Akin

By: Emma Donoghue

Narrated by: Jason Culp

This "soul stirring" novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Room (O Magazine) is one of the New York Post's best books of the year.
Noah Selvaggio is a retired chemistry professor and widower living on the Upper West Side, but born in the South of France. He is days away from his first visit back to Nice since he was a child, bringing with him a handful of puzzling photos he's discovered from his mother's wartime years. But he receives a call from social services: Noah is the closest available relative of an eleven-year-old great-nephew he's never met, who urgently needs someone to look after him. Out of a feeling of obligation, Noah agrees to take Michael along on his trip.
Much has changed in this famously charming seaside mecca, still haunted by memories of the Nazi occupation. The unlikely duo, suffering from jet lag and culture shock, bicker about everything from steak frites to screen time. But Noah gradually comes to appreciate the boy's truculent wit, and Michael's ease with tech and sharp eye help Noah unearth troubling details about their family's past. Both come to grasp the risks people in all eras have run for their loved ones, and find they are more akin than they knew.
Written with all the tenderness and psychological intensity that made Room an international bestseller, Akin is a funny, heart-wrenching tale of an old man and a boy, born two generations apart, who unpick their painful story and start to write a new one together.
"What begins as a larky story of unlikely male bonding turns into an off-center but far richer novel about the unheralded, imperfect heroism of two women." -- New York Times

Critic reviews

One of Audiofile's Best Audiobooks of the Year

"We are never too old, Donoghue reminds us, to emerge from our childish dusks. What begins as a larky story of unlikely male bonding turns into an off-center but far richer novel about the unheralded, imperfect heroism of two women -- Michael's incarcerated mother and Noah's long deceased one -- and the way we preserve the past and prepare for the future."—New York Times

"Soul stirring."—O Magazine

"A subtle, entertaining portrait of the relationship--and friction--between age and youth."—The Economist

"Continuously charming."—Washington Post Book World

Great grandpa takes on a challenge

How the old man handled he boy is wonderful on a trip to Nice. Learned more about WWII.

What a great story!

I really liked this book. Wonderful story and great for a Book Club discussion.

Endearing contrast of 2 ages, in rich south of france context.

I loved learning how the citizens of niece survived the Nazi occupation. I loved seeing how a privileged NYU professor retiree could resonate with the challenged background of his grand nephew. I was delighted to enjoy the learning about a different city in different culture with the two of them in Nice 

Good story - Well-written, expertly read

Jason Culp does a masterful job bringing Emma Donoghue’s story to life by playing both an 11-year old tough-as-nails boy and his 79-year old great uncle, a retired chemistry professor. Donoghue weaves a fetching tale and takes the listener on a virtual tour of Nice, in present day and in the 1940s.

Past, present and future

An enchanting story of generations. Historical features entwined with a not uncommon social trend. Older generation left to care for younger generation. Different generational language, but each able able to retain their own yet communicate with each other. Both are men on the timeline, one is further along.