Fayne
A Novel
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Fayne
Buy Now for $34.96
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Narrated by:
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Ann-Marie MacDonald
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Written by:
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Ann-Marie MacDonald
About this listen
THE INSTANT #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE 2023 PARAGRAPHE HUGH MACLENNAN PRIZE FOR FICTION
A GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
ONE OF CBC’S BEST CANADIAN FICTION BOOKS OF 2022
A beloved writer returns with a tale of science, magic, love and identity.
In the late nineteenth century, Charlotte Bell is growing up at Fayne, a vast and lonely estate straddling the border between England and Scotland, where she has been kept from the world by her adoring father, Lord Henry Bell, owing to a mysterious condition. Charlotte, strong and insatiably curious, revels in the moorlands, and has learned the treacherous and healing ways of the bog from the old hired man, Byrn, whose own origins are shrouded in mystery. Her idyllic existence is shadowed by the magnificent portrait on the landing in Fayne House which depicts her mother, a beautiful Irish-American heiress, holding Charlotte’s brother, Charles Bell. Charlotte has grown up with the knowledge that her mother died in giving birth to her, and that her older brother, Charles, the long-awaited heir, died soon afterwards at the age of two. When Charlotte’s appetite for learning threatens to exceed the bounds of the estate, her father breaks with tradition and hires a tutor to teach his daughter “as you would my son, had I one.” But when Charlotte and her tutor’s explorations of the bog turn up an unexpected artefact, her father announces he has arranged for her to be cured of her condition, and her world is upended. Charlotte’s passion for knowledge and adventure will take her to the bottom of family secrets and to the heart of her own identity.
What the critics say
“A reinvention for the bestselling author. . . . MacDonald is wildly successful in creating a rich Victorian world as seen through a young person’s eyes. . . . With its tenderness and twists that recall Charles Dicken’s Bleak House and the upstairs-downstairs dynamics of shows like Downton Abbey, MacDonald’s fourth novel is a paean to the act of storytelling and a triumph that challenges the constructs of gender.” —Quill and Quire (starred review)
"Engrossing, gorgeous, funny. . . . Fayne illuminates the experience of being queer before such things were discussed openly." —The Globe and Mail
“Richly and minutely detailed . . . Fayne is . . . a subtle meditation on gender identity and environmental degradation that feels precisely attuned to the present. MacDonald’s work has always featured outcasts, and Fayne is her celebration of every marvelous living thing that flourishes on the margins, refusing to be categorized or controlled.” —The Walrus
What listeners say about Fayne
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- KForgaardPullen
- 2022-12-24
Downton Abbey meets Washington Black
Too long in several places, but enjoyed over all. unfortunate lack of context regarding American Civil War.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-12-04
Amazing
Thank you Ann-Marie McDonald for your amazing narration and story. I loved every bit of it!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tracey Robinson
- 2024-02-15
A great story!
This is just a really good story. I thought it
was a bit too fantastical at the end but overall great.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2024-04-15
Magical, Mysterious, Beautiful, Exquisite, Divine!
Unbelievable!!!! I was lost in a complete world of magical thinking, mystical realism, harrowing hope and despair. Highly recommend!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sarah
- 2023-04-02
Heartbreaking and heartwarming epic story
I could not stop listening to this story. I loved it all, the imagery of the Scottish landscape, the mystery, the plot, intrigue, deception and the characters. Ann-Marie bravely wove in a complicated and timely topic in such a powerful and thought provoking way. I doff my hat to you, dear author.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rochelle
- 2022-12-30
Amazing Book!
Bravo! 👏 This long awaited book from Ann- Marie Macdonald did not disappoint! Beautifully Narrated and compelling storyline.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sid Klages
- 2023-02-03
Wonderful book
Superb story and narration. Fascinating situation and educational on so many levels. Anne Marie is such a terrific writer. Loved it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kristie Filion
- 2023-03-02
Exquisite Performance
I was also reading the book but consumed most of the novel by listening to Ann-Marie’s voice. So rich with detail and expertly performed, I couldn’t put down the headphones!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Russet Jones
- 2023-07-07
A great read
An amazing story of human transformation, perseverance and triumph. Very well written. The writer has researched very well around the prominent story lines. The characters are well developed as well. The closing paragraphs are beautifully written and leave the reader with a sense of awe with the wonderful planet we call home.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jessica
- 2023-10-17
A moving and funny masterpiece
I am so glad I chose to listen to this book rather than read it myself. The author does a phenomenal job of bringing each character to life and knows exactly when are where to enhance a word or line for comic effect - something I would have found difficult as a reader because of the type of language used.
I absolutely adored this story and all of the characters. Admittedly, it took me a couple for chapters to get into it, but I’m so glad I persisted because it was so, so worth it. Despite its 30 hours in length, I was so sad when it was over. Brilliant work!
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