The Pact

An Audible Original

By: Thomas Keneally

Narrated by: Keith Scott, Taylor Owynns, Thomas Keneally

From Australia's master storyteller comes an endearing and engaging novella about a journey as unexpected, painful, intriguing and character-filled as life itself.

A cruise was the promise. To cruise away from their troubles. To cruise towards the place where they first met, on the banks of the Thames. A cruise to dwell in their memories together and plan their next chapter.

Paddy and Jenny Davern have had a long and happy marriage together in Sydney. Together they embark on a cruise to London, for the last leisurely journey in each other's company. While on board, they meet a kaleidoscope of adventurous passengers that test their resolve to their promise to each other, and motivations towards their pact.

Thomas Keneally is the renowned author of Schindler's List and The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith. He has won the Miles Franklin Award, the Booker Prize, the Los Angeles Times Prize, the Mondello International Prize and has been made a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library, a Fellow of the American Academy, recipient of the University of California gold medal and is now the subject of a 55 cent Australian stamp.

©2020 Thomas Keneally (P)2020 Audible Australia Pty Ltd.

Tough topic

It took me a while to understand the pact and was disappointed with the ending but the story is thought provoking.

I don’t get suicide

It was hard for me to empathize with the characters in the book because I couldn’t understand why either of them would want to end their lives. Despite that being explained by both of them many times, it still didn’t make sense to me but I stuck with the book till the end.
I loved the language used actually. My favorite quote is “she amended her perfection”. The author used a rich, kind of old fashioned, intonation, which added to the depth of the story and which I enjoyed a lot.

Poor story subject

What a waste of time listening to this book. Nothing interesting ever happened. Kept waiting for it to get good, it never did. Why would a suicide pact be something to write about. The narrator was good, the story wasn’t. Must be why it was free!!