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Foster

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
0 of 1 copy available
An international bestseller and one of the Times's "Top 50 Novels Published in the 21st Century," Claire Keegan's piercing contemporary classic Foster is a heartbreaking story of childhood, loss, and love; now released as a stand-alone book for the first time ever in the US It is a hot summer in rural Ireland. A child is taken by her father to live with relatives on a farm, not knowing when or if she will be brought home again. In the Kinsellas' house, she finds an affection and warmth she has not known and slowly, in their care, begins to blossom. But there is something unspoken in this new household-where everything is so well tended to-and this summer must soon come to an end. Winner of the prestigious Davy Byrnes Award and published in an abridged version in the New Yorker, this internationally bestselling contemporary classic is now available for the first time in the US in a full, stand-alone edition. A story of astonishing emotional depth, Foster showcases Claire Keegan's great talent and secures her reputation as one of our most important storytellers.
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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Claire Keegan's short story is enhanced by Aoife McMahon's exquisite narration. Her soft, melodious accent is the voice of the young, unnamed narrator from an impoverished Irish-Catholic family. Her voice is hurt and unsure as her father drops her off at the home of distant relatives without a suitcase, an explanation, or a goodbye--just an admonishment: "Try not to fall into the fire, you." She wonders who these people are, why she was sent away, and whether she will ever be able to go home again. As the Kinsellas accept her, showing kindness and appreciation for her efforts to learn and help, she slowly begins to feel loved. Her voice becomes more confident as she grows and blossoms under their quiet love. N.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      March 1, 2023

      First published in 2010 and now available in audio, Keegan's (Small Things Like These) breathtaking award-winning novella illuminates the story of a young unnamed Irish girl who is sent to stay with distant relatives while her mother prepares for the birth of a child. Narrator Aoife McMahon channels Keegan's spare, powerful prose, describing how the girl is dumped at the Kinsellas' farm by her rough father, whose parting words are, "She'll ate, but ye can work her." The girl, who is brave and curious and observant, gratefully relaxes into her new life, where she is bathed, dressed, and invited to participate in the rituals of daily life. The simplest activities--drawing water from the well, gathering herbs from the garden, selecting sweets at the candy shop in town--are imbued with meaning and fairly glow with love and humanity. McMahon provides simple but not overdone characterizations, distinguished by slight changes in tone, pacing, and pitch. She allows the spaces to come through, never rushing, and delivering the words with precision and care. VERDICT Though brief, this deeply affecting novella is not easily forgotten. An exquisitely narrated audio that should appeal to fans of Alice McDermott's Child of My Heart.--Sarah Hashimoto

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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