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A Town Like Alice

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A Town Like Alice

By: Nevil Shute
Narrated by: Robin Bailey
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About this listen

Jean Paget is just twenty years old and working in Malaya when the Japanese invasion begins. When she is captured she joins a group of other European women and children whom the Japanese force to march for miles through the jungle. While on the march, the group run into some Australian prisoners, one of whom, Joe Harman, helps them steal some food, and is horrifically punished by the Japanese as a result. After the war, Jean tracks Joe down in Australia and together they begin to dream of surmounting the past and transforming his one-horse outback town into a thriving community like Alice Springs...

©1989 The Trustees of the Estate of the Late Nevil Shute Norway (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction War & Military
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I read this book as a paperback many times over the years and loved the story. I thought I might be disappointed with the audio, especially a male narrator as it is essentially a woman’s recollection but I wasn’t. The narration was good and I thoroughly loved it and will listen to it again. I highly recommend it. 😊

Fantastic all round

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absolutely love it. always loved the series too. typical of the outback and it's people to make a go if things.

just brilliant!

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Full of beautiful language on Malaysian and Australian landscape. A great story about human spirit in the hardship of war and barren land. The narrator did an excellent job in bringing the characters, and the twists and turns of the story through time and space,
to life through audio.

What a gem!

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Read the print book when I was a kid. First time listening as an adult. The story was beautifully brought to life and was wonderful rehearing the story.

Beautiful trip down memory lane

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Always on of my favourites and the first time to listen to.
The last page always makes me cry.

Magnificent story

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I am a Neville Shute fan from way back. My husband and I enjoyed the audio version while travelling from Alice Springs to Katherine in the Australian Northern Territory. (Over two days 1100 plus kms. We had very little radio reception and the book was great company. Mr Shute style is easy listening and while these days it would not be politically correct we really found the book most enjoyable. Even more so because we were travelling in northern Australia's cattle country.

A Town Like Alice

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Loved this story for many years. The narrator did a great job.
I highly recommend it.

a great story well told

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Excellent story telling, and the best narration I’ve ever heard. People under 40 may be offended at some of the terms used, but that is how it was back then.

Classic

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I have loved this book for over 40 years!! First time as an audible reading. What a read 😃. Of course I now cringe at some of the language and attitudes but stand by that it was just a book of its time.

Never gets old!

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Most enjoyable easy listening. Very descriptive of the Englush scenes, then rhe Malay adventures and finallt the outback way of life.

Feel good.

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