Everything Is Beautiful, Everything Hurts cover art

Everything Is Beautiful, Everything Hurts

 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.

Everything Is Beautiful, Everything Hurts

By: Josie Shapiro
Narrated by: Ruby Hansen
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $25.99

Buy Now for $25.99

About this listen

Can you ever truly run away from your past?

Mickey Bloom: five-foot tall, dyslexic, and bullied at school. With a mostly absent and hostile father, Mickey feels she's no good at anything. Until she discovers running.

Mickey's newfound talent makes her realize she's everything she thought she wasn't—powerful, strong, and special. But her success comes at a cost, and the relentless training and pressure to win leaves Mickey broken; her dream in tatters.

Years later, when Mickey is working in a dead-end job with a drop-kick boyfriend, her mother becomes seriously ill. While nursing her, Mickey realizes the only way she can overcome her grief—and find herself—is to run again.

A chance encounter with a former Olympian sees Mickey re-ignite her dreams. The two women form an unbreakable bond, as Mickey is shown what it means to run in the right direction.

An unforgettable debut novel about change, family, and grit, and one that shows the power of following your dreams.

©2023 Josie Shapiro (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd Coming of Age Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Dream Inspiring
All stars
Most relevant  
Loved the narration of this book.
The jump back and forward in time from Mickey's past to the race was beautifully written and kept the story alive. Well done!

Great story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An absolutely fabulous book for all your runners out there, even if you’re not a Runner a superb book of true grit and determination. I loved it!

My favourite read of the year!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I’m a runner. An every day runner. I felt this book right down to the ghost runner who regularly accompanies me on my runs.

I’ll listen to this again and again!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book deals with many issues alongside the main storyline. A thought provoking read written in a compassionate and real style.

Thought provoking on many levels

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the racing speed it went through many years, but was still gentle and sensitive to the characters. It's one I will remember.

I loved the tempo

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Don’t hesitate - this is a great book. So enjoyable, thought-provoking and inspiring. Beautifully crafted. Now I want to go buy some running shoes !

A fantastic read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Not my usual genre, but really enjoyed it.
Very interesting look into the life of an adolescent athlete and all the realities of what that involves.
Highly recommended.

Totally worth the listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I’m not remotely interested in running but it is impossible not to get caught up in Mickey’s quest to push herself, to prove herself, to find herself.

Loved this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I ran Auckland last year and this book brought back memories of the day and everything in my life that lead up to that moment. This story put it all out there, and I respect the writer for it. Highly recommend this book.

Incredible read

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.