East

By: Edith Pattou

Narrated by: Lee Adams, Robertson Dean, Kirby Heyborne, John H. Mayer, Renée Raudman

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rose is the youngest of seven children, meant to replace her dead sister. Maybe because of that, she’s never really fit in. She’s always felt different, out of place, a restless wanderer in a family of homebodies. So when an enormous white bear mysteriously shows up and asks her to come away with him - in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family - she readily agrees.

Rose travels on the bear’s broad back to a distant and empty castle, where she is nightly joined by a mysterious stranger. In discovering his identity, she loses her heart - and finds her purpose - and realizes her journey has just begun.

As familiar and moving as Beauty and the Beast, yet as fresh and original as only the best fantasy can be, East is a bold retelling of the classic tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon”, a sweeping story of grand proportions.

©2005 Edith Pattou (P)2012 Listening Library

Frmom an East of the Sun, West of the Moon Fan

If you could sum up East in three words, what would they be?

A fun twist

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Troll Queen - everybody loves a good villain and boy she was one. Her narrator was also fantastic.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

About five characters narrate the story and each has its own voice actor. The cast was very good.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

How far would you go to right a wrong? How far would you go, for love?

Any additional comments?

I loved the "original" story of East of the Sun, West of the Moon when I was a little girl. Although the author kept the spirit and skeleton of the story, she gave the tale her own unique spin. I'm an adult and I rarely read books written for teenagers, but this one held my interest. The author did a great job giving each character their own voice and personality. It was enjoyable seeing the story from different points of view. I was a bit surprised by some of the choices the writer made, but it's fun to read a book that isn't predictable. I would recommend this title to fans of the original and to people who love stories with a fairy tale feel.

5 people found this helpful

One of my favorites =]

What made the experience of listening to East the most enjoyable?

I read this book as a teenager and loved it. I am a big fan of fairy tale retellings and wasn't as familiar with this one. I have listened to this book multiple times. When I find a good book, audio or print, it becomes almost like a friend. This book provides wonderful company. The multiple narrators do great job, although the troll queen seemed a little bit much.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character, Rose, is very likable and I enjoy her character's bravery and spirit. But I also love the father. His love for his daughter has always seemed so sweet to me.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Multiple voices help bring alive the difference accounts.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not extreme...it just made me smile.

Any additional comments?

If you are a fairy tale person, than this book is for you.

1 person found this helpful

Beauty and the Beast type story

It was a little slow in the beginning, but I ended up really loving it.

A lovely fairy tale

I admit that I am not terribly familiar with the tale that this was based on - East of the Sun and West of the Moon. All I knew at the start was that there would be a white bear who was under some sort of enchantment and a girl who goes with him to a magical home. Needless to say, I was rather surprised to discover that this only described part of the full story. While I can't say how close to the source material this retelling is, I did find this to be an incredible and lovely fairy tale on its own.

The main character, Rose, was a wonderful heroine as she was brave and resilient. When situations seemed impossible or hopeless, she always found a way to persevere. Her friendship with the white bear and how she came to care for him was so sweet. I also enjoyed reading about her early experiences with her family - the circumstances surrounding her birth, her mother's superstitions, the way her father cared for her, and her closeness with her brother. That really helped to develop Rose's character and provided a fascinating look into her life prior to leaving with the white bear.

I somewhat expected this to take place in a fantasy world, but instead this was a blend of real-world history with hidden magical realms and it ended up working so much better than I would have anticipated. In the author's note, she commented about the research she did for this story and it shows. While I may not be knowledgeable in sailing, sewing, or some of the cultures featured (Norwegian, Inuit), everything presented here seemed realistic and natural.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the various narrators. Each chapter was told in the POV of a different character. I was quite impressed with how the author gave each one a unique voice and perspective. I also commend the narrators of the audiobook that I listened to because they did a fantastic job as well.

Not only were the chapters often short, but the text was so well written that I found myself devouring page and page, never wanting to stop. Occasionally, some of the text got bogged down with unnecessary details - particularly passages regarding Rose's routine at the castle or her voyage in the knorr. In my opinion, the third part of the story dragged the most as it focused primarily on Rose traveling and the hardships she endured along the way.

Outside of that, there were two other aspects that I wish had been stronger. First, the romance was extremely subtle. I appreciated the slow development of the friendship and I completely bought the concept that these two characters cared deeply for each other. But love? Eh… not so much. I also thought the conflict was resolved too easily (and even seemed a bit far-fetched.) I mean, it did align with how a traditional fairy tale might end, but I guess I was hoping for something a bit more spectacular given the long journey that it took to reach the end.

Despite these issues, I maintain that this was still a beautiful story and a new favorite of mine. I would definitely recommend this to fans of fairy tales - whether traditional or retellings.

A story that feels like coming home.

I first read this book as a teenager. I had fallen in love with it but forgot about it as I grew older. When I saw the title again on Audible I wanted to see if it was still as good a book as I remembered. It was even better! The story pulls you in almost without you fully realizing it. Rather than being confusing, the constant shift from one character's perspective to another's immerses you in the story from every angle. Whether it's Neddy's worrying, the White Bear's sadness, or Rose's boundless wanderlust, you feel and travel alongside each of them. And oh boy, do you travel. I highly recommend this book for any like me who has a strong sense of armchair wanderlust.

very enjoyable!

slow to start but very enjoyable!
MC recorded voice hard to listen to at first. grew on me though.
well written!!

Perfect, loved every second.

the different voices really made the story come alive, i couldn't stop listening. i loved it

Love this book!

I have loved this book since middle school and was delighted to find it on Audible! Excellent performance of one of my favorite and most under-appreciated books!

A wonderful fairytale adventure

I loved this book. The story is entertaining and continues to twist a tale of magic and love.

amazing perfect

I constantly felt like the Troll Queen was evil through out the whole story. Even though she never did seam to be evil. In the end when she did reveal her evilness by killing Tuki, and ending up with her marvelous ice castle turned into rubbish. It was simply amazing. I could feel everything all the characters were going through. Especially when Rose was locked up in the castle. How the White Bear and Rose came together in the end was simply magical. I always do love a magical happy ending. The reason I rated performance 4 stars, was because performance was good, but it kept of sporting out in some spots. I might of been because of my airpods. But everything about this book is absolutely incredible. I think everyone should read this book, well if they love romance, thrill, excitement, fairy tales, and adventure. I can't say how much I love this book!!!