Labor Day

By: Joyce Maynard

Narrated by: Wilson Bethel

Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

With the end of summer closing in and a steamy Labor Day weekend looming in the town of Holton Mills, New Hampshire, 13-year-old Henry - lonely, friendless, not too good at sports - spends most of his time watching television, reading, and daydreaming about the soft skin and budding bodies of his female classmates.

For company, Henry has his long-divorced mother, Adele - a onetime dancer whose summer project was to teach him how to foxtrot; his hamster, Joe; and awkward Saturday-night outings to Friendly's with his estranged father and new stepfamily. As much as he tries, Henry knows that even with his jokes and his "Husband for a Day" coupon, he still can't make his emotionally fragile mother happy.

Adele has a secret that makes it hard for her to leave their house, and seems to possess an irreparably broken heart. But all that changes on the Thursday before Labor Day, when a mysterious bleeding man named Frank approaches Henry and asks for a hand. Over the next five days, Henry will learn some of life's most valuable lessons: how to throw a baseball, the secret to perfect piecrust, the breathless pain of jealousy, the power of betrayal, and the importance of putting others - especially those we love - above ourselves. And the knowledge that real love is worth waiting for.

In a manner evoking Ian McEwan's Atonement and Nick Hornby's About a Boy, acclaimed author Joyce Maynard weaves a beautiful, poignant tale of love, sex, adolescence, and devastating treachery as seen through the eyes of a young teenage boy - and the man he later becomes - looking back at an unexpected encounter that begins one single, long, hot, life-altering weekend.

©2009 Joyce Maynard (P)1997 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Maynard's inventive coming-of-age tale indelibly captures the anxiety and confusion inherent in adolescence, while the addition of a menacing element of suspense makes this emotionally fraught journey that much more harrowing." ( Booklist)

A little creepy

It's not that this was a bad story, I just didn't like the way it was told. It found it creepy hearing the love scenes between Adele and Frank through the eyes (and ears) of their tween son, and the images of the mother telling the things that she did (which were completely inappropriate) to her son made me uncomfortable. Perhaps that was the intent of the writer. If so, well done. But I wouldn't recommend this book to someone, and I am not anxious to see the movie, like I usually am after a good book.

It was....meh.

What did you like best about Labor Day? What did you like least?

The performance was fairly well done -- crisp audio with decent acting. It was a short audiobook, but I didn't find the story all that engaging. It seemed to go very quick with just a couple of historical subplots that wrapped up very quickly and all too neatly. I would've liked to hear much more depth in both the characters and plot.

Similar to movie

enjoyed it . . . very similar to the storyline of the movie . . .

enjoyable story.

I could relate to the emotions if the characters. Joyce Maynard never disappoints this reader

Great read

What made the experience of listening to Labor Day the most enjoyable?

Gripping story very well read. I couldn't put it down. I loved the extraordinary characters. It is on my 'must read' list.

Meh

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

This is a great question because this book sparked absolutely nothing in me. I listened to it all, but couldn't really tell you why I stuck with it.

thought it would have been better

I have listened to many books and their one never really caught my attention! I thought it would have been better.

Laborous Listening

I am the one who fell for buying a book entitled Labor Day to listen to on a long Labor Day Weekend drive.

The book is depressing, slow, and not at all realistic in its depiction of 13 year-old boys. I finally turned it off to avoid getting so down that I'd drive myself into a tree! I didn't finish it, but will probably never forget how it cast a cloud over Labor Day 2009.