Little Wonder
A Novel
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Little Wonder
Narrated by:
Emily Woo Zeller
Pre-order for $23.91
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Narrated by:
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Emily Woo Zeller
About this listen
A SWEEPING NOVEL FROM JENNA BUSH HAGER’S NEW VENTURE, THOUSAND VOICES.
Song is a nobody—just a food delivery worker from a village in Northeastern China—but her son, River, is a little wonder.
At the age of four, he toddled to a piano and tapped out his favorite song. At eight, he mastered Liszt's three Liebestraume; at ten, he blazed through the complete set of Chopin's études. And at every step, through the valleys of loss, illness, and poverty, Song is there to light his way—until finally, at the age of eleven, River is invited to study with a preeminent teacher in Beijing.
But in the chaos of Beijing Railway Station on the busiest day of the year, Song faces every mother's nightmare: She loses her grip on River’s little hand and is unable to find him after a desperate, harrowing search.
Over the next days, weeks, and eventually, years, Song and River fight to forge a path back to each other as they carve out new lives that carry them farther apart. An evocative exploration of a mother’s love and a son’s yearning, Little Wonder takes us on an extraordinary journey through a modern Beijing that pulses with the music of humanity and its impossible—and impossibly brave—hopes.
As every musician knows: You start in one key. You wander to other keys, strange and distant places. But in the end, you always come back home.
Critic Reviews
“An immersive journey amid the sights and sounds of urban China as a migrant mother and son follow a seemingly impossible dream inspired by their love of music—and their devotion to each other . . . Keep something handy to dry your eyes.”—Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
“Sophie Chen Keller writes with such understated power that even a tone-deaf heart will recognize the melody—and feel the sting of that final note. Everyone should read this book.”—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
“Little Wonder is an exquisite book filled with heart. It captures modern China with such vividness and color you can practically smell the roasted sweet potatoes. At parts enthralling, heartbreaking, and uplifting—and always bursting with musicality. A book to be savored.”—Susie Yang, New York Times bestselling author of White Ivy
“Beautiful, heartfelt, and deeply moving, Little Wonder is a celebration of love, resilience, and the power of music.”—Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of The Leftover Woman
“A wonderful story and an extraordinary read, with characters so finely crafted that you feel their joys and their sorrows.”—Amanda Peters, author of The Berry Pickers
“At once heartbreaking and hopeful . . . Capturing the life-changing kindness of strangers, the magic of music, and the power of found family, this deftly imagined tale will make your heart soar.”—Mikki Brammer, author of The Collected Regrets of Clover
“Little Wonder explores the unbreakable bonds of family and the intrinsic goodness of human nature. You can’t help but root for these unforgettable characters.”—Emma Nanami Strenner, author of My Other Heart
“Sophie Chen Keller writes with such understated power that even a tone-deaf heart will recognize the melody—and feel the sting of that final note. Everyone should read this book.”—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
“Little Wonder is an exquisite book filled with heart. It captures modern China with such vividness and color you can practically smell the roasted sweet potatoes. At parts enthralling, heartbreaking, and uplifting—and always bursting with musicality. A book to be savored.”—Susie Yang, New York Times bestselling author of White Ivy
“Beautiful, heartfelt, and deeply moving, Little Wonder is a celebration of love, resilience, and the power of music.”—Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of The Leftover Woman
“A wonderful story and an extraordinary read, with characters so finely crafted that you feel their joys and their sorrows.”—Amanda Peters, author of The Berry Pickers
“At once heartbreaking and hopeful . . . Capturing the life-changing kindness of strangers, the magic of music, and the power of found family, this deftly imagined tale will make your heart soar.”—Mikki Brammer, author of The Collected Regrets of Clover
“Little Wonder explores the unbreakable bonds of family and the intrinsic goodness of human nature. You can’t help but root for these unforgettable characters.”—Emma Nanami Strenner, author of My Other Heart
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