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Here on Earth  By  cover art

Here on Earth

By: Alice Hoffman
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
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Publisher's summary

March Murray, along with her 15-year-old daughter, Gwen, returns to the small Massachusetts town where she grew up to attend the funeral of Judith Dale, the beloved housekeeper who raised her. After nearly 20 years of living in California, March is thrust into the world of her past. She finds that Mrs. Dale knew more of life than March could have ever suspected; that her brother Alan, whose tragic history has left him grief-stricken, has turned to alcohol as his only solace; and that Hollis, the boy she once loved, is the man she can't seem to stay away from.

Here on Earth is the dramatic and lyrical account of the joys of love, as well as the destruction that love can release. Erotic, disturbing, and compelling, this is without a doubt Alice Hoffman's most unforgettable novel.

©1999 Alice Hoffman (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Here on Earth

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The magical realm of Alice Hoffman

The only problem with an Alice Hoffman book is what to do when it's over, so engrossing is the ambiance she creates. Here on Earth, loosely based on Wuthering Heights, scoops you up and doesn't let you gently down until the very last page. I read this book in 1997 when it first came out. So powerful was it, that lost I became within its pages, with three young kids and a husband who all puzzled where the heck I'd gone. It also contributed to finally leaving my husband, who was not as abusive as Hollis, but with a similar history which had permanently damaged him beyond repair. It made me reckon with the fact that there are those you cannot love into happiness, more likely they'll pull you down into the place they, on some level, fear to ever leave. Alice Hoffman's writing is such extraordinary prose, that I always read the book at night as I listen to it in the day. Here on Earth is a wonderful audible experience, sweeping you into another world, surrounding you with magic and the fascinating complexities of human relationships. I highly recommend it.

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17 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Authentic well written and engaging

Authentic characters with depth and a story that reveals the fatal attractions that people experience. The added dimensions of connections with animals enrich the read. Makes one question why good is apparently so boring and bad so appealing. The patterns within patterns and repeated patterns speak to the inevitability of the human condition

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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"Oprah Book Club® Selection, April 1998"

"Oprah Book Club® Selection, April 1998"
I was pleased with this story; would recommend. Narrator did a fine job.

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2 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Is this even Alice Hoffman?!??

Terrible story, thin plot lines and flat, predictable characters—with no redemption! And left so many unanswered questions. So dissatisfied after living so many of her books. WWOT? (What was Oprah thinking?!?!)

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Unanswered questions

Enjoyed the story but left so many unanswered questions.What was the love story between Judge and Judith?Where did March go?Did Richard take her back?What happened to Gwen?

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Perfection

WOW...just unbelievable !! I felt I was there. The reader was exceptional. Absolutely fulfilling from start to finish. One of the best listens I've heard in a long time

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WOW, great story

I was amazed at the emotions I felt for each character as the story enfolded. It is a great book

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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too depressing for my taste

I felt like I was forcing myself to listen. between the dry reading and the storyline that dragged, it did not grab my attention and never picked up. The meat and potatoes were at the end of the book and the outcome was overall too sad.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Not my fave

Interesting story and a little sad how being selfish matters. While very nostalgic- I didn’t like the characters at all.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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Trigger warning needed w/no happy ending

I have previously enjoyed Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series, and because of this attempted to try another one of her works. This book spent its entire narrative romanticizing abuse, then did not offer a conclusion or any kind of wrapping up to the story, and instead gave a very rushed and lazy ending. I’ll never get the time back that was spent listening to this

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