The End of Miracles

By: Monica Starkman

Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's Summary

The End of Miracles is a twisting, haunting story about the drastic consequences of a frustrated obsession. A woman with a complex past wants nothing more than to become a mother, but struggles with infertility and miscarriage. She is temporarily comforted by a wish-fulfilling false pregnancy, but when reality inevitably dashes that fantasy, she falls into a depression so deep she must be hospitalized. The sometimes-turbulent environment of the psychiatry unit rattles her and makes her fear for her sanity, and she flees. Outside, she impulsively commits a startling act with harrowing consequences for herself and others.

This emotionally gripping novel is a suspenseful journey across the blurred boundaries between sanity and madness, depression and healing.

International Book Awards 2016 Finalist for Literary Fiction

Recommended by American Library Association

©2016 Monica Starkman (P)2017 Monica Starkman

Better than expected

Starkman has penned a debut novel that hits home with any female who struggles to become a mother. Something so “natural” that when denied, our center is knocked off balance and we swim upstream to find ourselves, define ourselves. The main character in the end of miracles is every woman. She’s in the prime of life, solid marriage, goes to work every day, has friends, and for her, giving birth is the ultimate dream. We watch as she deals with feelings of jealousy for friends to whom pregnancy comes easily, self hatred as she thinks her soul is defined by an empty womb, guilt that she cannot give to her husband the child that will have his same nose…..

I became absorbed listening to narrator Jane Oppenheimer voice Margo’s pain and her ultimate psychological decline. Starkman’s writing is spot on and she managed to convey through Margo the plethora of suffering infertility can bring. The story moved quickly and I was easily engrossed in the plot which has some unexpected turns.

As an audio book listen, I give huge kudos to Oppenheimer. Her voice was perfect for this novel. Several hours in I realized this didn’t feel like someone was reading the story to me; it felt like I was listening to my girlfriend Margo and aching for her as she shared her suffering. This isn’t an easy skill that all narrators possess. I would not hesitate to listen to another Oppenheimer audio performance.

the end of miracles, to me, felt like a book in three parts – before, during and after. I never like to give away specific details because as a reader I believe you should unwrap the present yourself and enjoy each layer without advance warning. That said, my only ugh was the “after” part of the book. I didn’t love the ending. I understood the ending. I appreciate how Starkman wrapped it all up, but for me, I wasn’t sure that was how Margo’s story should have ended. Then I read a brief bio on the author and learned she has a medical degree and spent much of her career working in the field of psychotherapy and infertility. I’m guessing her vast experience makes the ending choice far more appropriate than anything I could have devised.

Great book and a great audio performance.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Superb.

I thought this might be too distressing for me because I've been through some of the same experiences. It was not. This is a book written with great empathy but also very realistic. Thank you Monica Starkman!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Engaging story and reading

A beautifully written novel that will take you on emotional journey along with the main character, Margo, as we follow the pain of her struggles with infertility and pregnancy loss, the distorted thinking of her mental illness and the shocking behavior that follows from it. The narrator does a good job of conveying these emotions and the suspense of the story in an engaging way that makes one want to keep listening.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Challenged my emotional reactions...

Without posting a 'spoiler alert', the 'end' of 'the end of miracles' honestly challenged my emotions. I think of myself as a very compassionate individual, but this story took me to a dark place I didn't know I had! Where does one draw the lines between an emotional breakdown, mental illness and criminal behavior. Did Margo deserve greater punishment than the ending presented? Why did she stay with Steven? Why did he stay with her? Why didn't the family who suffered demand more from her? Why didn't the law demand more? This is truly a psychological thriller to the end....

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Well worth the listen

This was an astonishing book that tugged at my heart. Starkman’s characterizations were deep and incredibly realistic, as were her descriptions. Though intimidating as a topic, I couldn’t stop listening and found myself gaining new perspectives on the experiences discussed within.

Oppenheimer gave a wonderful performance that I could listen to while driving and while on a treadmill, and she certainly kept me engaged

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Gripping from start to finish

Starkman’s novel comes to life in Jane Oppenheimer’s narration of “The End of Miracles.” The narration captures Starkman’s lyrical prose and allows the reader to dive deeper into the mind of protagonist Margo through her euphoric highs and tragic unraveling. Thoughtful character development makes Margo a kind of complex female protagonist rare even in contemporary fiction. Listeners will find this audiobook difficult to pause, as each chapter leaves the listener eager for the next.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great book, gripping story, complimented nicely by engaging narrator

The End of Miracles is an amazing story, and I was truly immersed in the protagonist's world painted both by the author and the superb narration. I could feel the joys and pains of the main character, travel through her trials and tribulations, aided by a well paced narration, allowing for breath and thought. I highly recommend!

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Emotionally Captivating!

The End of Miracles immediately caught my attention when I read the blurb. As one who has dealt with miscarriage and infertility, I wanted to gain perspective on how Starkman would tackle such a difficult issue and make it relatable and entertaining for listeners. I believe she did just that.

The main character, Margo had her heart and mind set on motherhood. Due to several failed attempts at IVF her hopes are diminished and leads her down a path of temporary insanity.

What I love about this story is that it isn't far off. It isn't over the top or unrealistic. When we are faced with heartache, sometimes it causes us to snap and act out of our fear and hurt. When Margo was given the news after her last doctor's appointment, I felt it. I identified with the pain because I'd been there. Nothing about this story seemed to be fiction. It was taken right out of the pages of my own life, up to a point of course.

Through Margo's breakdown, I began to share in those moments of regret, pain and sorrow. I reflected on the reasons why I wanted to be a mother and what made that so important to me. My story in that aspect isn't like Margo's but it did help me identify some of my reasoning. Margo's husband played a major role in that he was able to share his thoughts about Margo's breakdown and how, like many men, tend to hold in their emotions and not speak on them. I was glad to see that he took advantage of speaking to a therapist so he could deal with his loss and grief.

I don't want to tell the entire story, but I'll say this one is good for anyone who's had to deal with loss and to a point rejection. I am glad I was able to listen to this book and it gave me a sense of closure on my own miracles.

Jane Oppenheimer was excellent. She tapped into the emotions of the characters with ease as she seemed to have been able to relate to the MC. Her interpretation was believable and I've gained a new narrator to follow.

I highly recommend this book.
The Audio Flow Reviews

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A harrowing story, well-read

I read Dr. Starkman's novel when it first came out, and found it equally moving and harrowing. Dr. Starkman gets so deep into Margo's psyche that I felt I knew the desperate protagonist well. That is excellent writing. The opening image of the babies pouring out of her mouth is arresting, impossible to forget. I also found Margo's ruminations on the miraculous development of her baby with every passing day deeply affecting. But I'm a happy adoptive mother: my husband's and my investment in our own reproduction was much less avid than Margo's. We just wanted to parent, so adoption satisfied our primary needs. It's a categorical mistake to wish something different for the protagonist of a novel, since she's not real! But I ached for Margo to be freed from her mania to reproduce, so she could love a child who desperately needs love. It's Dr. Starkman's talent and insight that make Margo's desperate longing and behavior believable and sympathetic, even for me. (The book I wrote about our adoptions is called Two Little Girls: A Memoir of Adoption.)

Jane Oppenheimer's reading of the novel adds dimension to Margo's voice. Excellent work.

Listen! (And know, as you do, that adoption can work for you! :)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

What would push you off the ledge?

This audio took me several different sittings to get through. Not because of the writing or narration but because I often felt the need to reflect and digest what I had just heard. I needed to take the time to think about how I truly felt about what the character was going through in relation to my own beliefs and also in relation to what I’ve been taught and have seen as a nurse. The story was so well crafted and relatable to what I believe is more common, in one extreme or the other, then we publicly see. Jane Oppenheimer is a new narrator to me. She did such a fantastic job of pulling off all the emotions from terrified and scared, confused, depressed, hope and joy, she really had me believing and investing in Margo’s journey and decent. This is a deep and personal journey that I believe all listeners will enjoy for numerous reasons. If you’ve never experienced or had any experience with infertility or psychological problems, then the suspenseful and powerful ending will definitely grab you and make you reevaluate what you thought was right and wrong and how powerful the mind truly is.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful