Faithful

A Novel

By: Alice Hoffman

Narrated by: Amber Tamblyn

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Marriage of Opposites and The Dovekeepers comes a soul-searching story about a young woman struggling to redefine herself and the power of love, family, and fate.

Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend's future is destroyed in an accident while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt.

What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor filled with emotion, from dark suffering to true happiness - a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls - including an angel who's been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.

Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who's ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a road map.

Alice Hoffman's "trademark alchemy" (USA Today) and her ability to write about the "delicate balance between the everyday world and the extraordinary" (WBUR) make this an unforgettable story. With beautifully crafted prose, Alice Hoffman spins hope from heartbreak in this profoundly moving novel.

©2016 Alice Hoffman (P)2016 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Amber Tamblyn's crisp, emphatic narration draws the listener into Hoffman's latest novel.... Tamblyn fully conveys Shelby's growth from listless despair to harsh edginess to aching hope. Her voice cracks with longing, sadness, bitterness, and resignation, then lifts as Shelby heals. Her narration distinguishes characters with variations of tone and pitch as well as subtle accents, creating a satisfying listening experience that Hoffman fans will relish." ( AudioFile)

So Deep Yet Entertaining

Alice Hoffman's Faithful was a deeply powerful yet entertaining novel. I love her writing style.

Not a fan of this story.

I normally like Alice’s books. I didn’t care for this one. I had no sympathy for the lead. I don’t think she was a nice person. The performance was good.

What was this about?

I can’t figure out what the point of this book was. Is this a YA novel? Is this an ill thought out novel with minimal character development?
I have read several of Alice Hoffman’s books and generally liked them. This was a disappointment. I kept waiting for something to happen or a point to be made. But the story just rambles on... not really recommended.

Wonderful

Great heartfelt story. I didn't want it to end. I think everyone can relate in some way to the main character.

Profoundly moving

Any additional comments?

There's a heavy, aching loneliness that permeates this entire book. Parts of it had me blubbering to myself in"ugly cry," where your face gets all scrunched up. Nice, huh? I was shocked at how deeply I grew to care about Shelby, the main character. She is a very complex, realistically drawn character. Her story of loss, survivor's guilt, and redemption touched me profoundly.

P.S. There are also several parts about rescue dogs in this book. If you love dogs as much as me, you'll enjoy that a lot.

The only is you won't want to stop listening

It took me 3 days to read this wonderful story. You grieve for Shelby root for he on her path for redemption-- From death to love. Alice Hoffman's book has themes of mother / daughter love, finding one's self or identity and what is alive. Enjoy.

Heartbreaking

This story is heartbreaking. No doubt it will sink in and settle and find no its place inside me, but life shouldn't be this hard...for anyone.

The Best Hoffman!

This is my very favorite Alice Hoffman book so far. The story was heartbreakingly wonderful. It made me believe in angels. We all have one. Amber Tamblyns narration was wonderful. I want to listen all over again. Thank you for such a beautiful message.

Loved it. Beautiful. Essential Alice Hoffman.

The only reason I gave it4 stars is because I've been reading her for decades and. there are so many great ones.

One of her best

Would you consider the audio edition of Faithful to be better than the print version?

Well, obviously I didn't read the print version, but I did not feel I missed anything by listening to it. It is a book which adapts well to being read aloud.

What other book might you compare Faithful to and why?

It actually reminded me of Illumination Night, one of her earlier (maybe even first?) novel. The dark as well as warm and interesting side of suburbia.

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

She is a very competent reader and doesn't get in the way of the story - which is largely what I want in a reader, assuming many voices and accents aren't called for.

If you could rename Faithful, what would you call it?

Actually, almost anything else. Faithful is sort of an awful title.

Any additional comments?

She is a superb story teller and she is at her best with this kind of story. It is interesting to watch this character grow in a way that is original and interesting.