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Take Nothing with You

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Take Nothing with You

By: Patrick Gale
Narrated by: Patrick Gale
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About this listen

From the bestselling author of A PLACE CALLED WINTER comes a new novel of boyhood, coming of age, and the confusions of desire and reality. For all readers of Ian McEwan's ATONEMENT or L P Hartley's THE GO-BETWEEN.

1970s Weston-Super-Mare and ten-year-old oddball Eustace, an only child, has life transformed by his mother's quixotic decision to sign him up for cello lessons. Music-making brings release for a boy who is discovering he is an emotional volcano. He laps up lessons from his young teacher, not noticing how her brand of glamour is casting a damaging spell over his frustrated and controlling mother.

When he is enrolled in holiday courses in the Scottish borders, lessons in love, rejection and humility are added to daily practice.

Drawing in part on his own boyhood, Patrick Gale's new novel explores a collision between childish hero worship and extremely messy adult love lives.

©2018 Patrick Gale (P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Highlander

Critic Reviews

Absolutely one of his complete best. So many funny and tender and terrific scenes. He hovers between social comedy and apocalyptic tragedy without the move appearing artificial or contrived. Just a wonderful, wonderful read (Stephen Fry)
Safe in the arms of Patrick Gale's BEAUTIFUL writing again - I could weep with joy. (Joanna Cannon)
All stars
Most relevant
This was an extraordinarily brilliant listen. The narrator is the author which is an amazing duo. He is superb to listen to and the writing is like listening to a musical piece which rises and falls with lyrical intent.
I would recommend to anyone who loves depth and creative non fiction and is a lover of life and music.

Superb

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I enjoyed this book about young people and puberty and there sexual prefrance
Thank you very much Patrick Gale much appreciated.

Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale

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I am rating this book as one of my all time favourites. I do love music so maybe that drew me in but the storyline was wonderful and real. The narrator was brilliant and I enjoyed his every word . I did not want the book to end and now feel heavy of heart.
I will cherish this story.

I was captured from word go

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Such a wonderful story it’s a shame when it ends. The narration is excellent too.

Enchanting

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A wonderful story and beautifully narrated by the author. Loved it. Would have liked to have had confirmation that Eustice’s mum actually had a lesbian affair that seemed obvious but maybe only in my mind.

String theory.

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Closed this south 3.5 hrs to go. Very slow storyline with no real captive essence.

Boring!!!!!

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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.