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The Binding

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The Binding

By: Bridget Collins
Narrated by: Carl Prekopp
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About this listen

LOSE YOURSELF IN THE BREAKOUT SENSATION OF THE YEAR

SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019

SpellbindingGuardian

Magic’ Erin Kelly

ImmersiveSunday Times

Astounding’ Anna Mazzola

Emmett Farmer is a binder’s apprentice. His job is to hand-craft beautiful books and, within each, to capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory.

If you have something you want to forget, or a secret to hide, he can bind it – and you will never have to remember the pain it caused.

In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, row upon row of books – and secrets – are meticulously stored and recorded.

Then one day Emmett makes an astonishing discovery: one of the volumes has his name on it.

©2019 Bridget Collins (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers
Fantasy Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism

Critic Reviews

"The Binding is a dark chocolate slice of cake with a surprising, satisfying seam of raspberry running through it. It is a rich, gothic entertainment that explores what books have trapped in them and reminds us of the power of story telling. Spellbinding." (Tracy Chevalier)

"Pure magic. The kind of immersive storytelling that makes you forget your own name. I wish I had written it." (Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said)

"Truly spellbinding...readers will sink gratefully into the pleasures of its pages.... Like a wonderful meal made from a few simple ingredients: the feeling in your chest when you hold someone in your arms for the first time; the sight of a host of bluebells. In recent years, the state of the world has threatened to make us forget the simple pleasures of kisses and bluebells and thick novels that tell stories of heartbreak. Here is a book to help us remember." (Guardian)

What listeners say about The Binding

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Magical

A hauntingly magical love story. Once I read the first page I was spellbound. Swept along with the story I had to keep listening. The narrator had me hook line and sinker.

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Best book I’ve read this year

Loved this book!

I could listen to a whole book of just existing in the world she created but holy wow, the (for lack of a better term) interpersonal stuff.

This was amazing. So visceral. So intense.

I have no doubt the text book is amazing but the audio - the Sheffield accent! Such an excellent book.

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Beautiful fairytale

Loved this book. Loved the story. Read it with a holding breath. This book will take you away until the end.

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The binding

What an amazing story, so beautifully written, I enjoyed every minute . Thank you Bridget Collins

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Finishing this is like recalling a lost memory

I can not believe I left this book unlistened to for so long. The author has crafted such a magical story and the narrator did a fantastic job sharing the pages. It will make your heart soar and ache. Immediately Ive googled if there is a follow up. I'm hungry for another chance to voyeristically view this love story so I'll be relistening to this again

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wow! blew my socks off

This beautiful book blew my socks off. I didn't want it to end. This is a Special Book.
The Binding is that rare and precious gem in the fantasy genre: a genuinely new experience.
The world Bridget Collins has built is familiar enough to fantasy readers but had such an interesting flavour to it that I truly can't wait to spend more time there.
The story is fresh and engaging - I really didn't know where it was going and loved the feeling of being without a map, rather than the usual, well-trod roads of the genre.
The concept is one that seemed to me simultaneously new and completely inevitable.
I'm actually struggling to find the words to describe this experience. It was really good, okay? Read it!

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Wow great story

The story was spellbinding. It makes you wonder and then sucks you in making it hard to turn it off.

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Surprisingly delighted!

This book is not what I expected at all! Don’t remember reading a book like it! Mystical themes, set in another era with scandal & intrigue and love.
The actual Binding is a small part in the whole interesting story of lives interwoven.
Would definitely recommend this book!! I usually read crime mystery types and was looking for a deep & involved story that didn’t centre on a murder plot. Fantastic. Will read again for sure

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Interesting Unusual book

Could not put it down. Really enjoyed the book. It was read well. I could not work what was going to happen next.

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Beautiful.

The most beautiful piece of writing I have ever read. Simply sublime. Sad when it ended.

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