Natural Selection

A Short Story

Preview

Failed to add items

Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.

Add to basket failed.

Please try again later

Add to wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Remove from wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Adding to library failed

Please try again

Follow podcast failed

Unfollow podcast failed

£0.00 for first 30 days

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Get 3 months for £0.99/mo

Get this deal

Try Premium Plus free

Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.

Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.

1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.

Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.

Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.

Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.

Access exclusive sales and deals.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Natural Selection

By: Elin Hilderbrand

Narrated by: Erin Bennett

Get this deal

Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £1.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

When her boyfriend bails at the last minute, a New York woman embarks on their couples’ cruise alone to find that maybe the person she was supposed to fall in love with was herself.

After a string of bad dates and no prospects, Sophia Othonos has finally hit the jackpot: an actual nice guy. When he suggests a romantic getaway, she’s sure they’re about to take the next step toward their future. A rustic cruise to the Galápagos Islands isn’t exactly her idea of a vacation, but Sophia is ready for anything…until her boyfriend has to cancel.

Now she’s all alone on a trip that was meant for two. Sophia finds herself at a crossroads about who she is, what she wants, and whether her relationship is really everything she thought. But if she’s going to suffer an identity crisis, at least she gets to do it amid the unexpected majesty of nature.

Eight days of wild, unobstructed beauty are enough to make anyone reevaluate their life. These islands are all about adapting to your surroundings—and change just might be what Sophia needs most of all.

Anthologies & Short Stories

Coming of Age

Genre Fiction

Short Stories

Women's Fiction

Listeners also enjoyed...

Critic reviews

“Narrator Erin Bennett gives a great performance, delving into Sophia's ruminations with excellent pacing and varying tones that reveal her feelings about her life as it is now and how she got there. The Galapagos Islands become the force of nature that helps Sophia decide what her future will look like. The story is short, but the effects of Bennett's performance may persuade listeners to check in with their own lives and feelings.” —AudioFile Magazine

Most relevant

Very average but perfectly listenable short story. However, no, the firefighter from Birmingham, UK was not called Tucker. No firefighter from Birmingham UK is called Tucker. As a UK native that was jarring.

Perfectly fine

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I loved the story but to charge full price for a short is a con shame on you Amazon. Love Elin Hildebrand. Unfortunately not the price for a short!

What a con by Amazon full price for a short story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Good quick short story and easy to listen to. Will look for more books by the author.

Good short story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.