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The Herd

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The Herd

By: Emily Edwards
Narrated by: Olivia Darnley
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The unputdownable, thought-provoking must-read Richard & Judy book club pick.

You should never judge how someone chooses to raise their child.

Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They're the best of friends, and godmothers to each other's daughters - because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priority.

But what if their choice could harm your own child?

Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child's birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined . . .

'Really beautifully written, compassionately told and incredibly thought provoking. A truly immersive telling of both sides of a story' Susan Lewis, Sunday Times bestselling author

'Gripping, thought-provoking, moving and oh-so-topical, THE HERD tackles the most divisive parenting issue of our age with skill and compassion. Fans of Jodi Picoult will DEVOUR it' Tammy Cohen

© Emily Edwards 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

 Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Medical Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Fiction Exciting Scary Feel-Good

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Critic reviews

It is hard to imagine a more timely novel. A fascinating exploration of all sides of a particularly knotty, politicized issue
Controversial, addictive and clever, and the characters are so multi-layered and complex they are wholly believable.
Wow! What an incredible book, and so timely. I was riveted! Really beautifully written, compassionately told and incredibly thought provoking. A truly immersive telling of both sides of a story.
Fans of Liane Moriarty will love it!
Will have book clubs across the country in hot debate! Brilliant.
Echoes of The Slap
Smart, empathetic and with a knock-out twist.
A must-read about how our individual choices can directly affect those around us.
I loved this book. It put me through the emotional wringer. A genuine rollercoaster that asks big moral questions with beautifully drawn characters who left me in tears but also full of hope
A timely novel, we were completely gripped
All stars
Most relevant
I really enjoyed everything about this book, including the excellent narrator which can sometimes be annoying.

great book

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At first I thought this was just another contrived and pretentious novel cataloguing the modern day bourgeoisie. But after the initial forced first few chapters which seem a little fake, the story takes over and I became invested in the characters. The vaccine debacle has obviously become a lot more topical since covid and this novel sheds light on a contentious issue without patronising the reader or taking specific sides. The characters were perhaps a little two-dimensional but I will forgive it this for the excellent plot and interesting narrative.

Timely, nuanced and astute

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I thoroughly enjoyed this but did find it came down on e side more than the other which in my opinion, it should not have done. I couldn’t get invested in any of the characters at all, I actually disliked them! They were all very smug, self satisfied and entitled, but maybe there were meant to be. That being the case though, this made it hard for me to really care. An interesting take on a difficult topic.

Rather biased

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Excellent story with a very thought provoking subject matter. The characters were excellent. Overall real page turner

Gripping

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Our internal thoughts are sometimes stronger than what we hear!
A controversial topic which is well navigated. 👍

Thought provoking!

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