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An Ordinary Life
- Narrated by: Amanda Prowse
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
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An Ordinary Life
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Summary
From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a tale of love, loss - and one last extraordinary dance.
Christmas Eve, 2019. Ninety-four-year-old Molly lies in her hospital bed. A stroke and a fall may have broken her body - but her mind is alive with memories.
London, 1940s. Molly is a bright young woman, determined to help the war effort and keep her head up despite it all. Life becomes brighter when she meets and falls in love with a man who makes her forget everything with one dance. But then war forces her to make an unforgettable sacrifice, and when she’s brought to her knees by a daring undercover mission with the French Resistance, only her sister knows the secret weighing heavily on Molly’s heart.
Now, lying in her hospital bed, Molly can’t escape the memories of what she lost all those years ago. But she is not as alone as she thinks.
Will she be able to find peace - and finally understand that what seemed to be an ordinary life was anything but?
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What listeners say about An Ordinary Life
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Claire
- 15-11-21
Don't knock it
I read the first review and nearly balked at this book but so glad I looked at the others. Not at all Mills and Boon certainly enough to inspire me writing a review.
I also surprised myself by crying ( not for a long time have i cried over a book)
Simple and not saccharine and very touched by the ordinary life we all live being so important in connecting us to each other.
All we have is our story
Great view of wartime stuff too.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Marion
- 15-08-21
If you like the word “darling” read on
More of a mushy book I haven’t ever read. I kept reading, hoping there would be some kind of better story. Mills and boon or woman’s own comes to mind. If I heard the phrase darling one more time would be too often.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ann J
- 25-11-21
Simply lovely
A lovely story, well written and brilliantly narrated (read by the author no less).
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Helen
- 12-11-21
Heartwarming Love
The invisible string that binds us with those we hold dear, still strong through life and beyond. Gosh I was in actual tears towards the end of this book, happy, sad, elated and moved in equal measure. What a truly heartwarming story. 94 years by the time she peacefully transitions into the next life, M or Aunt Molly certainly has had a full and abundant life filled with so much. Whilst she strives to have just an ordinary life, she is a completely remarkable lady with a legend of a life story beautifully told. Thank you for the experience of listening to this one Amanda Prowse, I feel deeply moved and inspired.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Teresa McKitterick
- 26-09-21
A beautifully told stpry
This was a lovely and often heartbreaking yet heartwarming story. I loved following along with Molly on her life journey
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 06-12-22
Couldn’t put it down!
What a wonderful listen this was! A beautifully written and narrated page Turner by Amanda Prowse. My heart was invested in Molly from the very beginning and I listened with baited breath and heart in my mouth at times as we traversed the years of her life and all they brought with it! I loved the little nods to movie and theatrical history (the mouse trap play and Star Wars movie, both thought to probably be a ‘flash in the pan’) I loved travelling through the years with Molly, the clothes, the hairstyles (Purdy cut in the 70s etc) and the historical events that occurred. Most of all I loved the sheer range of emotions as I listened to what was effectively a very moving love story of a mothers love for her child. It was so sad in parts yet still very uplifting and thought provoking making me appreciate what I have in life and just how lucky I am. The hardest part now is finding another book to match this one but I’m sure I shall, because luckily for us, Amanda is a prolific writer and having read many of her books, I still haven’t exhausted them all yet thankfully! Thank you so much Amanda for transporting me yet again to a world where I could lose myself in the pages of this wonderful book, having such great narrative and wide range of emotions, wringing me out time and again as I lived Mollys eventful life alongside her, yet bringing me out at the end feeling uplifted and thankful for my life! It’s a very rare author that can do this! Such talent. I loved it, thank you!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mihaela Mereanu
- 11-09-22
a truly sad but amazing story.
lovely voice, easy to listen. i don't know i was expecting a different end for it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Angela Gibson
- 08-09-22
wonderful book
This truly is one of the best books I've listened to. it's heartbreaking at times and I cried a fair bit. The ending was brilliant
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pauline
- 04-06-22
Brilliant
An absolutely wonderful book. The narration is mesmerising . Loved it will read more.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Linda
- 20-05-22
Wonderful
Very warm story that I enjoyed so very much …I have only just started to listen to this Author so will search out others
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- RB
- 30-05-21
Captivating story
An Ordinary Life is the best book I have listened to in a long time. I listen daily, or I should say nightly as I am going to sleep. This is one of the few books I thought about all day long, wondering what would happen next. Usually at bed time I have to remind myself what book I was listening to the night before and what was happening at the time I stopped listening. I loved the characters, the story line, the narrator (who happens to be the author as well), just everything about it. The narrator has such a quiet, soothing voice, initially I was afraid it would lull me to sleep but from the very beginning it was so interesting I stayed awake late listening and listened when I woke up the next morning for a couple of hours. I did the same thing the next night and this morning iI listened to the last two hours of it. I highly recommend this book.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A grateful parent
- 05-06-21
Prowse is at the top of her game
The author’s charming narration of this insightful tale of one woman’s sacrifice and heroism is not to be missed. A true standout in WWII fiction. If you loved The Nightingale or All the Light We Cannot See, you will love this book.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cc
- 27-02-21
A Truly Marvelous Tale
When I first started, the story felt familiar and predictable; lovely but nothing new. But as the pages unfurled telling the tale of this anything but ordinary life, I laughed and cried with Molly and could not put it down.
Amanda Prowse has a magical gift of telling a story from each stage in a person’s life exactly as you could imagine them recounting it at that age. An Ordinary Life is truly marvelous and to hear it read by the author herself is a treat.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Suzanne Muench
- 03-12-21
Such a beautiful and touching story
The soft voice and the accent of the performer make this a beautiful story to listen to. It is filled with emotions ranging from fear for the characters to tears rolling down your cheeks from the sweetness. I highly recommend reading it! it’s amazing how she covers the life span of his beautiful character!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Woodstock
- 23-02-21
Beautiful
What a beautiful story. The performance was perfect. I am sill crying. Very highly recommended.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eileen
- 03-02-23
Wonderful story
I loved this story and couldn’t stop listening. I’d highly recommend it. Well written and excellent narration.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tanya Heepke
- 25-01-23
What a wonderful story.
This was such a warm story. Some sad parts, some funny moments. Just a great read. Thank you for sharing this story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miacasa67
- 21-01-23
A beautiful written book
Thank you to the author and reader of this wonderful and beautiful story which touched my heart.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Nancy
- 21-01-23
Very nice book
Very nice, a bit sad, makes you think about what's important in life .good read
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- LadySooner
- 09-01-23
Good Story
I picked this book up because it was on sale, but it turned out to be a good read/listen. It is sad in some parts. Be warned - it does cover such topics as suicide and mental illness.