Beartown
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $29.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Marin Ireland
-
Written by:
-
Fredrik Backman
About this listen
2018 Audie Award Finalist for Fiction
The number-one New York Times best-selling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream - and the price required to make it come true.
People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semifinals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.
Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semifinal match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made, and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.
Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.
©2017 Fredrik Backman (P)2017 S&S AudioYou may also enjoy...
-
Remarkably Bright Creatures
- A Novel
- Written by: Shelby Van Pelt
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
-
-
Beautiful, tragic, uplifting… in my top 5 EVER
- By Patrice L. Gordon on 2022-10-07
Written by: Shelby Van Pelt
-
Accountable
- The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed
- Written by: Dashka Slater
- Narrated by: Ariel Blake
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a high school student started a private Instagram account that used racist and sexist memes to make his friends laugh, he thought of it as “edgy” humor. Over time, the edge got sharper. Then a few other kids found out about the account. Pretty soon, everyone knew. Ultimately no one in the small town of Albany, California, was safe from the repercussions of the account’s discovery. Not the girls targeted by the posts. Not the boy who created the account. Not the group of kids who followed it. Not the adults—educators and parents—whose attempts to fix things too often made them worse.
Written by: Dashka Slater
-
Nosy Neighbors
- Written by: Freya Sampson
- Narrated by: Sarah Lambie
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling has lived in Shelley House longer than any of the other residents, and if you take their word for it, she’s as cantankerous as they come. But Dorothy has her reasons for spying. And none of them require justifying herself to Kat Bennett. Twenty-five-year-old Kat has never known a place where she felt truly at home, and crumbling Shelley House is no different. Her neighbors find her prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat’s plagued by a guilty secret from her past.
Written by: Freya Sampson
-
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
- Written by: Tia Williams
- Narrated by: Mela Lee, Preston Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, Ricki Wilde is the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her. When she moves into a Harlem brownstone, she leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. One evening Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way.
-
-
Beautifully written, stunning love story
- By Sydney on 2024-08-13
Written by: Tia Williams
-
The Broken Girls
- Written by: Simone St. James
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants - the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming - until one of them mysteriously disappears.... Vermont, 2014. As much as she's tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister's death.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-10-25
Written by: Simone St. James
-
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
- Written by: Phaedra Patrick
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper lives a simple life. He gets out of bed at precisely 7:30 a.m., just as he did when his wife, Miriam, was alive. He dresses in the same gray slacks and mustard sweater-vest; waters his fern, Frederica; and heads out to his garden. But on the one-year anniversary of Miriam's death, something changes. Sorting through Miriam's possessions, Arthur finds an exquisite gold charm bracelet he's never seen before.
-
-
Wonderful!!! A joy to read.
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-02-04
Written by: Phaedra Patrick
-
Remarkably Bright Creatures
- A Novel
- Written by: Shelby Van Pelt
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
-
-
Beautiful, tragic, uplifting… in my top 5 EVER
- By Patrice L. Gordon on 2022-10-07
Written by: Shelby Van Pelt
-
Accountable
- The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed
- Written by: Dashka Slater
- Narrated by: Ariel Blake
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a high school student started a private Instagram account that used racist and sexist memes to make his friends laugh, he thought of it as “edgy” humor. Over time, the edge got sharper. Then a few other kids found out about the account. Pretty soon, everyone knew. Ultimately no one in the small town of Albany, California, was safe from the repercussions of the account’s discovery. Not the girls targeted by the posts. Not the boy who created the account. Not the group of kids who followed it. Not the adults—educators and parents—whose attempts to fix things too often made them worse.
Written by: Dashka Slater
-
Nosy Neighbors
- Written by: Freya Sampson
- Narrated by: Sarah Lambie
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling has lived in Shelley House longer than any of the other residents, and if you take their word for it, she’s as cantankerous as they come. But Dorothy has her reasons for spying. And none of them require justifying herself to Kat Bennett. Twenty-five-year-old Kat has never known a place where she felt truly at home, and crumbling Shelley House is no different. Her neighbors find her prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat’s plagued by a guilty secret from her past.
Written by: Freya Sampson
-
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
- Written by: Tia Williams
- Narrated by: Mela Lee, Preston Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, Ricki Wilde is the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her. When she moves into a Harlem brownstone, she leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. One evening Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way.
-
-
Beautifully written, stunning love story
- By Sydney on 2024-08-13
Written by: Tia Williams
-
The Broken Girls
- Written by: Simone St. James
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants - the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming - until one of them mysteriously disappears.... Vermont, 2014. As much as she's tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister's death.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-10-25
Written by: Simone St. James
-
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
- Written by: Phaedra Patrick
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper lives a simple life. He gets out of bed at precisely 7:30 a.m., just as he did when his wife, Miriam, was alive. He dresses in the same gray slacks and mustard sweater-vest; waters his fern, Frederica; and heads out to his garden. But on the one-year anniversary of Miriam's death, something changes. Sorting through Miriam's possessions, Arthur finds an exquisite gold charm bracelet he's never seen before.
-
-
Wonderful!!! A joy to read.
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-02-04
Written by: Phaedra Patrick
What the critics say
What listeners say about Beartown
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Melanie O
- 2018-09-27
Great book for hockey lovers!
An enjoyable listen for anyone but especially for hockey lovers. The narration was excellent. Would recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- "a_music_lover"
- 2018-09-13
Loved it!!!
One of my favourite books, such a great story and it didn't end the way I expected it to. #Audible1
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2023-01-30
Great book
Highly recommend this story. From start to finish this book will keep you wanting more.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CheleL
- 2023-08-10
One of my favourite audiobooks ever!!
I loved this book! I love the story. I loved how well and cleverly it was written. I loved how well the narrator did. I have been recommending it to everyone and it is a so nice to be excited about sharing an excellent listening experience.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- bettina.hamelin
- 2023-09-16
Suspenseful and heartwarming!
Disturbing story beautifully written and wonderfully read with the best ending ever! I could not stop listening!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert Blackhall
- 2020-07-04
really enjoyed it
A great book for someone who played team sports as a kid, that takes some unexpected turns along the way.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-03-25
Wow!
If you love hockey, you will love this book.
If you hate hockey, you love this book.
If you’re a woman you will hate and love this book.
If you’re a man you SHOULD love this book.
Most of all, if you love a story that leaves you questioning both society and yourself while completely enthralled in the characters, you’ll love this book. Outstanding!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2022-12-13
Addictive
I read winners first, then Beartown. Still so good. Felt like I knew the characters
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RBinBC
- 2023-02-18
Loved it
I liked the reader and just kept wanting to hear more. Messed with my sleep schedule 😂
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J
- 2024-01-10
A Good Story Improved by an Excellent Narrator
The story is good, but not great. It took time to build up, and it was fairly obvious where it was going due to the way Fredrik Backman foreshadows events. I found it annoying. He keeps hitting you over the head with overt foreshadowing. The following lines are examples:
“In hindsight Kira will wish a thousand times over that she had forced her daughter to stay at home.”
“There’s a storm brewing.”
“That’s the last time they see each other in their childhood. That ends tonight.”
Geez, I wonder if something bad is going to happen?
Some of the characters are great to read about, but most of the adult male characters are flawed to the point of being unlikeable. It almost felt like Backman was saying while adult men who like hockey are generally bad people.
Narrator Marin Ireland was excellent, she improved my overall enjoyment of the story. If I had just been reading the story I may have lost interest.
I’m not sure that I’ll continue with the next book in the series. Most characters had a satisfying ending. There is a bit of a cliffhanger for one major character. That cliffhanger ending might draw me back into the series.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!