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Olive cover art

Olive

By: Emma Gannon
Narrated by: Sian Clifford
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Publisher's Summary

The audiobook includes an exclusive interview between Emma Gannon and Dawn O’Porter.

The debut novel from the Sunday Times best-selling author Emma Gannon. 

Olive and her friends have shared every milestone. 

From first loves and first heartbreaks to flatshares and the first scary steps into the real world, they’ve been through it all – together.

But in the maze of life, through the winding paths that lead to different choices and different futures, will the bonds of friendship hold strong when Olive needs them most?

Moving, memorable and a mirror for anyone at a crossroads, Olive is a love letter to the life raft of female friendship and reminds us how, with a little courage, we can all follow our own paths.

©2020 Emma Gannon (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

"This tale of four young women trying to sort out the dilemmas of motherhood...will bring relief and recognition to many. It’s a lovely book - thoughtful, searching, funny, and (most importantly) honest." (Elizabeth Gilbert)

"It'll give a voice to countless women, it'll give them courage...a profound issue wrapped inside an accessible, highly engaging novel." (Marian Keyes)

"Emma Gannon’s novel raises important questions about women’s lives - important themes explored by a true champion of women." (Nina Stibbe)

What listeners say about Olive

Average Customer Ratings
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great performance and story

I adored everything about this. nuanced story and a great performance. please read this now!

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

Honest loved the characters refreshing

Great read honest raw glad to finely find this book wish there were more similar highly recommend

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

Hallelujah! Love, love, love this book!

I adored this book, so thrilled to read a book with a different sort of protagonist, with different challenges and goals. She's NOT a ditzy hopeless mess type like Bridget Jones, she hasn't gotten herself into a crazy madcap scenario, nor is she pining away for a man. Olive is a woman you'll relate to and love, even if you're not facing the same decisions or have the same attitudes.

Love Emma's voice and ideas. She does a podcast (I immediately subscribed) and has a great Instagram and blog (I am now following). She looks like someone I want very much to be friends with, hope she writes more books.

As for the narration - Sian Clifford!! What a privilege. She is simply wonderful.



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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Faultless story

I absolutely loved this. Narrator was excellent, and I guffawed aloud in public a number of times while I was out walking and listening. So relatable and feels like your own group of friends.

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

Took me a While to get into this

If you're young, considering a family or not, then this book would be a good read for you. I felt a little old for it to be honest. A nice story of friendships though.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Very interesting topic, loved it!

Loved the book, a topic that has not been explored much and it gave me a in-site into a whole new world. Highly recommend reading.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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I finally felt seen and heard

Thank you. I finally felt seen and my life choices treated in a respectful manner. A must read for anyone who is contemplating or has chosen to be child free by choice.

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable

Easy to listen to, I enjoyed it especially closer to the end. Think I may be a little old (at 37) for some of it as the language was a bit ‘young’ and I found some of it a little cliched but maybe I’m cynical! Good holiday read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Refreshing listen

So nice to listen to a story where many personal views on children are shared and normalised. Really felt the genuine connections created between the characters. Highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

Such a gorgeous book. As a mum with two children who in the early days asked my self every day “WHY THE FUCK did I decide to procreate?”, I got this book. It resonated, haaaard!
Love/hate all the characters. I want to send it onto all my child free friends and I will be more mindful of the language I use when talking about this topic.

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