Faithful

A Novel

By: Alice Hoffman

Narrated by: Amber Tamblyn

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and The Dovekeepers comes a soul-searching story about a young woman struggling to redefine herself and the power of love, family, and fate.

Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend’s future is destroyed in an accident, while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt.

What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor, filled with emotion—from dark suffering to true happiness—a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls—including an angel who’s been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.

Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing, that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who’s ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a roadmap.

Alice Hoffman’s “trademark alchemy” (USA TODAY) and her ability to write about the “delicate balance between the everyday world and the extraordinary” (WBUR) make this an unforgettable story. With beautifully crafted prose, Alice Hoffman spins hope from heartbreak in this profoundly moving novel.

So Deep Yet Entertaining

Alice Hoffman's Faithful was a deeply powerful yet entertaining novel. I love her writing style.

Not a fan of this story.

I normally like Alice’s books. I didn’t care for this one. I had no sympathy for the lead. I don’t think she was a nice person. The performance was good.

Loved it. Beautiful. Essential Alice Hoffman.

The only reason I gave it4 stars is because I've been reading her for decades and. there are so many great ones.

One of her best

Would you consider the audio edition of Faithful to be better than the print version?

Well, obviously I didn't read the print version, but I did not feel I missed anything by listening to it. It is a book which adapts well to being read aloud.

What other book might you compare Faithful to and why?

It actually reminded me of Illumination Night, one of her earlier (maybe even first?) novel. The dark as well as warm and interesting side of suburbia.

What does Amber Tamblyn bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She is a very competent reader and doesn't get in the way of the story - which is largely what I want in a reader, assuming many voices and accents aren't called for.

If you could rename Faithful, what would you call it?

Actually, almost anything else. Faithful is sort of an awful title.

Any additional comments?

She is a superb story teller and she is at her best with this kind of story. It is interesting to watch this character grow in a way that is original and interesting.

Decent Story; Lousy Narration.

What didn’t you like about Amber Tamblyn’s performance?

I always expect an Actor to Perform the story. This one read it...and not that well. It certainly didn't add to the story, and at times was annoying.