A Town Like Alice cover art

A Town Like Alice

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

A Town Like Alice

By: Nevil Shute
Narrated by: Robin Bailey
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

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
All stars
Most relevant  
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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
absolutely love it. always loved the series too. typical of the outback and it's people to make a go if things.

just brilliant!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Most enjoyable easy listening. Very descriptive of the Englush scenes, then rhe Malay adventures and finallt the outback way of life.

Feel good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Given the book is from the view of a 1950’s law partner I felt the storyteller was spot on!
I think I’d read the book when I was young but never finished it but so pleased I revisited through this audible, thoroughly enjoyed the saga of Jean Padget!
Nevil Shute paints such a wonderful narrative picture of the Malay peninsula and the Aussie outback, you can almost feel the heat whether humid or dry! Highly recommend. Well done on the performance!

The narrator gets it spot on!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Some parts of language would now be considered, not appropriate but I think are valuable in understand what it was like almost 70 years ago

Love the development of the story and the community development aspects throughout.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very good post second world War storyline. The setting of Australia was different and interesting

Good comes out of bad

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I enjoyed the whole reading there was nothing to dislike a great book well read great listening

Enjoyable well read listening of a great book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.