The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

A Novel

By: Josie Silver

Narrated by: Olivia Vinall

Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Two lives. Two loves. One impossible choice. From the number one New York Times best-selling author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick One Day in December...

“I read The Two Lives of Lydia Bird in a single sitting. What a beautiful, emotional gift Josie Silver has given us.” (Jodi Picoult)

Written with Josie Silver’s trademark warmth and wit, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a powerful and thrilling love story about the what-ifs that arise at life’s crossroads, and what happens when one woman is given a miraculous chance to answer them.

Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’d been together for more than a decade and Lydia thought their love was indestructible. But she was wrong. On Lydia’s 28th birthday, Freddie died in a car accident.

So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants is to hide indoors and sob until her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live fully, happily, even without him. So, enlisting the help of his best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world, open to life - and perhaps even love - again.

But then something inexplicable happens that gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few months have happened.

Lydia is pulled again and again through the doorway to her past, living two lives, impossibly, at once. But there’s an emotional toll to returning to a world where Freddie, alive, still owns her heart. Because there’s someone in her new life, her real life, who wants her to stay.

©2019 Josie Silver (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"At its core, this is a story of love lost and individual growth. But it is also about love found and future happiness. While this is in many ways the complete opposite of Linda Holmes' Evvie Drake Starts Over, fans of that book will enjoy it." (Kirkus Reviews)

“Through lush prose, expert plotting, and richly imagined characters, Silver offers an achingly real portrait of grief transposed with the character’s intoxicating parallel universe. This will stay with readers long after the final page is turned.” (Publishers Weekly)

"I read The Two Lives of Lydia Bird in a single sitting - crying, laughing, and rooting for the heroine, who reminds us that the people we love,and the people we lose,change us, and that who we are at the beginning of our story is never who we are at the end of it. What a beautiful, emotional gift Josie Silver has given us." (Jodi Picoult, New York Times best-selling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light)

Heartbreakingly beautiful

This book broke my heart and made it feel whole at the same time. The pain of grief and how Lydia works through it made me feel so close to her character. It skipped all the cliches of many love stories and felt so real. Somehow made the mention of alternate reality sound believable? I loved this book.

Warming and cathartic

This was a good read. I previously read and loved One Day in December, and knew I was bound to love this one too. This was a difficult story to read as it was such a beautiful and painful story. My throat was tight and my eyes pricked with tears for the majority of the first two-thirds of the story. Honestly I had to put it down a few times because pain within my own life made the pain in the story so much stronger. But it’s quite cathartic going through Lydia’s suffering and rediscovery, her recovery and her healing on her path forward. I don’t even think we needed the last few chapters for good closure, but they were an added happy bonus. It’s a beautiful reminder that when we choose to move forward and to keep pushing through, we will emerge stronger on the other side. Highly recommend this book to all, although I know I’m going to be reading a HEA romance story next to offset all the crying from this great book.

Beautiful narration or an amazing story

I originally picked this book up expecting a sappy love story but it unfolded into so much more. Watching Lydia go through so many different stages of grief was heart wrenching, raw, and beautiful. I felt like I was sitting the her living room with her, experiencing a side of her life only she knew. Watching her slowly find pieces of herself she never knew were there was so inspiring and tender.

The narrator, she was absolutely amazing and one of my favorites I’ve ever listened to!

Did not disappoint

I loved Josie Silver’s first novel and I loved this one also. This book will stay in my library so I can come back to it through the years

Love Her Books So Very Muchhhh!!!

Adored this idea of traveling between 2 separate worlds/lives to ultimately manage or better handle her grief. Great story and lovely narration...which can totally make or break the book. The descriptive way that the author writes had be pausing to jot things down to go back & reference because the way that she does that is so brilliant & fun...it’s magic, really.

The book discussion in the end was also nice. Generally when I hear the author’s actual voice after thinking of the author as the narrator, it ruins it for me...I just hate that I’ve heard it. Not this time though. I’m pleased to say that her voice was exactly perfect and it completed the whole picture for me. Love knowing that the author now travels from her house through her garden to start her day of writing. So hooked! Can’t wait for her next book!

Bittersweet journey... Happy ending.

I love how Josie Silver tells a story, bringing the reader alongside the lives of her characters and inviting you to be part of their intimate circle as they experience the joys and heartbreaks of life. Lydia’s journey is one of heartbreak and healing, but more important is her final acceptance of the woman she’s become through her loss.

Too long and depressing

While the author is a great writer and she captured grief, Lydia was a selfish person living in her grief for what felt like FOREVER! I know everyone grieves differently but Lydia took it to the next level not going to work for months, leaving her family to take a vacation for months. Jonah was too good for her and her love story with Freddie was boring and trite. I only finished it because I listened to it, if I had read it I would have stopped half way thru.

Interesting concept

I enjoyed the last 1/4 of the book the most because I felt the story moved very slow at times. It was hard to hang with it at times but glad that I did for the ending.

FANTASTIC STORY

From beginning to end this story has heart. One of the most compelling stories and marvelous characters. Absolutely loved Jonah. I need to find those little yellow pills!!!

Wonderful love story

I’m not usually a romance reader but this story captured my heart quickly
Highly recommend