Listen free for 30 days
-
Backpack
- Narrated by: Emma Fenney
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Women's Fiction
People who bought this also bought...
-
Stranded
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bruised from the breakdown of her marriage, Esther Lomax needs to get away, and Malaysia seems the perfect place. But a day's boat trip takes a desperate turn when Esther and six other holidaymakers are taken to a desert island and their guide doesn’t return. As the days pass, tensions erupt, secrets emerge, and time increasingly runs out, Esther must ask herself: Will she leave the island alive?
-
-
Wicked Girls
- By jennifer on 26-12-13
-
The Sleeper
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A tense, gripping psychological thriller, with Hitchcockian overtones, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Sophie Hannah and Rosamund Lupton. Lara Finch is living a lie. Everyone thinks she has a happy life in Cornwall, married to the devoted Sam, but in fact she is desperately bored. When she is offered a new job that involves commuting to London by sleeper train, she meets Guy and starts an illicit affair. But then Lara vanishes from the night train without a trace.
-
-
Excellent.
- By VJ on 22-02-14
-
The Perfect Lie
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond, Penelope Rawlins, Julia Franklin
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Lucy Riddick, Venice has always been the dream destination, the ideal place to lose herself. And now she needs to do just that. The secret she's been keeping has finally caught up with her and Lucy needs to disappear - fast. But what if, when she sets foot in Venice, Lucy finds the one thing she has been running from?
-
-
WOW what a strange intense and well crafted book!
- By Podenco Fan on 29-11-19
-
The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Tamaryn Payne
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arty has always lived in the Clearing, a small settlement in the forests of south India. But their happy life, hidden from the rest of the world, is shattered by a terrible accident. For the first time in her 16 years, Arty must leave the only place she's ever known, into the outside world she's been taught to fear. Her only goal is to get help from a woman called Tania, who used to live in the forest, and the Uncle she knows is out there, somewhere. As she embarks on the terrifying journey, pursued by an enemy she can't fathom, Arty soon realises that not everyone is to be trusted.
-
-
Often hilarious but equally heartbreaking
- By Mandy on 16-07-19
-
The Castaways
- By: Lucy Clarke
- Narrated by: Jess Nesling, Helen Phillips
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It should be like any other holiday. Beautiful beaches. Golden sunsets. Nothing for miles. You’ll never want to leave. Until you can’t....
-
-
Incredible until end
- By Katherine Tucker on 26-03-21
-
The Truth and Lies of Ella Black
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Kelby Keenan
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ella Black seems to live the life most other 17-year-olds would kill for...Until one day, telling her nothing, her parents whisk her off to Rio de Janeiro. Determined to find out why, Ella takes her chance and searches through their things. And realises her life has been a lie. Unable to comprehend the truth, Ella runs away, to the one place they'll never think to look - the favelas. But there she learns a terrible secret - the truth about the deepest, darkest side of herself....
-
-
Unlikable main character
- By Lizzie on 13-01-18
-
Stranded
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bruised from the breakdown of her marriage, Esther Lomax needs to get away, and Malaysia seems the perfect place. But a day's boat trip takes a desperate turn when Esther and six other holidaymakers are taken to a desert island and their guide doesn’t return. As the days pass, tensions erupt, secrets emerge, and time increasingly runs out, Esther must ask herself: Will she leave the island alive?
-
-
Wicked Girls
- By jennifer on 26-12-13
-
The Sleeper
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A tense, gripping psychological thriller, with Hitchcockian overtones, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Sophie Hannah and Rosamund Lupton. Lara Finch is living a lie. Everyone thinks she has a happy life in Cornwall, married to the devoted Sam, but in fact she is desperately bored. When she is offered a new job that involves commuting to London by sleeper train, she meets Guy and starts an illicit affair. But then Lara vanishes from the night train without a trace.
-
-
Excellent.
- By VJ on 22-02-14
-
The Perfect Lie
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond, Penelope Rawlins, Julia Franklin
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Lucy Riddick, Venice has always been the dream destination, the ideal place to lose herself. And now she needs to do just that. The secret she's been keeping has finally caught up with her and Lucy needs to disappear - fast. But what if, when she sets foot in Venice, Lucy finds the one thing she has been running from?
-
-
WOW what a strange intense and well crafted book!
- By Podenco Fan on 29-11-19
-
The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Tamaryn Payne
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arty has always lived in the Clearing, a small settlement in the forests of south India. But their happy life, hidden from the rest of the world, is shattered by a terrible accident. For the first time in her 16 years, Arty must leave the only place she's ever known, into the outside world she's been taught to fear. Her only goal is to get help from a woman called Tania, who used to live in the forest, and the Uncle she knows is out there, somewhere. As she embarks on the terrifying journey, pursued by an enemy she can't fathom, Arty soon realises that not everyone is to be trusted.
-
-
Often hilarious but equally heartbreaking
- By Mandy on 16-07-19
-
The Castaways
- By: Lucy Clarke
- Narrated by: Jess Nesling, Helen Phillips
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It should be like any other holiday. Beautiful beaches. Golden sunsets. Nothing for miles. You’ll never want to leave. Until you can’t....
-
-
Incredible until end
- By Katherine Tucker on 26-03-21
-
The Truth and Lies of Ella Black
- By: Emily Barr
- Narrated by: Kelby Keenan
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ella Black seems to live the life most other 17-year-olds would kill for...Until one day, telling her nothing, her parents whisk her off to Rio de Janeiro. Determined to find out why, Ella takes her chance and searches through their things. And realises her life has been a lie. Unable to comprehend the truth, Ella runs away, to the one place they'll never think to look - the favelas. But there she learns a terrible secret - the truth about the deepest, darkest side of herself....
-
-
Unlikable main character
- By Lizzie on 13-01-18
-
While You Were Sleeping
- By: Kathryn Croft
- Narrated by: Julie Maisey
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tara Logan adores her perfect little family: husband, Noah, and two children, teenager Rosie and 11-year-old Spencer. But her happiness is shattered when she wakes in her neighbour Lee Jacobs' bed, with no memory of how she got there or what happened between them. And worse - he has been stabbed to death. Convinced she didn't kill Lee, Tara flees home and stays silent, holding her breath as the investigation grips the neighbourhood.
-
-
Enjoyable but I got stuck at "duh really"
- By Berkshire BookWench on 07-11-17
-
Three Perfect Liars
- By: Heidi Perks
- Narrated by: Sara Poyzer, Rupert Farley, Olivia Darnley
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a body is pulled out of an office fire, three women are first in line for questioning. All of them have reasons for wanting revenge against the company’s CEO.It could be Laura, who has returned to work to find that her maternity cover isn’t leaving. The CEO insists he’s doing what’s best for the company. Laura isn’t convinced he’s telling the truth. Or there’s Mia. Brought in as temporary cover for Laura, she has quickly made herself indispensable - and popular with her colleagues.
-
-
First book by Heidi...
- By Katie Kat Books on 19-04-20
-
The Secrets of Strangers
- By: Charity Norman
- Narrated by: Julie Maisey
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A regular weekday morning veers drastically off-course for a group of strangers whose paths cross in a London café - their lives never to be the same again when an apparently crazed gunman holds them hostage. But there is more to the situation than first meets the eye, and as the captives grapple with their own inner demons, the line between right and wrong starts to blur. Will the secrets they keep stop them from escaping with their lives?
-
-
The best book I’ve ever listened to.
- By Amazon Customer on 16-05-20
-
Forget My Name
- By: J. S. Monroe
- Narrated by: Olivia Mace
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
She arrived into Heathrow after a difficult week at work. Her bag had been stolen. Her whole life was in there - passport, wallet, house key. When she tried to report the theft, she couldn't remember her own name. All she knew was her own address. Now she is at the door of Tony and Laura, a young couple living in Wiltshire. She says she lives in their home. They say they have never met her before. One of them is lying. But which one?
-
-
Good story, and excellent performance
- By ambriel78 on 03-03-19
-
The Wife
- An Unputdownable Psychological Thriller with a Breathtaking Twist
- By: Shalini Boland
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Zoe was sitting in her hotel room, in her perfect white dress, looking forward to the moment when she would make kind, handsome Toby her husband. Then, there was a blank. They said she must have fainted, overcome with emotion. But nothing felt quite right afterward. Did something happen in that missing time?
-
-
fantastic
- By Suzanne sims on 16-10-20
-
The Sanatorium
- By: Sarah Pearse
- Narrated by: Gemma Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An imposing, isolated hotel, high up in the Swiss Alps, is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But she's taken time off from her job as a detective, so when she receives an invitation out of the blue to celebrate her estranged brother's recent engagement she has no choice but to accept. Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge. Though it's beautiful, something about the hotel, recently converted from an abandoned sanatorium, makes her nervous - as does her brother, Isaac.
-
-
Wow! Brilliant!
- By Anonymous User on 08-02-21
-
The Lion's Den
- By: Katherine St. John
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Belle likes to think herself immune to the dizzying effects of fabulous wealth. But when her best friend Summer invites her on a glamorous girls' getaway to the Mediterranean aboard her billionaire boyfriend's yacht, the only sensible answer is yes. Belle hopes the trip will be a much-needed break from her stalled acting career and uniquely humiliating waitressing job, but once aboard the luxurious yacht The Lion's Den it becomes clear that all is not as it seems.
-
-
Lovely Luxurious Mystery Cruise for Lockdown
- By Passion for Podencos on 15-07-20
-
The Mother-in-Law
- A Twisted Psychological Thriller
- By: Kiersten Modglin
- Narrated by: Tim Paige, Christa Lewis
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Loren meets Jack, she’s sure he’s the man she’s been waiting for - a perfect husband and father for her young daughter. Shortly after their wedding, their plans to start a life together are put on hold when the couple receives word that Jack’s father has died. In an effort to appease her new husband, Loren invites her mother-in-law, Coralee, to stay with them while she grieves. When strange things begin to occur just after her arrival, Loren questions how much she knows about the woman she invited into her home.
-
-
Kept me engaged to the end!
- By ms s womack on 06-12-20
-
Invisible Girl
- By: Lisa Jewell
- Narrated by: Donna Banya, Rebekah Staton, Connor Swindells
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Saffyre Maddox was 10 when something terrible happened; she's carried the pain of it around with her ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn't, and now she hides from him, invisible in the shadows, learning his secrets; secrets she could use to blow his safe, cosy world apart. Owen Pick is invisible, too. He's 33 years old and he's never had a girlfriend, he's never even had a friend. Nobody sees him. Nobody cares about him. But when Saffyre Maddox disappears from opposite his house on Valentine's night, suddenly the whole world is looking at him. Accusing him.
-
-
A Jewell amongst writers, who deserves to be recognised as such
- By Sarah Rayner on 18-08-20
-
The Evidence
- By: K.L. Slater
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Rachel Atkins, Yasmin Mwanza, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esme is a start-up success who runs her own successful media company and heads up a series of investigative podcasts. She also has a beautiful home, where she lives with her sister, Michelle, and her son, Zachary. Sure, there’s an ex-husband hanging around - Owen likes to pop round a bit too often - but everything is civilised and amicable. She has life all tied up. But Esme knows that any successful podcaster is only as good as her last story, so she sets out on a new series of interviews to get to the truth behind Simone Fischer’s high-profile murder of her husband.
-
-
A binger!
- By The Glamizon on 12-02-21
-
Black Heart
- Detective Dan Riley, Book 1
- By: Anna-Lou Weatherley
- Narrated by: James Lailey
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Nigel Baxter, a middle-aged married banker with an unremarkable past, is found dead in the bath of a plush hotel suite, his wrists slit, it looks as if he's taken his own life. At first. But when Detective Inspector Daniel Riley is assigned to the case, he soon realises all isn't as it first appears to be. When a postmortem shows Baxter was poisoned, Riley suspects foul play. And then there's the odd addition of a teddy bear left at the crime scene....
-
-
Great story!
- By Ann D on 21-03-18
-
Unfaithful
- By: Natalie Barelli
- Narrated by: Emily Rankin
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When I arrive unannounced at my husband's studio in need of a shoulder to cry on after hearing that my best student, Alex, has died, I see a pair of wineglasses drying by the sink, and my deepest fear is confirmed: my husband is having an affair. Most women would fall to their knees in tears and throw him out of the house - but I just can't bring myself to do it. Instead, I go home and cook a healthy dinner for our children, walk the dog, and unload the dishwasher without complaint. I need this marriage to work to protect a terrible secret of my own....
-
-
well i didnt expect that!!!
- By miss e m aguero on 07-01-21
Summary
The wonderful first novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Sleeper and The Sisterhood.
It's New Year's Day and the year isn't kicking off well for Tansy: her mother's dead, she's a cocaine addict and her boyfriend has just left her. A trip around the world seems like the only option except that she's not interested in seeing the world, just escaping from it, and the last people she wants to hang out with are backpackers.
Like a lot of travellers on the Lonely-Planet-led Asian Grand Tour, Tansy is intensely irritating at first. Always on the look out for the "real" Vietnam--the one in which she can walk around "like a model, fanning myself gently, strolling into ancient temples and learning about inner peace"--she is opinionated, narrow-minded and remarkably naive (for a supposed media luvvy). Once she has shrugged off her addiction to lines of coke, skinny lattes and Nicole Fahri jumpers, she becomes more appealing. So by the time she's fallen for Max, a fellow traveller, she'll have won you over and you'll be just as worried as she is about the serial killer who appears to be on her trail.
Emily Barr has written columns and travel pieces for the Observer and the Guardian for several years, and her previous novels have all been critically acclaimed. She lives in Cornwall with her husband and three children.
More from the same
What listeners say about Backpack
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Read and Reviewed
- 02-12-15
A solid 4 star listen - enjoyable.
What did you like most about Backpack?
For me, it was hearing about Tansy as she travelled the world. In essence she is seeking an escape from her life in the UK and the fact that she is not the stereotypical travelling kind of person ensured this captured her cynicism perfectly! Lightly humorous and good expression in the narrators voice.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Backpack?
The backpack travels were told with subtle humour and I found the moments when Tansy encountered over travellers kept this story feeling fresh.
Which character – as performed by Emma Fenney – was your favourite?
Tansy - without a doubt. This is her story and I loved seeing how much she changed over the course of her travels.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No probably not. I listened to this over several days and it was great to get little chunks of the backpack experience.
Any additional comments?
A solid narration of a very good book. A solid 4 star - perhaps not setting the world alight but a really great story to get into and some nice moments of humour.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- V
- 20-01-17
fantastic visuals and a good plot
really excellent in terms of conjuring up images of all the amazing places Tansy visits. she is such an unlikeable character in the beginning but the author and narrator are very successful in making you want to stick with her. The serial killer storyline almost feels irrelevant as Tansy's personal journey is more than interesting enough but it is well executed regardless. Only wish the ending was a little less abrupt!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeeds
- 04-12-14
Great Story, Great Narration!
Having read/listened to other books by Emily Barr, I had no qualms in using my monthly credit to download 'Backpack'. I found out that 'Backpack' is one of Emily Barr's early books; in fact I believe it is her first, and as I am familiar with her style and plot choices in later books, I did see the main reveal at the end of the book coming. However, it is still a great story and there were other smaller surprises along the way.
The author creates an honest and tangible description of Asia and the main character, Tansy, starts off quite hateful (yet some of her comments are laugh out loud funny) but she really goes on a "journey" ending the story as a much more enlightened and balanced young woman. I loved the narration and thought that Emma Fenney was fantastic at conveying pace and emotion and her accents for different characters were pretty darn good too! All around an excellent listen!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Murder Mystery Thriller Fan
- 09-09-18
BRIDGET JONES' BAD BIG SISTER BACKPACKING MURDER!
If you love Bridget Jones, fabulous travelogs and murder mysteries - then this is the one for you! Terrible tearaway Tansy, journalist and party girl is like Bridget Jones on crack, though coke is her preferred drug of choice along with copious amounts of drink. This goodtime girl is so very well read by narrator Emma Fenney, that it had me in fits of laughter, while the wonderfully evocative descriptions of a trek through Vientnam, Laos, Thailand, China and Tibet really made me feel like I was there. The murder mystery which runs in tandem with the travels added drama and menace to the fun proceedings and the journey of course is as much about the character as the route as she faces her demons while never losing her sense of humour. I did guess the murderer before the reveal, but really the book was far more than a whodunnit, hilarious though the subject matter was gritty and so very different from this author's other excellent thrillers like Sleeper and Stranded which I adored also. This is a unique book and I loved every minute. I have never had any great wish to visit Asia and definitely not to backpack anywhere but now thanks to this book I feel I actually have done both in really hilarious company. So well written and a real breath of fresh air. I do so hope Audible will offer more of Emily Barr's books to us in the future like "Cuban Heels" and the sequel to this book "The Life You Want" as well as "The Sisterhood", "Out of My Depth" and "First Wife" ...... as they all look excellent but now am so hooked on audio books I would prefer them to be read to me!!!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mr Chops
- 12-11-14
Escape
I read this on my first round the world trip so it has special memories for me. I enjoyed the audible version, it also transported me away from grey oppresive London to the energy and life of a holiday in Asia.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Annie112358
- 24-10-20
Brilliant
I absolutely loved this book, a compulsive read with humour, drama and mystery. It was well written and well performed.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nicks
- 14-04-19
Very engaging!
I really like this author as you cant predict her plots or endings (different to the usual thrillers). As the characters travel around various countries, some interesting information is presented without it being too 'heavy'. Definitely a recommended book and the narration was brilliant!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Millie
- 02-05-15
Guessing till the End
I didn't even even guess that it was him. Great writing once again by this brilliant author. Will read more.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JaDe
- 08-07-15
What is the genre?
I enjoyed Backpack. It is a bit confused though. Is it a voyage of self-discovery? A romance? A crime novel? Initially the main character came across as shallow and self-centred to the extent that I wondered why anyone liked her. However she improved on deeper acquaintance and was clearly trying to come to terms with her past difficulties. These difficulties were extreme and once this became clear it seemed a miracle that she was as grounded as she was. Also, given the traumatic nature of her past, her character could have been explored more thoroughly.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Starling
- 23-06-15
Not extremely impressed
Not extremely impressed :/ slightly disappointed about the story line.
Did not particularly enjoy it I have to say.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- BC27
- 27-09-14
LOved the Narration
Where does Backpack rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
While I was not sure in the beginning if I wanted to continue, the narration by Emmy Fenney was Brilliant!! I became totally absorbed by Tanzey and her adventure while not wholly believable it was storytelling at its best, I laughed at times and shrugged at times but what kept me going was the voice of both the author and the narrator, Loved it because of her narration, she is terrific and should narrate more books.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Backpack?
Tanzey's growing awareness of herself as an independent person, not the daughter, not the girlfriend, not the party girl but her inner self being comfortable with herself, I think there are a lot of lessons in the book for young people.
What does Emma Fenney bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Her voice is Great, I cannot believe there is not another book she has narrated, she showed range, depth, phrasing and she kept me coming back to it, Do More books!!!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- judyp
- 20-01-17
Discovered Emily Barr
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Although the narrative is a bit rapid, the storyline is amusing and entertaining.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
This is an interesting story from a developing writer. It is one of her first books.
Have you listened to any of Emma Fenney’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
First listening to Fenney.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
An excellent travel lit. with some very personal touches and good dry humor.
Any additional comments?
So happy to have discovered Emily Barr. Her stories, especially "The Sleeper" have something for everyone. Her writing is entertaining in every way. Also, a sure listen/read for lovers of British writing and narration. "The Perfect Lie" is also wonderful travel lit. (Venice).
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- JEMME
- 12-01-17
All of the action is in the last 30 minutes
I listened for HOURS at this woman's musings! FINALLY, she met up with the killer, but the confrontation was over in 2 minutes! Aargh!!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- joan
- 30-10-16
Story just ok
I'd read another book by this author and really liked it , but I felt this book was a bit lazily written. The main story is the girl traveling and changing outlook, but the sub plot was under the surface and could have been woven in so much better than it was - it was just eluded to until the end. Narrator is great.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 30-01-21
Hard to relate
I read Sleeper and had high hopes for this book. I found the main character hard to relate to. It was better towards the end but was hard to get into.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- TheAudiobookReview
- 08-09-20
A old favourite of mine brought to life
I was reminded of Backpack by Emily Barr when I saw she had recently released a new book. I bought Backpack as a paperback many years ago now, a few years after its initial release (I’m thinking 2007?). When my Audible credit came up this month, it was time for a revisit.
When I first saw this book waaaaay back when, I remember thinking it was chick-lit (yeah yeah judging books by their covers and all that), so probably not something I’d be interested in. But after I’d read the blurb and it talked of backpacking through Asia with a murderer following close behind, I took the plunge and bought the book.
Once I started reading it I was so glad I did. Since then, I've read it every few years... and the Audible experience just being the most recent. While it is categorised as “Women’s Fiction”, I feel everyone can (and should!) enjoy this.
Tansy, in the beginning of this novel, is a fairly unlikable person. Her mother has just died, and she’s hard drinking / hard drugging herself to forget about it. Convinced to take some time off from her life and go travelling with her boyfriend, she books a backpacking trip through Asia. Her boyfriend pulls out at the last minute and she’s forced to travel alone.
She arrives with impractical clothing and despising everyone, especially the backpackers who she believes herself to be above. Of course along the way she meets many interesting people who she begins to trust and love. As the novel progresses, news of murdered backpackers that look a lot like Tansy are showing up dead, in places she has visited. Of course she becomes less of a douche along the way, and embraces the backpacking way of life.
So part mystery / suspense, part self-discovery, part comedy, this novel deftly blends all three together into a thoroughly enjoyable read. The descriptions of life on the road as a backpacker and of the places and people Tansy meets along the way are immersive, obviously written by someone who has travelled the circuit.
The narrator, Emma Fenney, breathes so much life into Tansy and the other characters. She has a voice that's easy to listen to while adding the needed believability that makes you think you're listening to the true story of someone narrating their way around Asia.
TL;DR Versions
An oldie but a goodie and glad I looked past my preconceptions based on the cover. Give this one a go for sure.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- kathleen
- 06-09-17
WOW!
This book was so fun!!! I love Tansy! The performance was amazing, truly evidence of how a book is enhanced by audio. This is an amazing author. I am a fan for sure. Thirsting for more!!! Especially love this narrator. Must listen!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- sally
- 13-12-16
Loved the narrator !
Where does Backpack rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
fantastic book for a " traveller" you will relate!
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
It definitely kept me listening!
Which character – as performed by Emma Fenney – was your favorite?
I loved Tansy
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
didnt want to stop listening
3 people found this helpful