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Bodies of Light

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Bodies of Light

By: Jennifer Down
Narrated by: Casey Withoos
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About this listen

Tony had found me. Or, he’d found Maggie.

I had no way of knowing whether he was nuts or not; whether he might go to the cops. Maybe that sounds paranoid, but I don’t think it’s so ridiculous. People have gone to prison for much lesser things than accusations of child-killing.

A quiet, small-town existence. An unexpected Facebook message, jolting her back to the past. A history she’s reluctant to revisit: dark memories and unspoken trauma, warning knocks on bedroom walls, unfathomable loss.

She became a new person a long time ago. What happens when buried stories are dragged into the light?

This epic audiobook from the two-time Sydney Morning Herald Young Novelist of the Year is a masterwork of tragedy and heartbreak - the story of a life in full. Sublimely wrought in devastating detail, Bodies of Light confirms Jennifer Down as one of the writers defining her generation.

©2021 Jennifer Down (P)2021 W. F. Howes Ltd Genre Fiction Psychological Fiction Heartfelt Emotionally Gripping Tear-jerking

Critic Reviews

"Brutal and beautiful. Jennifer Down is a brilliant writer." (Victoria Hannan)

"Mesmerising, uncompromising and extraordinary." (Robbie Arnott)

"Fierce and compelling. Down’s compassion for her character, her refusal to look away from intolerable suffering, is a lesson for us all. A novel with immense dignity and heart." (Carrie Tiffany)
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Most relevant  
The best book I have read in a long time, being an avid reader and a very occasional reviewer, I highly recommend it.........

Authentic

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Absolutely loved it. Definitely one of the best books I have ever read, fantastic author.

Fantastic

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Such a sad narrative of life. Sadness, harshness with brief glimpse of happiness. A very moving tale.

Very moving book

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So so so sad …my heart broke from beginning to the end. The narration was beautiful, the storyline was riveting but this is 99% not a feel good story. A very unsettling insight into the life of a foster child and the life consequences stemming from a lost childhood, in many ways it was very triggering for me personally with some of the situations. Overall though I would highly recommend this book. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Riveting

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Firstly, the narration of this story could not have been more perfect - accent, intonation, pace all gave this story the depth it needed.
The story itself is so beautifully crafted - I found myself silently weeping for the children described more than once. The subject matter is traumatic but the language used brings nuance and beauty to the story. I highly recommend this book to lovers of stories about the truth of life including the hardest of parts.

Beautifully written account of a life lived through trauma

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Very well written, the language and the descriptive texts brought the story to life.
The narration of Casey Withoos was exceptional, possibly the best I’ve listened to.

An amazing and uplifting story

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The writing is brilliant, the story is so compelling and filled with life’s unexpected curve balls Resilience wins in the end

Fascinating, confronting and endearing

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Just wow. Incredible book. Still processing! What a journey the main character goes on. Well narrated. Loved it and would recommend.

Wow

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Amazing listen. Truly gripping. I struggled to pause it from the moment I pressed play. Beautifully narrated.

Exceptional

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I can’t really fault the writing, and certainly not the narrator, who gave an excellent performance, but the story was just too real and sad to be read as fiction, and left me quite depressed. Only read if you are feeling emotionally steady!

Not an uplifting read!

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