
The Cactus
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Narrated by:
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Katherine Manners
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Written by:
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Sarah Haywood
About this listen
A Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine on Audible Pick
“I’m so excited to announce that our first pick of the summer is The Cactus by Sarah Haywood. This title is a perfect metaphor for Susan, who is a single, regimented woman faced with an unexpected pregnancy just as she navigates a difficult family inheritance issue at the same time. I found myself laughing out loud at Susan’s prickly character as she finds herself in a love triangle, navigating family ties, and dealing with nine months of pregnancy at the age of 45. Hope y’all love Susan as much as I do!” (Reese Witherspoon)
In this witty and heartfelt debut, one woman’s unconventional journey to motherhood means learning to embrace the unexpected
Even the prickliest cactus has its flower....
For Susan Green, messy emotions don’t fit into the equation of her perfectly ordered life. She has a flat that is ideal for one, a job that suits her passion for logic, and an “interpersonal arrangement” that provides cultural and other more intimate benefits. But suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother and the news that she is about to become a mother herself, Susan’s greatest fear is realized. She is losing control.
When she learns that her mother’s will inexplicably favors her indolent brother, Edward, Susan’s already dismantled world is sent flying into a tailspin. As Susan’s due date draws near and her family problems become increasingly difficult to ignore, Susan finds help and self-discovery in the most unlikely of places.
Featuring an endearing cast of characters and tremendous heart, The Cactus is a poignant debut and a delightful reminder that some things can’t be explained by logic alone.
Sarah Haywood studied law and has worked as a solicitor, an advice worker, and an investigator of complaints about lawyers. She now lives in the UK with her husband and two sons. The Cactus is her first novel.
©2018 Sarah Haywood (P)2018 Harlequin Enterprises, LimitedYou may also enjoy...
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What listeners say about The Cactus
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- coach amanda
- 2021-01-09
Enjoyable, but not remarkable
I enjoyed listening to this story. It is not a remarkable work of literature, but its well written, the story is relatable and it was interesting enough to hold my attention
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- Tatiana
- 2021-03-07
Fabulous!
Delightful read with profound insights in to human nature. Absolutely fabulous from the first line to the last. Delicious like a rich Chardonnay sipped while resting on the porch of a century home.
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- shan
- 2019-06-07
quirky
she is such a quirky woman !!! I had to shake my head a couple of times at her thought process but I enjoyed the story overall.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anne
- 2020-12-07
It was alright.
The main character is hard to like at first. The story line was good.
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- Marjorie E
- 2019-06-25
Excellent story and narration
Odd how I found the sorry almost irritating to me at first then I was enthralled as I realized that was all part of the delicate yet powerful story line as we get to know the main character. The story thoroughly engaged me and I thought the narration was first rate - truly enjoyed it and would love to listen to another by Ms Manners
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2 people found this helpful
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- Cheryl-Ann
- 2022-05-29
Stay with it and you will feel all the feels
I was struggling to focus at first and actually paused the book to switch to another a couple of times. However, I liked the narrators voice and returned to the book. I am pleased I did as I finally got into the story and characters enjoyed the last 2/3 of the book immensely.
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- Gary Bikman
- 2022-06-02
Delightful
Fun, interesting, satisfying; we’ll developed characters; excellent performance. Can’t wait to recommend it to my daughters.
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- Happy Order Customer
- 2019-08-24
One would never expect
At first I wanted the story to move along.. then I started to live the story.. so true life as far as I was concerned... from tears to joy!!!
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- TLM
- 2019-12-12
Good ending SLOW start
I am glad I stuck with this book because it definitely got better but the beginning is really slow and I found it quite frustrating.
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- S.S.
- 2022-03-31
A joy
The protagonist is very English haha. A very sweet love story and performed wonderfully by Katherine Manners.
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