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  • The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster

  • By: Kaye Gibbons
  • Narrated by: Kaye Gibbons
  • Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
  • 3.1 out of 5 stars (18 ratings)

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The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster

By: Kaye Gibbons
Narrated by: Kaye Gibbons
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Publisher's summary

This sequel to Gibbons' beloved classic Ellen Foster stands on its own as an unforgettable portrait of a redoubtable adolescent making herself up out of whole cloth. Now 15, Ellen is settled into a permanent home with a new mother. Strengthened by adversity and blessed with enough intelligence to design a salvation for herself, she still feels ill at ease in the world. Her sole surviving ritual, a visit to the county fair, takes on totemic importance. While she holds fast to the shreds of her childhood, humoring her best friend, Stuart, who is determined to marry her; and protecting her old neighbor, slow-witted Starletta, she negotiates her way into a larger world by selling her poetry to pay her way to a camp for gifted students. With a singular mix of perspicacity, naivete, and compassion, Ellen draws us into her life and makes us fall in love with her all over again.

BONUS: Features an exclusive interview with the author.

©2006 Kaye Gibbons (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.
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Critic reviews

"Ellen is still a remarkable creation, and her narrative voice, while it has matured and grown more sophisticated, remains compelling and unique." (Booklist)

What listeners say about The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Read by the Author

The author reads this book. It is difficult to discern the voice of one character over another. It would be better enjoyed on paper.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Avoid author-read books

After only 30 minutes, I had to turn this book off. Maybe it's a great book, but I will not find out. An audio book needs to be "performed" - not simply read. This is the second time I have been burned by an author-read book, and I will avoid them in the future.

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3 people found this helpful