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  • Dear Dolly

  • On Love, Life and Friendship
  • By: Dolly Alderton
  • Narrated by: Dolly Alderton
  • Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (73 ratings)

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Dear Dolly

By: Dolly Alderton
Narrated by: Dolly Alderton
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Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

'What I learnt from sharing my most private pain with a semi-professional problem-solver was that the mere act of asking for help was, in itself, healing. It was as if I had crept down to the docks under cover of darkness and floated a message out in a bottle, imagining how it might be received. By writing it, I was acknowledging that someone might care about me; that they'd be able to say the right thing without knowing me. Because I was feeling something that other people had felt and therefore I wasn't, as I suspected, the loneliest and strangest woman in the world'

Since early 2020, Dolly Alderton has been sharing her wisdom, warmth and wit with the countless people who have written in to her Dear Dolly agony aunt column in The Sunday Times Style. Their questions range from the painfully—and sometimes hilariously—relatable to the occasionally bizarre. They include breakups and body issues, families, friendships, dating, divorce, the pleasures and pitfalls of social media, sex, loneliness, longing, love and everything in between.

Without judgement, and with deep empathy informed by her own, much-chronicled adventures in love, friendship and dating, Dolly leads us by the hand through the various labyrinths of life, proving that a problem shared is truly a problem halved.

©2022 Dolly Alderton (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"Alderton is Nora Ephron for the millennial generation." (Elizabeth Day)

What listeners say about Dear Dolly

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Didn’t love as much as her other work

I love Dolly, she’s so wise and articulate but this didn’t grab me as much as her other books.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyable for my long card ride

It was interesting and enjoyable however I tended to already have the same opinion as Dolly so it wasn’t like i was learning anything groundbreaking. She is extremely measured and weighs up both side of each problem.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I love Dolly Alderton

Reading her books is like having a very wise older sister you can ask anything. All her books are easy and enjoyable reads.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

I enjoyed her fiction for a fun and light read, I feel bad saying it but these columns are not it. There is just SO MUCH reference to how ‘love should feel’ and what love ‘should look like’ - just a lot of sweeping statements steeped entirely in fantasy, didn’t feel very modern or at all reflective of the genuine experience of love. Ended up giving me the ick.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Thoroughly life affirming

Just gorgeous, so many helpful thoughts and words of wisdom for common dilemmas. Thanks Dolly ❤️

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Dolly does it again!

Dolly takes her big sisterly role to another level as an agony aunt in ‘Dear Dolly’. This book allows the reader to connect to both the original writer of the question and Dolly herself as she answers various questions on exes, friends, family, and all things body and soul. It made me realise I’ve never had an original thought, and that I’m not alone in feeling the way of the original contributor, but that Dolly seemingly was able to answer every question in the most succint way without casting judgement or placing blame. Her words were reassuring and kind, and sometimes the harsh truth, but always true and inspiring. We all need a Dolly Alderton in our lives - my only complaint about this book is that it wasnt longer!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Incredibly funny & relatable

Another piece that is shocking relatable, incredibly funny and naturally well written by Dolly. Every scenario had a degree of relatability and the advice was more unbiased than I would have expected.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful as always

Another great listen from Dolly, full of inspiring advice and wisdom to all ages. Recommend.

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