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The Things That Matter Most

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The Things That Matter Most

By: Gabbie Stroud
Narrated by: Jo Van Es
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About this listen

The staff of St Margaret's Primary School are hanging by a thread. There's serious litigation pending, the school is due for registration and a powerful parent named Janet Bellevue has a lot to say about everything. As teachers they're trying to remain professional, as people they're fast unraveling. There's Tyson: first year out of Uni and nervous as hell, Derek the Assistant Principal who's dropped the ball on administration, Bev from the office who's confronting a serious diagnosis and Sally-Ann who's desperate for a child of her own.

Thank goodness for kids like Lionel Merrick. Lionel is the student who steals your heart and makes the whole teaching gig worthwhile: he's cheerful, likeable and helpful—and devoted to his little sister Lacey. But Lionel has a secret of his own. As his future slides from vulnerable to dangerous, will someone from St Margaret's realise before it's too late?

As secrets threaten to be exposed and working demands increase, each staff member begins to lose sight of the things that matter most. A moving and compelling novel about teachers and their students by the acclaimed author of the bestselling books Teacher and Dear Parents.

©2023 Gabbie Stroud (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Tear-jerking Student
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It's authenticity, such an accurate snapshot of some of the things our teachers are facing in these troubling times. So sad...

Wonderful but sad story

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As a teacher, I almost couldn’t listen to the story at first. As it went on though, I saw in the characters teachers that I knew. I saw me.
The narration is wonderful. The story is quite simple at its core, but the twists and turns and laughs and heart ache make it a book to embrace. It’s a book teachers and non-teachers alike need to read, although I suspect that some readers might not accept that the trials and emotions in the book are very closely aligned to real experiences teachers face. It’s real all right. A wonderful book.

Gut wrenching and real

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Needs to be made into a movie so all the Janet’s out there can hopefully have a bit more empathy for all the hurdles teachers face trying to provide the best learning experience for their children

Make it into a movie

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Excellent story!
So relatable for anyone working within a school setting. Highly recommend, east listen

Recommend for anyone working in a school setting

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The writing was excellent, narration was great. The story gave me lots to think about. Well worth a listen!

Thought provoking novel

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Excellent story and narration.Felt the plight of teachers,underfunded and overworked and under appreciated for the work they do.

The revealing of the characters

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A painfully beautiful tale that reminds us all of the unrelenting responsibility we put on educators. This novel felt modern and nostalgic of my own childhood school experiences all at once. A deserving 5 star review

Characters that could be any of us…

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Thank you for reading this book so well.
It was a good book that emphasised the complexity of teaching.

Read beautifully

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Loved all the characters. Shows how we can get caught up with all the paperwork and miss the important things under our noses.

Throughly enjoyed listening to this story.

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you will laugh, cry and gasp in this book. I can't recommend it enough. A solid 5 star read for me. The story is both confrontating and comforting as we follow some of the staff of St Margaret's in a country town where there is a mix of rich and poorer, where they mingle together at the local Catholic school. it's a story of community, of injustice, of tragedy, of needing one another, and of wonderful teachers who care. loved it.

a powerful story

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