The End We Start From

By: Megan Hunter

Narrated by: Louise Brealey

Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

As London is submerged below flood waters, a woman gives birth to her first child, Z. Days later, she and her baby are forced to leave their home in search of safety. They head north through a newly dangerous country seeking refuge from place to place, shelter to shelter, to a desolate island and back again. The story traces fear and wonder, as the baby's small fists grasp at the first colors he sees, as he grows and stretches, thriving and content against all the odds.

Written with poise and poeticism, The End We Start From is an indelible and elemental first book - a lyrical vision of the strangeness and beauty of new motherhood, and a portentous tale of endurance in the face of ungovernable change.

©2017 Megan Hunter (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Came for Jodie Comer, Stayed for the Story

As my title states, I’m a massive Jodie Comer fan and heard she would star in the film adaptation. I downloaded the audio book while waiting on my physical copy to arrive. Prior to this, my only other audible listen (at the time) was a story narrated by Jodie herself… I always considered myself an analog kinda gal.

Anyway, I didn’t quite know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. The narrator did a fantastic job. It was easy to follow along and her voice was really soothing. The story itself is a quick listen. It’s poetic, in a sense, and descriptive but doesn’t give more detail than necessary and I honestly love the use of a single letter instead of names.

I’m not a mother, but I have friends that are and from what I can tell, she beautifully puts into words a shared sentiment among mothers and a terrifying glimpse of what it’d be like to face dangerous elements.

Strong Female Bonds and Survival Instincts. Woman's The Man.

I was gripped by the vast symbolisms and strong female bonds and survival instincts. Immersive narration. Vivid, raw - completely unembellished take on our roles toward each other and toward the environment and when it takes sharp turns and challenges our very existence and the ones we live for. The complex navigation and mirrors this story held up in high waters is honestly genius. Woman's The Man.

Slow read

It was a cute and short story but it was kind of boring for me

Yes!

Beautiful and quick read about the end and beginning of life. Highly recommend this book.

an intriguing and literary story

the writing was superb and the story kept me going. the end made me think. overall great experience

Simple story beautifully told

This book is very lyrical. I listened to it straight through twice. It is beautifully written and performed.

A Must Read for Any Parent in 2017

I loved the poetic nature of this story- I found myself feeling the feelings and wondering how I would feel in the same situation. Beautifully written!

I'm so glad I read this

The format of the story, with all of it basically focused on the baby, was just riveting. It seemed as if it was all told through his eyes, as well as hers. The words. The narration.

Give this one a read if you're looking for cli-fi that's off the beaten path and that's so well written it will make you gasp.

Just too weird

I was pretty disappointed. I did not like that characters were only named by their first initial. I did not like the way R couldn’t step up and be a husband and father when he was needed, leaving his wife and baby to fend for themselves. I didn’t like the references to Bible passages, taken so out of context and used seemingly randomly at times. I love disaster stories and disruption refugee stories but this one was just too weird for me. The narrator was descent though.

Not For Me: Flat and Monotone

Extremely melancholic narrator, as though death is imminent every second of the book. I found this overly-poetic book too clipped and abbreviated to find engaging. There was no emotion in the writing nor narration.