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Title details for Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton - Available

Here in Avalon

by Tara Isabella Burton
Devon Sorvari
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
An "enchanting" (Caroline Kepnes, author of You) "fairy-tale-inflected thriller" (The New Yorker) about two sisters who encounter a captivating yet possibly dangerous underworld cult that challenges their perception of reality.

A New Yorker Best Book of 2024
Rose has come a long way. Raised—and often neglected—by a wayward mother in New York City's chaotic bohemia, she has finally built the life she's always wanted: a good job at a self-help startup, a clean apartment, an engagement to a stable if self-satisfied tech CEO who shares her faith in human potential, hard work, and the sacrifice of childish dreams.

Rose's sister Cecilia, on the other hand, never grew up. Irresponsible and impetuous, prone to jetting off to a European monastery one month and a falcon rescue the next, Cecilia has spent her life in pursuit of fairy-tale narratives of transcendence and true love—grand ideas Rose knows never work out in the real world. When Cecilia declares she's come home to New York for good, following the ending of a whirlwind marriage, Rose hopes Cecilia might find a way to be ready to face adulthood: compromises and all.

But then Cecilia gets involved with the Avalon: a cabaret troupe—one that appears only at night on a boat that travels New York's waterways—and soon vanishes. The only way Rose can find Cecilia is by tracking down Avalon herself.

But as Rose gets closer to solving the mystery of what happened to her sister, the Avalon works its magic on her, too. And the deeper she goes into the Avalon's underworld, the more she begins to question everything she knows about her own life, and whether she's willing to leave the real world behind.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 2, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797167558
      • File size: 318243 KB
      • Duration: 11:03:00

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 27, 2023
      Adeptly warping traditional fairy tropes, Burton (The World Cannot Give) weaves a lush ode to searching for the magic in life. Thanks to a neglectful mother, sisters Rose and Cecilia all but raised themselves in New York City. Whereas flighty Cecilia took off to search for love and adventure on her 18th birthday, Rose stayed put, building a stable life that includes a good job as a coder and a strong, loving relationship with Caleb, her boyfriend of five years. Now Cecilia’s back in town, and though Rose loves her sister deeply, years of witnessing Cecilia drift, coupled with the criticism of her sister she’s heard from others, has Rose questioning Cecilia’s place in her life. Then Cecilia begins to act even more erratically, talking about fairies and a mysterious, possibly mystical cabaret called Avalon before disappearing. Now Rose must choose whether to follow the magic and bring her sister home or remain rooted in the real world. Dreams and desires play a central role in this modern-day hero’s journey as the author teasingly unspools the truth about Avalon, all the while raising poignant questions about happiness, need, and personal growth, and leading readers to a startling and satisfying conclusion. This is a treat. Agent: Emma Parry, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Devon Sorvari brings this contemporary urban fairy tale to life with her portrayal of Rose and Cecilia. The two sisters, who live in New York City, are struggling to find their way in the world. In doing so, they must navigate their relationships with each other and with a mystical and mysterious cabaret troupe called Avalon. Sorvari's narration morphs during the book, giving a chilling reality to the journey these women undertake as each decides whether to embrace the cultish world of Avalon. As each sister becomes more and more involved with Avalon, Sorvari alters her narration to depict their surrender of independent thought. Although the vocal change seems like an odd choice in the beginning, as the narration continues, it has a chilling and sinister effect that is appropriate to the story. C.F. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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