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  • The Innocents

  • Written by: Michael Crummey
  • Narrated by: Mary Lewis
  • Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (288 ratings)

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The Innocents

Written by: Michael Crummey
Narrated by: Mary Lewis
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Publisher's Summary

FINALIST FOR THE 2019 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE
FINALIST FOR THE 2019 GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD
FINALIST FOR THE 2019 ROGERS WRITERS' TRUST FICTION PRIZE WINNER OF THE 2020 THOMAS RADDALL ATLANTIC FICTION AWARD
NATIONAL BEST SELLER
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2019 BY The Globe and Mail • CBC • Toronto Star • Maclean's 

"Crummey's novel has the capacity to change the way the reader sees the world." (Scotiabank Giller Prize Jury Citation) 

From best-selling, award-winning author Michael Crummey comes a sweeping, heart-wrenching, deeply immersive novel about a brother and sister alone in a small world.

A brother and sister are orphaned in an isolated cove on Newfoundland's northern coastline. Their home is a stretch of rocky shore governed by the feral ocean, by a relentless pendulum of abundance and murderous scarcity. Still children with only the barest notion of the outside world, they have nothing but the family's boat and the little knowledge passed on haphazardly by their mother and father to keep them. 

As they fight for their own survival through years of meagre catches and storms and ravaging illness, it is their fierce loyalty to each other that motivates and sustains them. But as seasons pass and they wade deeper into the mystery of their own natures, even that loyalty will be tested.

This novel is richly imagined and compulsively readable, a riveting story of hardship and survival, and an unflinching exploration of the bond between brother and sister. By turns electrifying and heartbreaking, it is a testament to the bounty and barbarity of the world, to the wonders and strangeness of our individual selves.

©2019 Michael Crummey (P)2019 Doubleday Canada

What the critics say

"A gripping and credible page-turner about children surviving in the wilderness, but more than that: this Adam and Eve struggle to make sense of a world that's somewhere between Eden and Hell. Michael Crummey writes like an avenging angel, never putting a word wrong."  (Emma Donoghue, author of Room)

"Michael Crummey's The Innocents is a dazzling and myriad achievement. Set against the unforgiving Newfoundland frontier, this harrowing tale of two siblings eking out a teetering existence is difficult to witness and impossible to put down.  But what makes this story timeless is Crummey's rich depiction of the human heart in extremis, the unflagging beat of life in a world that is too much to bear. Set aside whatever you're reading and pick this up - The Innocents is a masterpiece." (Smith Henderson, author of Fourth of July Creek)

"Michael Crummey's new novel The Innocents is a fantastic read. Written in graceful and evocative prose, Ada and Evered's story blurs the boundary between the quotidian and the strange until it becomes a meditation on the curious fact of existence itself. A wonderfully provocative and insightful book." (Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds and A Shout in the Ruins)

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What listeners say about The Innocents

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
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The strangest book I have ever read

Wow! This one started so slowly, I almost abandoned it. I'm very glad that I hung in there. The concept of two children learning of life all on their own overwhelmed me. The way they just carried on without questioning their circumstances made me weep. That they didn't know the word for 'cheese', or that there were other places in the world, or that reading is not a gift one is born with all hit me hard. I bought this Audible book partly because it was written by a Canadian and partly because it sounded so unlikely. Kudos, good job, take a bow, thanks for your work. This is stellar.

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Wonderful

I read this book a couple of years ago and loved it. My book club is discussing it this week so I decided I'd refresh my memory by listening. Mary Lewis is absolutely spectacular as a narrator.

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Dark and honest portrayal of old Newfoundland

Hard to put down as I gritted my teeth at what would become of Ada and Everett.

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Michael Crummy is the best !

I have really enjoyed reading Michael Crummy’s novels. This is the first I’ve listened to in audio and found both story and narration superb. Can’t wait to look for other work by narrator Mary Lewis.

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poignant

Great book. 4.5 overall. I enjoyed the imagery and story. Poignant. I was immersed in a landscape and era unfamiliar to me.

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Incredible story

Loved the story. Keeps you on your toes, beautifully written and narrated.
Was sad to see it end.

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A Compelling Take

This was a gritty and unnerving tale, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a wonderful exploration of innocence, thus it is true to Its the title. The narration was excellent.

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Excellent Writing

The writing was beautiful and insightful! The characters were believable and multidimensional. I will read more from Michael Crummy!

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Gripping

This is a deeply moving story of two siblings orphaned and living alone in the world . Excellent narration although only 4 stars as some of the voices were loud and startled me- had to adjust the volume as I was trying to use the book to go to sleep. Wonderful description of the coast of Newfoundland. Highly recommend

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Beautifully written and read

No one captures the beauty and struggles of Newfoundland better than Michael Crummey.
The Innocents is a spellbinding story seen through the innocent eyes of an orphaned brother and sister who survive starvation, a pitiless climate and a debt left by their parents.