Listen free for 30 days

  • A Million Things

  • Written by: Emily Spurr
  • Narrated by: Zenia Starr
  • Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (14 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
A Million Things cover art

A Million Things

Written by: Emily Spurr
Narrated by: Zenia Starr
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $20.40

Buy Now for $20.40

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

“An original and impressively assured debut. A gem of a novel.” (Graeme Simsion, New York Times best-selling author of The Rosie Project)

A soaring, heartfelt debut following 55 days in the life of 10-year-old Rae, who must look after herself and her dog when her mother disappears.

For as long as Rae can remember, it's been her and Mum, and their dog, Splinter; a small, deliberately unremarkable family. They have their walks, their cooking routines, their home. Sometimes Mum disappears for a while to clear her head, but Rae is okay with this because Mum always comes back.

So, when Rae wakes to Splinter's nose in her face, the back door open, and no Mum, she does as she’s always done and carries on. She tends to the house, goes to school, walks Splinter, and minds her own business - all the while pushing down the truth she isn't ready to face.

That is, until her grumpy, lonely neighbor Lettie - with her own secrets and sadness - falls one night and needs Rae's help. As the two begin to rely on each other, Rae's anxiety intensifies as she wonders what will happen to her when her mother's absence is finally noticed and her fragile world bursts open.

A Million Things transforms a gut-wrenching story of abandonment and what it's like to grow up in a house that doesn't feel safe into an astonishing portrait of resilience, mental health, and the families we make and how they make us in return.

©2021 Emily Spurr (P)2021 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

BookBrowse Best Debut Winner 2021

"Spurr delivers a haunting account of a young girl grappling with abandonment in this excellent debut.... Through Rae's devastating yet hopeful interior dialogue, Spurr delicately illustrates the complexity of loss and isolation." (Publishers Weekly)

"A Million Things draws the reader into an intimate world of unforgettable characters and heartfelt expressions of love and grief. This is a great selection for book clubs who are looking for...a genuinely touching read." (BookBrowse)

“Swept me into its thrall so immediately that I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until I reached the end.... Fresh and slim, this novel pierces like a bullet and soothes like a psalm.” (Amy Jo Burns, author of Shiner)

What listeners say about A Million Things

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect

Totally not my thing. No mystery, told from a kid’s POV. Don’t even know why I picked it. BUT what a great story! I couldn’t leave it! Dreamt about it. Couldn’t wait to get back to it the next day. Didn’t want it to end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!