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A review by thathappyreader
The Audrey Hepburn Estate: A Novel by Brenda Janowitz, Brenda Janowitz
4.0
The story is told in two time frames – during Emma’s childhood and as an adult. While the book was a little slow moving for me, the amount of research the author has done about Audrey Hepburn is clearly evident. Be sure to read the author’s notes and the list of easter eggs that Janowitz has left throughout the book.
Emma’s childhood was a bit of an unusual one. She grew up as the daughter of employees working at a large Long Island home – one that has been dubbed the Audrey Hepburn estate due to its inspiration for an Audrey Hepburn movie.
Growing up Emma’s best friends were the estate owner’s Grandson Henry, and the driver’s son Leo. Flashbacks to their time as children and as teenagers on the estate are relived when Emma returns to the estate as an adult when she learns it’s about to be demolished.
Secrets of the past are abound include one that has Emma questioning who she is. The author does a good job of slowly revealing the hidden parts of Emma’s own childhood that will change her life forever. However, I did find myself struggling to finish the book. The characters were adequately developed but I felt that they were just not that interesting to me. This is likely just a mismatch between reader and the book and those readers that enjoy WWII history may find this book to be a good fit for them.
I listened to the audiobook version of The Audrey Hepburn Estate which was narrated by Cassandra Campbell. I enjoyed her performance and appreciated the sweetness of her tone. I listened to the audiobook at my usual 1.5x speed and found this book easy to listen to.
Although this is marketed as Women’s Fiction, I recommend this book to those that enjoy Historical Fiction.
I received an ALC of this audiobook but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4).
Emma’s childhood was a bit of an unusual one. She grew up as the daughter of employees working at a large Long Island home – one that has been dubbed the Audrey Hepburn estate due to its inspiration for an Audrey Hepburn movie.
Growing up Emma’s best friends were the estate owner’s Grandson Henry, and the driver’s son Leo. Flashbacks to their time as children and as teenagers on the estate are relived when Emma returns to the estate as an adult when she learns it’s about to be demolished.
Secrets of the past are abound include one that has Emma questioning who she is. The author does a good job of slowly revealing the hidden parts of Emma’s own childhood that will change her life forever. However, I did find myself struggling to finish the book. The characters were adequately developed but I felt that they were just not that interesting to me. This is likely just a mismatch between reader and the book and those readers that enjoy WWII history may find this book to be a good fit for them.
I listened to the audiobook version of The Audrey Hepburn Estate which was narrated by Cassandra Campbell. I enjoyed her performance and appreciated the sweetness of her tone. I listened to the audiobook at my usual 1.5x speed and found this book easy to listen to.
Although this is marketed as Women’s Fiction, I recommend this book to those that enjoy Historical Fiction.
I received an ALC of this audiobook but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4).