Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

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.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Distance Between Us

By: Maggie O'Farrell
Narrated by: Susie Riddell
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

Gripping, insightful and deft, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Maggie O'Farrell is a haunting story of the way our families shape our lives, from the award-winning author of THIS MUST BE THE PLACE. It was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller (2005) and won the Somerset Maugham Award.

On a cold February afternoon, Stella catches sight of a man she hasn't seen for many years, but instantly recognises. Or thinks she does. At the same moment on the other side of the globe, in the middle of a crowd of Chinese New Year revellers, Jake realises that things are becoming dangerous.

They know nothing of one another's existence, but both Stella and Jake flee their lives: Jake in search of a place so remote it doesn't appear on any map, and Stella for a destination in Scotland, the significance of which only her sister, Nina, will understand.

©2004 Maggie O'Farrell (P)2004 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Truth About These Strange Times cover art
Hope Farm cover art
How It Ends cover art
The Oceans Between Us cover art
Chosen cover art
The Lost Letters cover art

What listeners say about The Distance Between Us

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    50
  • 4 Stars
    51
  • 3 Stars
    23
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    68
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    43
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Authentic, compelling, romantic


Maggie O’Farrell does it again. Every sentence a delight. Characters compelling - storyline gripping and deeply romantic.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating

A thoughtful and captivating love story which unfolds gradually as the characters become clear and their lives develop in tandem.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Peters out drastically

It started so well with intriguing plot movement and lyrical description but then the initial mysteries of why the characters are the way they are is stretched out across almost the entire length of the book and I got irritated with revisiting the same anxieties that the characters exhibit again and again. I started to fast forward sections in the end just to see how it finished only to find a very lame ending.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Finally it was great

I struggled with all the changes of time.At one point I almost gave up and I actually listened through twice and the second time it was really good.

Because I understood what was happening it felt very different.

I highly recommend it!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Moving love story

A moving love story beautifully described. The changes in time can are a bit tricky and are probably easier to follow in print. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not one of her best books.

Certainly enjoyable and a good plot. However a bit frustrating in terms of character development. Ending predictable but a long time coming. The sub plot of finding Jake's father could have been so much more satisfying. Narration was good

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

I am normally a fan of Maggie O’Farrell and have read several of her books but this one was hard work. I found it rather dull with not much of a story.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Early career

This is a good book, but it really shows the distance O’Farrell has come in her writing in nearly 20 years. The story is not quite there, the key elements are i steresti h but not mined in enough depth. I don’t really believe that the key characters had nearly enough time to develop the strength of their feelings. And the sisters relationship felt like there was so much more to be told. Everything get just not-quite-enough. Ah well I’m glad I’ve read all her others and adore her!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not a great deal to recommend this....

Improbable, implausible & peopled with a cast of characters who fail to display any reason why the reader should engage or empathise with them.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Boring

Boring beyond belief boring boring boring
Boring
Boring
Boring
Boring
Boring
Boring
Boring
Complete Waste of money

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful