The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster

By: Scott Wilbanks

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

The physics-bending charm of The Time Traveler's Wife meets the curious mischief of The Eyre Affair in this debut novel.

Annabelle Aster doesn't bow to convention - not even that of space and time - which makes the 1890s Kansas wheat field that has appeared in her modern-day San Francisco garden easy to accept. Even more exciting is Elsbeth, the truculent schoolmarm who sends Annie letters through the mysterious brass mailbox perched on the picket fence that now divides their two worlds. In this unconventional and enchanting tale, Annie and her new neighbor must solve the mystery of what connects them before one of them is convicted of a murder that has yet to happen - and somehow already did.

©2015 Scott Wilbanks (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

the very most entertaining book I read in years

a very complicated plot but very easy to follow a very wonderful set of characters so easy to love a very great mystery set forth and solved with mastery and with merth!

Quite enjoyable

I very much enjoyed this novel.... I thought it was very well done for a debut author. Looking forward to more of his books.

Super Cute

I really like this book and think the narrator does a fantastic job. I listen to this at bedtime a lot because of her voice and the easy story line. It's a cool story but rather light. It just feels like it's missing something, or maybe was trying to do too much.. either way it's a cool time travel story with a good reason for the leap back, a mystical time machine, a solid plot and great narrator.

Whisked to another world

This was my first Audible novel and it took a few chapters to get used to listening rather than reading but soon I was immersed into the author's imagination. The characters so well drawn (and read) that they were very clear in my mind. I wanted more while at the same time wanted to know how it ended. And then I was disappointed the book had actually ended. A very good read.

Nice story

This was a gentle happy read that kept my interest throughout. The reader was enjoyable.

Narrator needs a hug.

I can't really grade the story, since I had to stop due to the narrators preformance. She sounds oddly frail, rushing sentences with a small vibration in her voice. It sounds as if she's trying to not have a panic attack and is almost crying.
As someone who's struggling with depression it's affecting me too much to continue listening, maybe in a couple of years I can give it another go.

Very sweet story

I enjoyed the book and the narration. I think you will enjoy this book. Some of the details you can see coming there’s no great surprise. But it is a very nice story with very lovable characters.

Magical Story, Beautiful Narration

The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster is so wonderfully crafted that I didn't want it to end. Each character, even minor ones, are incredibly fleshed out, but one character really came to life for me over all others. Elspeth Grundy is perhaps the best written and most entertaining character I have encountered since I first met Augustus 'Gus' McCrae in Lonesome Dove.

There is nothing worse for a listener than finding such a well written book that has been voiced by a mediocre narrator. Luckily, that is not the case here. Tavia Gilbert had never failed to draw me into a book. This time her performance dragged me so deeply into the story that it was dangerous to listen while I was driving.

A lovely story - 4,5 stars all around

I read a lot of negative reviews before I downloaded the book, and so wasn’t expect anything but a filler, something to have on in the background while I worked on other things. The prose and the wording and the dialogue which many called either quaint or trite, did in my mind fit perfectly with the story and it’s characters and was neither trite or quaint in this context.
It is written with a really good understanding of the English language, a skill that seems to be somewhat disregarded these days, and which my sound a bit snobbish taken out of context. But here it all fits and the author grabs my congratulations.

I enjoyed the plot, the twists, the MC and all her friends and family though the ages.
It was a slow but pleasant burn of a story that warmed as I listened to it.

Can absolutely recommend.

The narrator was fine.

Don't be put off from the negative comments about the narrator. Although this book took place in the U.S. it was obviously written by a British author: the characters took tea at 4 in the afternoon and cookies were called biscuits etc. The narrator speaks quickly in a light tone like you might hear in a BBC movie etc. once you got used to the cadence the narrators voice fits with the quirkiness of the book.

The story and characters are delightful as the book takes many twists and turns because of the time travel. The only complaint I have is that there are lots of riddles in the book that the answers to are somewhat obscure but its a fun book to listen to.