Every Heart a Doorway cover art

Every Heart a Doorway

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.

Every Heart a Doorway

By: Seanan McGuire
Narrated by: Cynthia Hopkins
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $16.99

Buy Now for $16.99

About this listen

Winner of the Hugo Award, Hugo Award for Best Series, Alex Award, Locus Award, and Nebula Award
Nominated for the World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award, and Tiptree Honor List

"A mini-masterpiece of portal fantasy — a jewel of a book that deserves to be shelved with Lewis Carroll's and C. S. Lewis' classics" —NPR

New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire presents a fresh take on the portal fantasy genre that blends Alice in Wonderland, The Magicians, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she's back. The things she's experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West's care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy's arrival marks a change at the Home. There's a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it's up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of things.

No matter the cost.

The Wayward Children Series
Book 1: Every Heart a Doorway
Book 2: Down Among the Sticks and Bones
Book 3: Beneath the Sugar Sky
Book 4: In an Absent Dream

Classics Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction LGBTQIA+ Creators Magic Neurodiversity Middle Game

Critic Reviews

"[Cynthia] Hopkins has a calm gravitas that gives the story the feel of a classic children’s story, a grand tale you should already know but for some reason you haven’t encountered yet. This short work is lovely and mournful, perfect for anyone who just can’t stop thinking about what happens after the soi-disant ‘'happy ending.’’'" -Locus
All stars
Most relevant
The concept was fascinating and I was hooked from the first chapter. Unfortunately I found the plot in the second half rushed, as if the author had a word limit and needed to get all the mystery out in a few pages. The clumsy pacing destroyed all it had built up in the first section of the book: character development, relationships, intrigue. Overall I found the most of the book disappointing. I wish the author spent more time exploring the possibilities the books concept opened up.

Futher, without taking the time to tease out the topics of gender and sexuality, certain character traits felt forced. It was as if the author threw them in there because they wanted to make a statement, but couldn't be bothered to write anything meaningful.

Beautiful but fell flat.

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

this was a very random book and I was lost for most of it. would not read the next in the series.

random

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

a very enjoyable story that's exactly the right length. beautifully narrated too, the characters sounded distinct and unique.

great listen

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

The narrator does a fantastic job with this book. I highly recommend checking it out.

Fantastic scifi

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

amazing fantasy exploration of people whose happy place are "weird" or horrible for most people.

Amazing fantasy story about outsiders

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

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.