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The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted

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The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted

By: Robert Hillman
Narrated by: Julian Pulvermacher
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About this listen

A wonderfully tender and moving novel by award-winning author Robert Hillman.

Tom Hope doesn’t think he’s much of a farmer, but he’s doing his best. He can’t have been much of a husband to Trudy, either, judging by her sudden departure. It’s only when she returns, pregnant to someone else, that he discovers his surprising talent as a father. So when Trudy finds Jesus and takes little Peter away with her to join the holy rollers, Tom’s heart breaks all over again.

Enter Hannah Babel, quixotic small-town bookseller: the second Jew, and the most vivid person, Tom has ever met. He dares to believe they could make each other happy.

But it is 1968: 24 years since Hannah and her own little boy arrived at Auschwitz. Tom Hope is taking on a battle with heartbreak he can barely even begin to imagine.

©2018 Robert Hillman (P)2018 W. F. Howes Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Jewish Literary Fiction World Literature Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

“Hillman’s ability to conjure up the rhythms and texture of rural life is a source of joy... This is a novel about the importance of freedom as well as the redemptive qualities of love - and how facing up to the past can be the key to both freedom and love." (Saturday Paper)

"Robert Hillman entwines, with risk and skill, different and seemingly incompatible stories... He adds heft to the distinguished fiction of rural Australia." (Australian)

"The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted is a celebration of the re-creation of families after heartbreak, and in particular the love between father and son. Highly recommended." (New Zealand Herald)
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A Little slow at times , utterly heartbreaking at other. I felt like i was in country victoria with such accurate, and emotional descriptions. A little predictable but these sort of dramas usually are. That said , i do recommend this, I finished over 2 days i had to finish. worth the listen.

Thouroughly enjoyed the story and the narrator

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Well written and Aldo history that needs to be known. Highly recommend this book. A great story from a different angle

Great story

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A lovely story that had so much sadness but lots of joy to try and balance it out. Love lost and found again with a comforting finish

A great story of joy and sadness wrapped together

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I loved it! 🎈
A great yarn I listened whilst doing a long drive It was perfect.

A great change

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Might be the best audio book I've ever listened to. Fantastic narrator brought complex characters to life. loved it.

Might be the best audiologist I've ever listened t

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set in outback Australia but linking in the war, books, love and murder.
great book that I couldn't stop listening to.

great Australian novel

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I loved this book from start to finish. The authors capacity to make the ordinary flash with genius was sustained throughout. Loved the Aussieness of Tom and the community of Hometown juxtaposed with the European characters. The descriptions of farm life, the personalities of the animals were richly described. Hannah’s heartache as a survivor of the Holocaust amplified the preciousness of delight in simple moments. So much to love about this story. Will be reading everything I can of Robert Hillman - he’s a genuine storyteller . The narrator was brilliant!

Poignant page turner.

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An interesting and unusual story that tugs at the heart strings. A story of love and loss and renewed faith. I love the author's easy style and descriptive passages. Beautifully narrated. I thought it ended a bit too abruptly. I would have liked a little more.

Beautifully written and narrated

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I loved this story and the narration was just right. I can thoroughly recommend it

A great read

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The narration was good. The story was interesting but it was almost like there was 2 stories that ran side by side with 1 common denominator "Tom" . However there didn't seem to be enough to tie the 2 stories together. I also found the endingvto be incomplete. However overall there are a lot worse books out there and this one won't tax your concentration too much.

Interesting but not enthralling

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