• Rise and Shine

  • By: Anna Quindlen
  • Narrated by: Carol Monda
  • Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
  • 3.6 out of 5 stars (383 ratings)

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Rise and Shine  By  cover art

Rise and Shine

By: Anna Quindlen
Narrated by: Carol Monda
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Publisher's summary

It's Monday morning when Meghan Fitzmaurice blows her perfect life to bits. The host of Rise and Shine, the country's highest-rated morning talk show, Meghan cuts to a commercial break, but not before she mutters two forbidden words into her open mike. It's the end of an era, not only for Meghan, a household face who is not equipped to deal with disgrace, but for her younger sister Bridget, a social worker in the Bronx who has always lived in Meghan's long shadow.

The effect of Meghan's on-air profanity and truth telling is felt by her son, her husband, her friends, her fans, and even the city of New York, the capital of appearance over reality. But above all it transforms the sister with whom she's shared everything, even the mixed blessings of fame.

What follows is a story about a city big enough to find prep school rappers, rich poseurs, familiar strangers, and autograph seekers in the same ladies room at a black-tie ball. But ultimately, it's about how, in very different ways, the Fitzmaurice girls whip the place into shape. Meghan and Bridget, Bridget and Meghan. They share smart mouths, a fractured childhood, and a powerful connection that even the worst tragedy can't rupture.

©2006 Anna Quindlen (P)2006 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

  • Winner of Audio Publishers Association 2007 Audie Award, Fiction, Unabridged

"The prose is top-notch." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Rise and Shine

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Not her best

I have enjoyed all of Anna Quinlens previous books, so downloaded this one without hesitation. It does have good prose, but no good story. Until the last hour nothing of particular interest happens. I had no interest in the events that befell the two main participants.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Don't waste your time or credit

I generally like this author, but this book could not keep my interest. I listened all the way through, but my mind kept wandering and I kept rewinding. I could have saved the effort. I never missed anything, because nothing ever happened.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Not terribly interesting

The book is well written and the story has its moments, but generally, nothing really happens. I think my credit would've been better spent on another book.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The Manhattan Novel

Perfect symmetry: two sisters, one living the life of service to those who cannot serve themselves, a social worker. The other, living the self-centered, shallow life of a media personality. The third character is the city of New York, presented in all its consumerist, elitist glory. In spite of this obvious formula I thought the novel was elegant, sensitive, and beautifully written. Great characters, great dialogue, and great learning experiences for both protagonists.

I'm only giving it a 4, though 1) because there were some elements at the end that I found inconsistent with the alleged epiphany experienced by the shallow media guru, and 2) because the narrator's quirky pronunciation of the name "Meghan" was annoying, drawing out the first syllable a bit too long.

Other than that, this book, just like New York, is a perfect jewel. How could one look anywhere else?


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6 people found this helpful

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

Great story-telling

This is another example for me not to pay too much attention to people’s negative reviews. I almost didn’t get this book because I saw a couple of complaints about Anna Quindlen’s writing style. It’s true that she has a unique talent for the art of digression in storytelling. But, that’s how she gives the reader context, and in so doing she also gives a sub-story. I absolutely loved this book, start to finish. It’s amusing, sad, insightful and poignant all wrapped in one. Great narration, truly well done.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent listen

It appears I disagree with the other reviewers here--I love this book, particularly in the audio form. I find the characters fascinating and well-described, and their interactions, motivations, and lives are the real plot-- the "action" at the end seems a bit tacked-on. The narration is excellent. This audiobook is a true "comfort-listen" for me.

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3 people found this helpful

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

A big disappointment

Anna Quindlen's "One True Thing" is one of my favorite books. I also loved "Black and Blue". But I am really struggling with this one. I am halfway through. I keep taking breaks to move on to other, more interesting books. My biggest problem is that I find all of the characters to be unrealistic. I don't feel any kind of a bond or empathy for any of them. I feel a sarcastic undertone throughout the whole thing.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Dull

My first Anna Quindlen novel and probably my last. The characters were not particularly believable or even interesting. The narration didn’t help either.

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3 people found this helpful

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

Ms Quindlen never fails to impress

I’ve loved everything she has written, and this was not an exception. I’m waiting for her next great book. The narrator did a wonderful job.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Sorry it had to end

I thought this was a great story and written with so much detail. I felt like I was a part of the story and knew the characters inside and out. The ending was very unexpected and had lots of twists and turns. I was sad when the story ended as it was all encompassing. I absolutely recommend this book

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2 people found this helpful