Macken in Love

By: W. D. Wetherell

Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla

Magically quiet yet deeply satisfying, Macken in Love follows two middle-aged lovers who must navigate personal histories in search of the one thing that has evaded them both.

Lonesome but loveable, 50-year-old Kevin Macken devotes his days to the Irish bakery he inherited from his parents. Once Juilliard-bound, Jill Novak has never recovered from the tragedy that derailed her promising career more than two decades ago. For two people who have all but given up on love, finding each other feels too good to be true.

And in some ways, it is. The harder Macken falls for Jill, the more he finds himself compulsively drawn to her mysterious past. Haunted by a famous painting that may serve as a clue, Macken sets out to learn everything he can about Jill - and in doing so risks the promise of their future together.

From award-winning author W.D. Wetherell, Macken in Love is a profoundly moving story about the many lives we live on the way to finding love.

W. D. Wetherell is the author of over 20 books, including the novels The Writing on the Wall, Chekhov's Sister, and A Century of November. He's won the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, three O'Henry Awards, a National Magazine Award, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year award, and grants from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the National Endowment for the Arts. His book of short stories, Where We Live, is out this fall.

©2018 W. D. Wetherell (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.

Wetherell at his best!

Totally enthralled with this story the way the characters are enthralled by the painting in it. Wetherell does such an amazing job bringing to life emotions we all feel and taking the reader down their own past while accompanying Macken, Jill, and the narrator. This is a work for all ages, from those the same age as the characters to those like me who haven’t reached the same stage of life. Highly recommended and I wish it didn’t have to end!

Powerful

This meticulously crafted narrative is soul wrenching, and yet soaring in its quiet, powerful joy. Wetherell clearly understands people and their motivations, and everything makes sense, but paradoxically nothing he writes is ever trite or predictable. You must have patience for the depth of detail that defines his writing; you will be rewarded for paying attention and appreciating how we all live in the details. This book seems to be about two people but all throughout there is a second story of the narrator who experiences a journey of his own. If you have not read or listened to this author, you are missing something. His writing is particularly suited to the audio medium.

Hmmm....unusual

Well, I guess I expected a story about two lonely people finding each other. This is part of the story, but those two people, especially Macken, are continually sabotaging their own lives. Then there is the friend who brings them together, he's rather a mess himself. I don't know, somehow this whole scenario felt off-kilter. It didn't help that there is a very slight plot, and the author really padded it to get a 7 hour book. Good narrator.

Beautiful story!

This is a love story for grown-ups, one that will make you laugh and cry by the end. A wonderful performance by Chris Ciulla. Highly recommend!

Happy tears

This was such a familiar and moving love story brought to life by Chris Andrew Ciulla's incredible performance. The narrator is a mystery writer named Mike who introduces his two best friends who are unlucky in love. They fall in love and that's when things start to fall apart. I don't want to give too much away, because a lot of what happens is very surprising, but I guarantee that if you have ever found yourself trying not to mess up a good relationship, then this is the book for you. It's also about slightly older people, which I like, since so many love stories are about people in their 20s and 30s. I'm always like, "Whatever! You got time!" The main characters in this book are in their 50s, so when things start to go south (not a spoiler), you really worry for them because you want it all to work out. It really got me, from start to finish. 5 stars to "Macken in Love." I won't soon forget this book!