Nell

A Novel

By: Nancy Thayer

Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman

Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Now available for the first time in audio, this beloved novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer tells the uplifting story of a single mom seeking independence and struggling to find her way.

Nell St. John is not living the life she imagined for herself - not by a long shot. She was once a glamorous young actress married to influential director, Marlow St. John. Together, the A-list couple was the toast of the town. But then Marlow’s star fades and tensions at home skyrocket. Marlow takes up with another woman and abandons Nell, leaving her to pay the bills and raise their two boisterous young children. A string of attractive suitors is not the answer to her lack of fulfillment, but what is?

When she’s offered a job at a posh clothing boutique on Nantucket, Nell uproots her young family and moves to the island. Soon, her college age ex-stepdaughter Clary, who has her own romantic troubles, moves in with her, and Clary and Nell fall in love with island life and its gentler pace. Nell also captures the attention of an eccentric man about town. And in that carefree, romantic summer of tender passion, she looks within and discovers much more than she ever dreamed possible.

Praise for the novels of Nancy Thayer

“The queen of beach books.”—The Star-Ledger

“Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide.”—Elin Hilderbrand

“Thayer’s gift for reaching the emotional core of her characters [is] captivating.”—Houston Chronicle

“One of my favorite writers.”—Susan Wiggs

“Thayer portrays beautifully the small moments, inside stories and shared histories that build families.”—The Miami Herald

“Thayer’s sense of place is powerful, and her words are hung together the way my grandmother used to tat lace.”—Dorothea Benton Frank

©1985 Nancy Thayer (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Ending makes no sense

You listen for 10 hours about kids, lovers and to much detail on animals throwing up to get to the end to find that she did not find love in the story but dedicates the book to her husband. I can understand the may not be the authors life but just strange ending. Not a favorite I would recommend any waste a credit purchasing this book.

Is this supposed to be funny?

I don’t know if this is supposed to be a funny novel or not, but it cracked me up. The narrator is awesome and the story of the eighties from an adult viewpoint a real trip.

Narrator

It drove me crazy that the narrator pronounced the word Boutique as BO tique rather than the correct pronunciation of BOO tique through the entire book. The main character works in a boutique so the word is used over and over again.

Times have changed!

I remember this novel, which originally came out in 1985, and decided to see if the book held up now. It’s interesting and fairly well written, but the heroine’s nattering over inappropriate romantic partners and sloppiness with her children’s safety make the book sound like she is headed for a huge crash. Dissonant today.

Not my favourite novel.

The story is very slow almost felt like a one woman theatre performance. No from me. I love the author enjoy most of her books.

Can’t believe Ms. Thayer wrote this horrible book.

This book was revolting and should come with a warning label. When I choose a Nancy Thayer book, I don’t expect to read about breaking rats’ necks and gassing them in the oven. I stopped listening it was so disgusting.