The writing style is mature and fluid, the scenes flow easily from one to the next. The main characters were easy to like. Especially for a first novel, I would highly recommend this book. My only problem is that the story ended abruptly. One important relationship was left hanging, which I believe is unfair to the reader. Perhaps a sequel would resolve this, and other questions that aren't answered at the end of the book. In this reader's opinion, an enjoyable novel that doesn't quite feel finished.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Coming of age in Alaska's fishing industry

What did you like best about The Alaskan Laundry? What did you like least?

Fascination with the fishing industry is what hooked me on this book.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Deeper character development for the protagonist and key characters. It takes a long time to learn why she's made the choices that led her to Alaska, but even then the answers aren't very satisfying. It's enjoyable, if light.

Do you think The Alaskan Laundry needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Without giving a spoiler alert, I'd say the end is crafted for a sequel.

Any additional comments?

To me, this reads like a YA coming of age story - and I read a fair amount of YA material. A decent debut novel, but I wouldn't rush to buy the author's next book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Former Alaskan

First of all sometimes it's appropriate to use the "F" word but I got plenty tired of it. I used to live in one of the towns in this book so it's hard for me when it's not authentic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Alright

I listened to it on a roadtrip, it was entertaining but felt so many parts weren't needed. There was so much that happened and kinda didn't move the story forward. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt in comparison to the full book and a bit lack luster. Overall entertaining but not something I'd listen to again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It had an interesting story line.

I liked the protagonist. She kept things interesting. The story was a bit too far fetched.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Unfortunately, I had much higher expectations of this book. I felt it was relatively anticlimactic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Bad

Too long, too rambling and pointless. I'm not certain what you're supposed to get from this story except living in Alaska is terrible

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!