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  • The Book of Polly

  • A Novel
  • By: Kathy Hepinstall
  • Narrated by: Jenna Lamia
  • Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (12 ratings)

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The Book of Polly

By: Kathy Hepinstall
Narrated by: Jenna Lamia
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Summary

With a kick like the best hot sauce, this is the laugh-out-loud story of a girl determined to keep up with her aging, crazy-as-a-fox mother.

Willow Havens is 10 years old and obsessed with the fear that her mother will die. Her mother, Polly, is a cantankerous, take-no-prisoners Southern woman who lives to chase varmints, drink margaritas, and antagonize the neighbors - and she sticks out like a sore thumb among the young, modern mothers of their small conventional Texas town. She was in her late 50s when Willow was born, so Willow knows she's here by accident, a late-life afterthought. Willow's father died before she was born, her much older brother and sister are long grown and gone and failing elsewhere. It's just her and bigger-than-life Polly.

Willow is desperately hungry for clues to the family life that preceded her, and especially Polly's life pre-Willow. Why did she leave her hometown of Bethel, Louisiana, 50 years ago and vow never to return? Who is Garland Jones, her long-ago suitor who possibly killed a man? And will Polly be able to outrun the Bear, the illness that finally puts her on a collision course with her past?

The Book of Polly has a great blend of humor and sadness, pathos and hilarity. This is a bittersweet novel about the grip of love in a truly quirky family, and you'll come to know one of the most unforgettable mother-daughter duos you've ever met.

©2017 Kathy Hepinstall (P)2017 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

"Delightful...funny and poignant." (People)

"A mother/daughter comedy steeped in quirky characters, personal history mysteries, and no small amount of love, The Book of Polly is a delightful read about one of the world's most fundamental relationships." (Refinery29)

"Hepinstall’s Southern coming-of-age novel...[is] full of laughter and warmth and sadness. This is a warm and fresh tale." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Book of Polly

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Enjoyable listen.

I loved this book, it's a beautiful story with lots of humour. I enjoyed it very much and was always looking forward to listening.

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Captivating

Beautifully detailed and complex characters with an intriguing story that constantly surprises and moves with equal measure. Moments that make you laugh out loud and well up with emotion are brought to life by Lamia's brilliant reading.

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