Try free for 30 days

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Speed of Light cover art

The Speed of Light

By: Elissa Grossell Dickey
Narrated by: Christine Williams
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $28.99

Buy Now for $28.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

A compelling and provocative debut novel told in intersecting timelines over a tumultuous, defining year in one woman’s life.

Simone is trying her best not to think of what she’s lost. Diagnosed with MS, she awaits the results of another anxiety-inducing MRI. She’s just walked away from Connor, “a fixer” but possibly the love of her life. And nearing the holidays, the sights and sounds of winter in South Dakota only prick memories of better years gone by. Then, on a December morning at the university where she works, jarring gunshots pierce the halls. In a temporary safe place and terrified, Simone listens and pretends this will all be over soon.

As she waits for silence, her mind racing, Simone’s past year comes into focus. Falling in love and missing it. Finding strength in family and enduring friendships. Planning for the future, fearing it, and hoping against hope in dark places. Her life has been changing at the speed of light, and each crossroad brought Simone here, to this day, to endure the things she can’t control and to confront those that she can.

©2021 Elissa Grossell Dickey (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

“Christine Williams gives a compelling and affecting narration of this #disabilityawareness novel.... Williams powerfully delivers this complex story and presents the multidimensional characters with nuance and depth. The narrative has multiple storylines, and Williams keeps listeners on track as the plotlines slowly converge.” (AudioFile Magazine)

“Thrilling as it is heart-felt, The Speed of Light drew me in from the first page. While its newly-diagnosed heroine struggles with life’s unexpected twists, Dickey delivers a story about family, friendship, and the kind of love that truly makes us feel seen.” (Elle Marr, bestselling author of The Missing Sister)

“Compellingly readable, Elissa Grossell Dickey’s The Speed of Light takes readers on a harrowing journey through the storm that is Simone Archer’s life, starting with her diagnosis of an unpredictable, incurable illness. With the stakes high, the wry and quick-witted Simone discovers hidden inner strength that drives her forward even as she comes face-to-face with her own mortality. The Speed of Light is a suspenseful tale about overcoming illness and fear, and discovering the untapped powers we have within ourselves.” (Meredith O’Brien, author of four books including Uncomfortably Numb: A Memoir)

More from the same

What listeners say about The Speed of Light

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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.