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All My Puny Sorrows
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
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A Complicated Kindness
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Miriam Toews
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Sixteen-year-old Nomi Nickel longs to hang out with Lou Reed and Marianne Faithfull in New York City's East Village. Instead she's trapped in East Village, Manitoba, a small town whose population is Mennonite: "the most embarrassing sub-sect of people to belong to if you're a teenager." East Village is a town with no train and no bar whose job prospects consist of slaughtering chickens at the Happy Family Farms abattoir or churning butter for tourists at the pioneer village.
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A sweet, brutal, & funny but gut- wrenching story
- By Betina Buten on 2020-12-13
Written by: Miriam Toews
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Swing Low
- A Life
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: David Hamilton
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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After her father took his own life in 1998, Miriam Toews decided to face her confusion and pain straight on. In writing her father’s memoir, she was motivated by two primary goals: For her own sake, she needed to understand, or at least accept, her father’s final decision. For her father’s sake, she needed to honour him, to elucidate his life, and to demonstrate its worth.
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Heartfilling
- By Sheryl Shore on 2023-08-07
Written by: Miriam Toews
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Fight Night
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Georgia Toews, Miriam Toews
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
Fight Night is told in the unforgettable voice of Swiv, a nine-year-old living in Toronto with her pregnant mother, who is raising Swiv while caring for her own elderly, frail, yet extraordinarily lively mother. When Swiv is expelled from school, Grandma takes on the role of teacher and gives her the task of writing to Swiv's absent father about life in the household during the last trimester of the pregnancy.
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A lot of funny moments
- By coach amanda on 2023-03-01
Written by: Miriam Toews
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Women Talking
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Matthew Edison
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The sun rises on a quiet June morning in 2009. August Epp sits alone in the hayloft of a barn, anxiously bent over his notebook. Eight women - ordinary grandmothers, mothers, and teenagers; yet to August, each one extraordinary - will climb the ladder into the loft, and the day's true task will begin. This task will be both simple and subversive: August, like the women, is a traditional Mennonite, and he has been asked to record a secret conversation. They have 48 hours to make a life-altering choice on behalf of all the women and children in the colony.
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Painful subject, frustrating to listen to..
- By c johnston on 2018-11-12
Written by: Miriam Toews
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Irma Voth
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Amy Rutherford
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Nineteen-year-old Irma Voth lives in a Mennonite community in northern Mexico, surrounded by desert and both physically and culturally isolated from the surrounding towns and cities. It’s been six years since her family left Canada to escape the prying eyes of the government and preserve their religious freedom, but Irma still misses the minor freedoms she had in their small town.
Written by: Miriam Toews
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The Flying Troutmans
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Amy Rutherford
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Days after being dumped by her boyfriend Marc in Paris - "he was heading off to an ashram and said we could communicate telepathically" - Hattie hears her sister Min has been checked into a psychiatric hospital, and finds herself flying back to Winnipeg to take care of Thebes and Logan, her niece and nephew. Not knowing what else to do, they set out on a road trip in search of the children's long-lost father, Cherkis. On their wayward journey, the Troutmans stay at scary motels, meet helpful hippies, and try to ignore the threatening noises coming from under the hood of their van.
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fantastic!
- By Robin Chamberlain on 2020-08-29
Written by: Miriam Toews
-
A Complicated Kindness
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Miriam Toews
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sixteen-year-old Nomi Nickel longs to hang out with Lou Reed and Marianne Faithfull in New York City's East Village. Instead she's trapped in East Village, Manitoba, a small town whose population is Mennonite: "the most embarrassing sub-sect of people to belong to if you're a teenager." East Village is a town with no train and no bar whose job prospects consist of slaughtering chickens at the Happy Family Farms abattoir or churning butter for tourists at the pioneer village.
-
-
A sweet, brutal, & funny but gut- wrenching story
- By Betina Buten on 2020-12-13
Written by: Miriam Toews
-
Swing Low
- A Life
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: David Hamilton
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After her father took his own life in 1998, Miriam Toews decided to face her confusion and pain straight on. In writing her father’s memoir, she was motivated by two primary goals: For her own sake, she needed to understand, or at least accept, her father’s final decision. For her father’s sake, she needed to honour him, to elucidate his life, and to demonstrate its worth.
-
-
Heartfilling
- By Sheryl Shore on 2023-08-07
Written by: Miriam Toews
-
Fight Night
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Georgia Toews, Miriam Toews
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fight Night is told in the unforgettable voice of Swiv, a nine-year-old living in Toronto with her pregnant mother, who is raising Swiv while caring for her own elderly, frail, yet extraordinarily lively mother. When Swiv is expelled from school, Grandma takes on the role of teacher and gives her the task of writing to Swiv's absent father about life in the household during the last trimester of the pregnancy.
-
-
A lot of funny moments
- By coach amanda on 2023-03-01
Written by: Miriam Toews
-
Women Talking
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Matthew Edison
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The sun rises on a quiet June morning in 2009. August Epp sits alone in the hayloft of a barn, anxiously bent over his notebook. Eight women - ordinary grandmothers, mothers, and teenagers; yet to August, each one extraordinary - will climb the ladder into the loft, and the day's true task will begin. This task will be both simple and subversive: August, like the women, is a traditional Mennonite, and he has been asked to record a secret conversation. They have 48 hours to make a life-altering choice on behalf of all the women and children in the colony.
-
-
Painful subject, frustrating to listen to..
- By c johnston on 2018-11-12
Written by: Miriam Toews
-
Irma Voth
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Amy Rutherford
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nineteen-year-old Irma Voth lives in a Mennonite community in northern Mexico, surrounded by desert and both physically and culturally isolated from the surrounding towns and cities. It’s been six years since her family left Canada to escape the prying eyes of the government and preserve their religious freedom, but Irma still misses the minor freedoms she had in their small town.
Written by: Miriam Toews
-
The Flying Troutmans
- Written by: Miriam Toews
- Narrated by: Amy Rutherford
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Days after being dumped by her boyfriend Marc in Paris - "he was heading off to an ashram and said we could communicate telepathically" - Hattie hears her sister Min has been checked into a psychiatric hospital, and finds herself flying back to Winnipeg to take care of Thebes and Logan, her niece and nephew. Not knowing what else to do, they set out on a road trip in search of the children's long-lost father, Cherkis. On their wayward journey, the Troutmans stay at scary motels, meet helpful hippies, and try to ignore the threatening noises coming from under the hood of their van.
-
-
fantastic!
- By Robin Chamberlain on 2020-08-29
Written by: Miriam Toews
Publisher's Summary
Elf and Yoli are sisters. While on the surface Elfrieda's life is enviable (she's a world-renowned pianist, glamorous, wealthy, and happily married,) and Yolandi's a mess (she's divorced and broke, with two teenagers growing up too quickly), they are fiercely close - raised in a Mennonite household and sharing the hardship of Elf's desire to end her life. After Elf's latest attempt, Yoli must quickly determine how to keep her family from falling apart, how to keep her own heart from breaking, and what it means to love someone who wants to die.
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What listeners say about All My Puny Sorrows
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-07-16
What a wonderful writer!
Miriam Toews’ semi-autobiographical novel is a moving description of a family facing possible tragedy, yet she has a quirky sense of humour that keeps you reading and inspires you to look at life with a new perspective. I highly recommend it.
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- Jan
- 2022-06-18
Wonderful!
An amazing but sad story. The narrator was perfect for this book. Highly recommend it.
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- Anonymous User
- 2019-12-09
Snoozer
Painfully boring, depressing and has absolutely no plot. I couldn't make it past chapter 5.
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- DrHex
- 2019-07-25
Inconsistencies and unbelievable plot progressions
My title line explains most of my disillusion with this novel. Being more specific will qualify this report as a spoiler.
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- Mira
- 2016-03-17
Brilliant and beautiful
This is one of the best books I have ever read/listened to. Magnificent writing. Wonderful reading.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Eric
- 2016-02-24
Exquisite book
Would you consider the audio edition of All My Puny Sorrows to be better than the print version?
Typically I prefer the one I engage with first. It's sometimes shocking to hear how a narrator handles a book I've read. I hadn't imagined it his or her way. In this case, the narrator enhanced what was already a great book.
Who was your favorite character and why?
My favorite character was the mother but her sister and both of her daughters were also beautifully drawn.
What about Erin Moon’s performance did you like?
Everything. Even the hospital staff was well and sometimes sympathetically voiced.
Who was the most memorable character of All My Puny Sorrows and why?
I can't think of anyone who isn't memorable.
Any additional comments?
Unless solicited for advice, I usually don't recommend books. But I sent a few emails after finishing this one.
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4 people found this helpful
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- flounderguts
- 2015-02-11
Really depressing story
Don't listen to this if you are prone to depression. It's super dark.
However, it is masterfully written and very well performed.
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3 people found this helpful
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- JEG
- 2015-09-04
Would you assist your siblings suicide?
A sad, serious, humourous family's struggle with life, depression and suicide. thank you 4.5 stars
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2 people found this helpful
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- leckybang
- 2015-04-23
Sad Story, Unforgettable Writing Voice
If you could sum up All My Puny Sorrows in three words, what would they be?
A story you'll need to take a breather from every once and awhile as it confronts death and loss head on, but the writing voice will bring you back.
What did you like best about this story?
Miriam Toews is funny and honest about what it's like to be a woman, and she brings a sense of dry whimsy to her memories of her oppressive Mennonite upbringing.
Any additional comments?
I love how Audible tries to use readers from the same area the writer is from. Erin Moon's voice acting was great. I would listen to another book featuring her as the reader.
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2 people found this helpful
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- TM
- 2017-06-15
A complete downer
This book is so much of a downer! It's hard to remember anything bright or happy! Not the best story.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2016-04-04
Not my usual cup of tea.
But I really liked it. I think the performance didn't quite hit the level of sarcasm present in the narrator's hyperbole, but that's maybe a subjective nitpick. The ending felt drawn out and it was a chore to finish. Totally worth it though. I'm a male with no siblings and this story punched me in the heart. The narration was incredibly sincere. Pretty great through and through.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Nicole B
- 2015-04-27
Didn't live up to the hype
The book raised some thought provoking questions about death, suicide, and depression. However, overall, I felt it dragged, and I can't say that I I enjoyed the book. I didn't love the performance by the narrator - perhaps this was the intention of the author for her to speak slowly but it felt overdone to me. Too slow, too many pauses, too perfect articulation.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Spirit Animal
- 2023-10-27
Good story only too long
The story is good the writing is good the character development was great. The story didn’t grab me until chapter 10, halfway through the book. It would have been just as powerful in 12 chapters.
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- Peggy Stringer
- 2023-09-17
slow and depressing. had a very hard time finishin
slow and depressing. very hard to finish. I didn't like it at all. I expected something of a twist at the end and didn't get anything out of it. depressing! super depressing!
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