The Bittlemores
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Narrated by:
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Jann Arden
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Written by:
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Jann Arden
About this listen
A heartfelt, comic, and deeply satisfying debut novel from the #1 bestselling author, singer-songwriter, member of Canada's Music Hall of Fame and star of her own hit TV sitcom. A little bit All Creatures Great and Small, a little bit Fargo and all Jann Arden!
On mean Harp Bittlemore’s blighted farm, hidden away in the Backhills, nothing has gone right for a very long time. Crops don’t grow, the pigs and chickens stay skinny and the three aged dairy cows, Berle, Crilla and Dally, are so desperate they are plotting an escape. The one thing holding them back is the thought of abandoning young Willa, the single bright point in their life since her older sister, Margaret, ran away.
But Willa Bittlemore, just turning 14, is planning her own rebellion. Something doesn’t add up in the story she’s been told about her missing sister, and she's beginning to question if her horrible parents are even her parents at all. Just as things are really coming to a head, a bright young police officer starts investigating a cold case involving a baby stolen from a little rural hospital 28 years earlier, and Willa and the cows find out exactly how far the Bittlemores will go to protect a festering secret.
Written with Jann’s trademark outrageous humour and full of her down-to-earth wisdom, The Bittlemores is a rural fairytale, a coming-of-age story and a prairie mystery all-in-one, saturated with her observations of the world she grew up in and her deep connection to the animals we exploit. This marvel of a first novel digs into how people come to be so cruel, but it also glories in the miracle of human kindness.
©2023 Jann Arden (P)2023 Random House CanadaYou may also enjoy...
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What listeners say about The Bittlemores
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-11-10
Loved this!
I think this was so enjoyable! As the author reading HER book, she narrated it the way she wanted it listened to.
It was funny, charming and so Canadian. This is going onto my Christmas gift list. I won’t look at farm animals the same way ever again. Thanks Jann, you are a talent!
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- Anonymous User
- 2024-01-14
Pleasantly Surprised
I really enjoyed this book and especially the narration set the bar for good storytelling
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- Anonymous User
- 2024-01-26
Modern day Charlotte’s Webb!
Loved it. Jann’s narration was top notch and made the story all the more enjoyable.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-11-22
So much to love
Okay, as others have said, this wasn't Jann Arden's best reading, but it wasn't terrible and I still loved hearing her tell this story she's been writing for so long. This book is reminiscent of Charlotte's Web, Animal Farm and Judy Blume, with a dark side and a thread of suspense throughout. I found it hard to put down. I love Jann Arden but wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I was certainly not disappointed and am heading out to buy a hardcopy for my mother for Christmas.
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- Anonymous User
- 2024-01-18
Great work
I loved listening to the story! I’d recommend this to anyone! A nice light listen! Thanks Jann
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- Anonymous User
- 2024-01-20
It is one of those books I just had to hear the end!
This book has a steady pace. I just had to hear the hole book. I liked the detail I. E the many people involved and the description of how they fit into the story. Thank you.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-11-20
Loved all the characters
Great story and I loved all the characters.
I hope you have more books to write.
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- Anonymous User
- 2024-02-07
Good story, unnecessarily bad language
I really enjoyed the premise of the story, and Arden's creative narration. I wanted to quit because of all the bad language which I found offensive, but wanted to find out what happened to the main characters. So I gritted my teeth, hit the skip button a lot, and made it to the end. I think the antagonists could have been sufficiently portrayed without all those adjectives. Loved the clever cows!
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- Anonymous User
- 2024-04-25
Loved it
Jann Arden is one of my favorite singer, songwriter, TV personality, and now, author! I love her sense of humor as much as I love her outspoken perspective on issues she feels strongly about. The book was a delight to read and I recommend it to everyone.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-12-14
So silly and very enjoyable
Story is very silly and fun - it captured my imagination and then my heart. The audio was well done!
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