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  • Commonwealth

  • Written by: Ann Patchett
  • Narrated by: Hope Davis
  • Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (52 ratings)

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Commonwealth

Written by: Ann Patchett
Narrated by: Hope Davis
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Publisher's Summary

The acclaimed best-selling author - winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize - tells the enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families' lives.

One Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating's christening party uninvited. Before evening falls, he has kissed Franny's mother, Beverly - thus setting in motion the dissolution of their marriages and the joining of two families.

Spanning five decades, Commonwealth explores how this chance encounter reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved. Spending summers together in Virginia, the Keating and Cousins children forge a lasting bond that is based on a shared disillusionment with their parents and the strange and genuine affection that grows up between them.

When, in her 20s, Franny begins an affair with the legendary author Leon Posen and tells him about her family, the story of her siblings is no longer hers to control. Their childhood becomes the basis for his wildly successful book, ultimately forcing them to come to terms with their losses, their guilt, and the deeply loyal connection they feel for one another.

Told with equal measures of humor and heartbreak, Commonwealth is a meditation on inspiration, interpretation, and the ownership of stories. It is a brilliant and tender tale of the far-reaching ties of love and responsibility that bind us together.

©2016 Ann Patchett (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers
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What listeners say about Commonwealth

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

not good, not bad.

I wanted to love this story. I recently listened to the Dutch House and liked it quite a bit.
for me, this story just didn't really have a purpose. the story is trying to weave all the twists and turns that life takes over different generations into an outcome, but I think it's lacking entertainment. quite slow at times.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it! A tale of two families that become one

This is the second book I’ve listened to on audible by Anne patchett. The Dutch House was the first and to be honest I only did so because it was narrated my Tom Hanks and I’m a big fan but am I ever glad I did.

The character development is incredible and her style of jumping around the time line and blending the characters stories together paint a vivid picture for the reader.

The story is about two families and theirs lives as they grow up together. The imperfect characters are relatable made me very reflective of my own life.

Great book I’ll be listening to everything by her on audible.

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