No Two Persons

A Novel

By: Erica Bauermeister

Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik, Braden Wright, Carol Jacobanis, Cassandra Campbell, Gabra Zackman, George Newbern, Jesse Vilinsky, Max Meyers, Rachel L. Jacobs, Stephen Graybill

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2024 Audie Award for Multi-voiced Performance!

This program includes a bonus conversation between the author and narrator.

"The production's 10 outstanding real-life narrators portray the fictional audiobook's author and its nine narrators. Each of the talented real-life narrators brings their character vividly to life."- AudioFile

One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister’s No Two Persons is “a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives.”*

That was the beauty of books, wasn’t it? They took you places you didn’t know you needed to go…

Alice has always wanted to be a writer. Her talent is innate, but her stories remain safe and detached, until a devastating event breaks her heart open, and she creates a stunning debut novel. Her words, in turn, find their way to readers, from a teenager hiding her homelessness, to a free diver pushing himself beyond endurance, an artist furious at the world around her, a bookseller in search of love, a widower rent by grief. Each one is drawn into Alice’s novel; each one discovers something different that alters their perspective, and presents new pathways forward for their lives.

Together, their stories reveal how books can affect us in the most beautiful and unexpected of ways—and how we are all more closely connected to one another than we might think.

“With its beautiful parts that add up to a brilliant whole, No Two Persons made my reader’s heart sing.”—*Nina de Gramont, New York Times bestselling author of The Christie Affair

This program is read by a full cast:

Rachel Jacobs as The Writer
Barrie Kreinik as The Assistant
Braden Wright as The Actor
Jesse Vilinsky as The Artist
Max Meyers as The Diver
Gabra Zackman as The Teenager
Stephen Graybill as The Bookseller
George Newbern as The Caretaker
Cassandra Campbell as The Coordinator
Carol Jacobanis as The Agent

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2022 Erica Bauermeister (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"I loved this delightful gem of a novel: a deeply satisfying, unique reading experience. If you’re passionate about reading I know you’ll be passionate about this book."—Liane Moriarty, New York Times bestselling author

"In her lyrical, haunting new novel, No Two Persons, Erica Bauermeister shares the unexpected, exquisite ways in which one special book transforms its readers' lives. As the novel-within-the-novel passes through the hands of a vast array of people—ranging from an actor to a swimmer to a homeless student, among others—it acts as a guide for the lost, serving in different manners for different readers. A wondrous ode to the power of fiction, No Two Persons will linger with its readers in much the same way its fictional novel remained with its characters."—Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author

"Rendered in precise and distilled prose, No Two Persons beautifully explores the connections that save us, the traumas that shape us, and the power of words and story to heal us. With spot-on descriptions and a keen understanding of human vulnerability, Erica Bauermeister has written a book filled with power and grace that will utterly transform its reader. A large-hearted, wise, and magnificent novel."—Marjan Kamali, author of The Stationery Shop and Together Tea

A bit jarring in the transition from one story to the next

Wish they would have paused and let the end of one story sink in before beginning another with another narrator. Same for the interview at the end. All in all, excellent writing. Could have enjoyed tying in the characters more—some of them did tie in. My favorite stories were the Writer and the Actor and the Co-ordination.

fun and interesting read

I love that every part was its own story, and some how tied back to each other. Easy, fun, good read

Love the book!!

This book is out of my normal scope. The author had me in the 1st chapter and kept me!!

The interconnections of each story.

This book is both a collection of short stories and a novel, depending on the perspective you take, which is ironically the exact point of the book.

Captivating!

NYT bestselling author Erica Bauermeister returns following The Scent Keeper with her latest, NO TWO PERSONS—a beautifully written collection of stories exploring how books can impact us in unexpected ways.

One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives.
A testament to the power of literature and stories.

Alice Wein is a reclusive author whose older brother, Peter, a once-promising swimmer, dies from an overdose. Afterward, she creates an emotional, personal debut novel titled Theo with a main character inspired by her brother.

Over the next ten years, Theo is plucked from an agent's slush pile by a new mother and is later recorded as an audiobook by an actor whose career was hindered by a disease that causes skin discoloration.

The stories, which feature lives derailed by circumstance, become more engaging as they focus on Theo's readers. The inspiring words find their way to readers, from a teenager hiding her homelessness to a free diver pushing himself beyond endurance, an artist furious at the world around her, a bookseller searching for love, and a widower wracked by grief.

A book within a book, each character is drawn into Alice's novel—discovering unique perspectives to help them on their journey.

Told from the POVs of 10 people: Alice, her publisher, a bookseller who forms a relationship with Alice, and the book's readers, touched in unique ways. Each reader connects with something different in Theo's story.

My favorite was "The Agent," The woman instrumental in the success, the story, Alice's agent. The last tale captures the end of her own life's journey and career.

NO TWO PERSONS is storytelling at its finest! Lyrical, fully immersive, charming, moving, and thought-provoking! Character-driven— a love letter to the redemptive power of stories.

I thoroughly enjoyed the captivating audiobook (Macmillan Audio), narrated by an entire cast and some of my favorite narrators. I listened to the audio in one sitting—mesmerized. Engaging and absorbing, I highly recommend the audiobook! My favorite narrators: Rachel, Barrie, George, Cassandra, and Carol.

Narrators and Stories:
Rachel Jacobs as The Writer
Barrie Kreinik as The Assistant
Braden Wright as The Actor
Jesse Vilinsky as The Artist
Max Meyers as The Diver
Gabra Zackman as The Teenager
Stephen Graybill as The Bookseller
George Newbern as The Caretaker
Cassandra Campbell as The Coordinator
Carol Jacobanis as The Agent

For fans of authors Elizabeth Berg, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Sarah Addison Allen, and Patti Callahan Henry.

#JDCMustReadBooks

Perfectly captures the potential of a good book.

A good book coveys truth and as a result beauty. What I enjoy in a book is how it speaks to each individual. This story perfectly captures how a good book connects seamlessly to different people. Each person bringing themselves to the story and thus being enriched by what they read. This is a book for those who read not to escape but read to live. It is well written and accessible to all readers. It is why I love to read. Thank you.

Beautiful journey!

I didn’t know what to expect with this one. The rave reviews got my attention so I dived in. This storyline is so beautiful! I loved the Diver story! I’m happy we get to hear Theos story as well!

Wow! Just wow!

I love Erica Bauermeister's writing. The way she puts words together leads my mind into a calm place. This book goes beyond the beautiful words to a wonderfully creative story. This is one of the best, most creative books I've ever read and the the audible version with different readers for each chapter was genius, in my opinion. I am going to buy the actual book to reread and to underline some amazing lines/thoughts that rushed past too fast in the audible version. Highly recommend!

Started slowly

I had a bit of a hard time in the beginning, but I stuck with it because it was so highly recommended. And I am so glad I did. What a beauty.

I wanted to love it

this is a collection of short stories about a different person in each one, and they are all connected thru the book THEO.
I kept waiting for something to happen to bring them all together. I feel like I was left hanging.