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The Irresistible Henry House
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins
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Editorial reviews
In 1946, Martha Gaines, program director of home economics at Wilton College, receives her twelfth “practice” baby, Henry House — an orphaned child ready to be raised by students in the course as practice for their future as mothers. Martha’s strict and unloving approach to child rearing, based on many of the parenting theories in this pre-Spock era, has no bearing on the fact that she falls deeply in love with little Henry, partly due to her life’s misfortune of losing her own child shortly after it was born. She convinces the dean to let her keep Henry after the two-year time limit and raise him as her own, but Henry quickly proves to be an unemotional little boy, who has trouble returning affections to any one woman. This theme follows him during his life’s journey as he’s shipped off to a school for troubled children, becomes a talented lover of women — and through his character, exemplifies the 60s sexual revolution. As irresistible as he was as a snuggly infant, he proves to be equally so as a young man and adult.
Oliver Wyman’s deep voice lends a documentary-like quality to the novel — appropriate as the story is based on the true use of “practice” babies at colleges in the 40s. Wyman’s slow and methodic story-telling is soothing and his wide range of vocal talents creates believable characters whether he’s imitating a woman’s voice or an infant’s (his baby cries are surprisingly life-like). His approach is warm and enveloping, making even the coldest of characters (like Martha Gaines) have something likeable about them.
This iconic novel is only enhanced by Wyman’s narration and is sure to become a favorite in American literature, among the likes of Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. —Colleen Oakley
Publisher's summary
It is the middle of the 20th century, and in a home economics program at a prominent university, real babies are being used to teach mothering skills to young women. For a young man raised in these unlikely circumstances, finding real love and learning to trust will prove to be the work of a lifetime. In this captivating novel, bestselling author Lisa Grunwald gives us the sweeping tale of an irresistible hero and the many women who love him.
From his earliest days as a practice baby through his adult adventures in 1960s New York City, Disney's Burbank studios, and the delirious world of the Beatles London, Henry remains handsome, charming, universally adored and never entirely accessible to the many women he conquers but can never entirely trust.
Filled with unforgettable characters, settings, and action, The Irresistible Henry House portrays the cultural tumult of the mid-20th century even as it explores the inner tumult of a young man trying to transcend a damaged childhood. For it is not until Henry House comes face-to-face with the real truths of his past that he finds a chance for real love.
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Stars over Sunset Boulevard
- By: Susan Meissner
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Los Angeles, present day. When an iconic hat worn by Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind ends up in Christine McAllister's vintage clothing boutique by mistake, her efforts to return it to its owner take her on a journey more enchanting than any classic movie.... Los Angeles, 1938. Violet Mayfield sets out to reinvent herself in Hollywood after her dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart, and she lands a job on the film set of Gone with the Wind.
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Pass on this
- By Lulew on 03-24-17
By: Susan Meissner
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The Wednesday Sisters
- By: Meg Waite Clayton
- Narrated by: Julie Dretzin
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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For 35 years, Frankie, Linda, Kath, Brett, and Ally have met every Wednesday at the park near their homes in Palo Alto, California. Defined when they first meet by what their husbands do, the young homemakers and mothers are far removed from the Summer of Love that has enveloped most of the Bay Area in 1967.
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Loved it!
- By Denise Wallace on 06-26-09
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Breaking Night
- A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard
- By: Liz Murray
- Narrated by: Liz Murray
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Liz Murray was born to loving but drug-addicted parents in the Bronx. In school she was taunted for her dirty clothing and lice-infested hair, eventually skipping so many classes that she was put into a girls' home. At age 15, Liz found herself on the streets when her family finally unraveled. She learned to scrape by, foraging for food and riding subways all night to have a warm place to sleep. Then, when Liz's mother died of AIDS, she decided to take control of her own destiny.
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unbelievably inspiring
- By Amazon Customer on 03-17-12
By: Liz Murray
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Russian Winter
- A Novel
- By: Daphne Kalotay
- Narrated by: Kathleen Gati
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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In Russian Winter, the beautiful debut novel by critically acclaimed writer Daphne Kalotay, a famed ballerina’s jewelry auction in Boston reveals long-held secrets of love and family, friendship and rivalry, harkening back to Stalinist Russia. Called “tender, passionate, and moving” by Jenna Blum, the New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us, Russian Winter is a perfect choice for fans of the novels of Debra Dean (The Madonnas of Leningrad), Ann Patchett (Bel Canto), and Ian McEwan (Atonement).
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Read this review; Sophisticated and wonderful!
- By Cookie on 01-15-12
By: Daphne Kalotay
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Black & White
- By: Dani Shapiro
- Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Clara Brodeur has spent her entire adult life pulling herself away from her famous mother, the renowned and controversial photographer Ruth Dunne, whose towering reputation rests on the unsettling nude portraits she took of her young daughter from the ages of three to 14. As Clara charts a path connecting her childhood with her adult life, Shapiro's novel weaves together past and present in images as stark and intense as the photographs that tore the Dunnes apart.
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It was okay
- By Lucy7 on 02-13-19
By: Dani Shapiro
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Family Secrets
- A Novel
- By: Nancy Thayer
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Though Diane Randall’s jewelry business is a great success, her marriage is not, and she finds herself growing lonely as her children near adulthood. Meanwhile, her eighteen-year-old daughter Julia is falling dangerously in love, and Diane’s mother, Jean, is relishing her newfound freedom as a single woman in Europe. Distracted by their individual concerns, the three women are ill-prepared for the crisis that suddenly appears on Diane’s doorstep in the form of a handsome FBI agent asking about an explosive secret that’s laid buried for decades.
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Nancy! Is there a sequel? What?
- By PattieLynn on 12-02-22
By: Nancy Thayer
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I'm Supposed to Protect You from All This
- A Memoir
- By: Nadja Spiegelman
- Narrated by: Nadja Spiegelman
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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For a long time, Nadja Spiegelman believed her mother was a fairy. More than her famous father, Maus creator Art Spiegelman, and even more than most mothers, hers - French-born New Yorker art director Françoise Mouly - exerted a force over reality that was both dazzling and daunting. As Nadja's body changed and "began to whisper to the adults around me in a language I did not understand", their relationship grew tense.
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Aweful
- By Haley Abreu on 07-05-17
By: Nadja Spiegelman
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Keeper of the Light
- Keeper Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Diane Chamberlain
- Narrated by: Arielle DeLisle
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Dr. Olivia Simon is on duty in the emergency room of North Carolina's Outer Banks Hospital when a gunshot victim is brought in. Midway through the desperate effort to save the young woman's life, Olivia realizes who she is - Annie O'Neill, the woman Olivia's husband, Paul, is in love with.
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I can't finish this...
- By Calmeridian Tink on 03-31-16
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The Poison Tree
- By: Erin Kelly
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Successful journalist Erin Kelly has electrified readers and critics alike with her debut novel The Poison Tree. In this scintillating work, Karen and her daughter Alice have established a safe, happy life free from the madness of Karen’s past. But when Karen’s former lover Rex is released from prison, her old associations intrude upon the present - and threaten everything she holds dear.
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I couldn't stop listening the book.
- By Gladys on 07-29-15
By: Erin Kelly
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The Wife
- A Novel
- By: Meg Wolitzer
- Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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The moment Joan Castleman decides to leave her husband, they are 35,000 feet above the ocean on a flight to Helsinki. Joan's husband, Joseph, is one of America's preeminent novelists, about to receive a prestigious international award, and Joan, who has spent 40 years subjugating her own literary talents to fan the flames of his career, has finally decided to stop.
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A bit of a downer
- By Jody Cox on 08-01-18
By: Meg Wolitzer
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Fire and Rain
- By: Diane Chamberlain
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Into the drought-weary California town of Valle Rosa comes a stranger who promises he can make it rain. All he asks for is a place to stay and complete privacy. But he is too charismatic to maintain a low profile, and the adobe cottage he's given to live in is owned by an investigative TV reporter struggling to revive her career.
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Siri from my Iphone would be a warmer narrator
- By Gwen on 05-30-16
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The Ramblers
- A Novel
- By: Aidan Donnelley Rowley
- Narrated by: Erica Sullivan
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Set in the most magical parts of Manhattan - the Upper West Side, Central Park, Greenwich Village - The Ramblers explores the lives of three lost souls bound together by friendship and family. During the course of one fateful Thanksgiving week, a time when emotions run high and being with family can be a mixed blessing, Rowley's sharply defined characters explore the moments when decisions are deliberately made, choices accepted, and pasts reconciled.
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Lovely Portrait of The City
- By Dingo27 on 02-19-16
What listeners say about The Irresistible Henry House
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Kristin Lang
- 05-21-10
fascinating story and a great listen!
Oliver Wyman does a great job of bringing this story to life, and what a story! If you are a mom or have one, I can't imagine not finding this tale of what happens when a charming little boy has too many mothers to be positively irresistible, even more so since the premise is based on real-life practices from our not-so-distant past. The writing reminded me of the best of John Irving, a latter day PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY. I'm a big fan!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Karen
- 01-04-11
I would have sworn John Irving wrote this book!
I found this to be an "irresistible" read! I am a huge fan of John Irving and found the storyline and Henry so "Garp-ish." I hope the author considers that a compliment! Oliver Wyman did an excellent job with the various voices and accents and will search for other books he might narrate. I never found the story dragging or waning. Highly recommended!
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Overall
- Juli
- 06-21-11
Baby Voices with Grown-Up Gender Politics
I enjoyed the first few chapters of this book, and I admired Oliver Wyman's narration, which gave a documentary-like feel to the story. But I started to lose heart when young Henry and young Mary Jane started to talk: maybe there's not much a narrator can do with little kid voices. But I just don't buy the weird love triangle that Grunwald set up; it felt like a plot device. The children felt too much like stereotypical grown-ups: detached boy, lovesick girl. In a novel about the ways that theories of children get in the way of how we experience children, I found this to be particularly disturbing, and I lost my trust in the author.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 02-21-11
Bad
Skip this book. The characters are dull. The plot is rambling and pointless, with idiotic references to "Mary Poppins" and "The Yellow Submarine".
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Overall
- Shirley
- 05-02-10
Could have been a good book
This book had an interesting beginning. The idea of orphans being used as subjects for home economics classes at a university for a year or two before being sent out for adoption, conjurs up all sorts of possibilities. The character of Henry House who remained at at he university and suffered emotional problems could have been carried over to explore the effect of this program on other "house babies." Instead,the second half of the book, was devoted to Henry's sexual escapades. Enough Already! You can stop listening after the first half of the book as the second half consists of weak and boring sexual exploits.
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11 people found this helpful
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- Lyn
- 03-11-13
Too slow and tedious
Two hours in and I had to give it up. I don't mind slow (just finished A Prayer for Owen Meany and that probably redefines 'slow' but found it an excellent book) but the tedious got to me.
However, this is not to say that, had I lasted the distance, I would have been able to write a more positive review.
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- KP
- 01-26-12
Bland story with a blander narrator
Henry House is, actually, quite resistible. The idea presented at the beginning -- that Henry, like many others, is an orphaned child who starts his life as the "practice baby" for students in a college home economics program -- seemed very clever. However, the book falls off from there. The rest of the story is a very dull account of him going through life. Given it takes place in the 50's and 60's, and there's plenty of sex and drugs, you'd think that would help the tempo of the story, but somehow even those aspects of his life seem blah. Plus, his general indifference to everyone around him makes him an unsympathetic character. I almost didn't finish the book, but I kept thinking that something was going to happen to make it better. It probably would have seemed like less of a slog with a less monotonous narrator, but even the best of narrators would have had a tough time with this material.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Chris
- 07-01-10
What a disappointment!
I purchased this book after reading the glowing reviews and was thoroughly disappointed. It's a nice enough story, but it wanders all over the place ... just like Henry. A total waste of time!!
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- Dawn
- 09-27-12
Disappointing
The story had and interesting start, but went downhill from there. I didn't feel as though I knew the characters. Perhaps the author was trying to make us feel Henry's detachment from other people, but I felt detached from the characters as well. The social changes that occurred through Henry's life were interesting. I had not been aware of "practice babies." I enjoyed the references to changes in expectations of women.
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Overall
- Cora Judd
- 04-26-10
....tiresome....
The premise of The Irresistible Henry House is a good one; an orphaned infant is raised in a "Practice House" of a college Home Ec. program in the 40's. Unfortunately, my anticipation for a good yarn was extinguished after hours of the story meandering forward in time, with Henry House crossing paths with the cultural touchstones of the 40's, 50's and 60's. It was like Forrest Gump but without the whimsy and poignancy.
A goal of the story is to show how dispassionately Henry involves himself with the women in his life, indifferent to how destructive his detachment is. But Henry doesn't treat his conquests half as harshly as the author handles his main female characters. They are, for the most part, unattractive, distasteful, friendless women whose sin of aging is regularly pointed out.
The dialogue is not as revealing as it could be and if I was reading the text, I think I would have scanned the quotes to save time.
I would only recommend this if, for some reason, you specifically want a story with an obvious conclusion and that won't make many demands on your imagination. To be a bit misogynistic will help as well.
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37 people found this helpful