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  • I Left My Tent in San Francisco

  • By: Emma Kennedy
  • Narrated by: Emma Kennedy
  • Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (238 ratings)
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I Left My Tent in San Francisco cover art

I Left My Tent in San Francisco

By: Emma Kennedy
Narrated by: Emma Kennedy
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Summary

It's 1989, and Emma and her best friend, Dee, head to the USA to make their fortune. But completely inept and virtually unemployable, they discover that they can't even get a job in McDonald's.

Forced to travel from California to New York with only pennies in their pockets, they bounce from scrape to scrape, surviving on their wits and the kindness of strangers. Bad luck and misfortune throw everything their way - snakes, earthquakes, black magic and incontinent dogs. They even get kidnapped by a sex-crazed midget in a Ferrari. This never happened to Jack Kerouac.

A startlingly honest and ridiculously funny book, I Left My Tent in San Francisco tells the miraculous story of how the hapless pair made it back alive to tell the disastrous tale.

©2011 Emma Kennedy (P)2015 Random House Audiobooks

What listeners say about I Left My Tent in San Francisco

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

enjoyable

A very entertaining story as always from Emma but volumes made it difficult to listen to at times. Sometimes unbearably blaring and virtually inaudible in places.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Less camping but still fun

Went straight on to this having (with all the family listening in the car on the way to France!) devoured 'The Tent, the Bucket and Me'. It's no match but still great fun (at the expense of Emma's gap year suffering) and made me move on quickly to her first novel.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

POORLY WRITTEN - ANNOYINGLY READ

What would have made I Left My Tent in San Francisco better?

Another more competent narrator

Has I Left My Tent in San Francisco put you off other books in this genre?

No

How could the performance have been better?

To use alternative verbs to grin; grins; grinned; grinning which were very much overused

What character would you cut from I Left My Tent in San Francisco?

Emma Kennedy

Any additional comments?

For an Oxford English graduate Ms Kennedy has a limited and poor choice of words. An example being the overuse of the verb GRIN and its variations. Using grin; grinned; grinning over and over again became cringingly tedious to listen to. Using "she grinned" instead of "she said" is to state something that is not possible. For example: "I like that" she grinned. Surely stating: she said, would have been the correct method. The author compounded my dislike of this book by narrating it herself. The variety in the volume of her speaking voice varied from barely audible whispering to screaming so loudly that I had to stop listening

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1 person found this helpful

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

Hugely enjoyable

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The book is consistently funny and Emma Kennedy is a great storyteller as she relates her adventures across America. Bad luck seems to follow her and her friend like a curse but even so they battle through with an unflagging joy and optimism that is actually inspiring.

What other book might you compare I Left My Tent in San Francisco to, and why?

I listened to this as a fan of Emma Kennedy rather than any real interest in travelogues. This is a great follow up to “The Tent, The Bucket and Me” which is the obvious thing to compare it to. Personally I prefer this one, though others might disagree (and do looking at other reviews. Each to their own). If she writes a third instalment then I’ll buy that too.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Hard to narrow it down. She tells a series of funny and touching anecdotes. Her writing style can be poetic when it’s required but is generally clear and insightful. Her personality shines throughout, which is complemented well by having her narrate.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I probably could have done given the chance. As it was I finished it in less than a week which is pretty fast for me.

Any additional comments?

Not sure of her pronunciation of “adobe” but I’m only basing that on the Pee-Wee Herman movie.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Excellent flow up to The Ten, The Bucket and Me.

If you've ever travelled outside your comfort zone, this book will make you feel truly proud of your achievements and, more than likely, give you some wonderful memories. Out-loud guffaws throughout, you are almost guaranteed to love this book of you have ever backpacked or even packed a rucksack for a week of adventure! Highly recommended! Wonderfully narrated by the author too. Makes you want to be her companion on the trip (well, almost!!!).

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

entertaining listen

so funny
l laughed out loud so much .
interesting and very entertaining

recommend and loved this audio book

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

Emma Kennedy you make me laugh

I have now listened to Emma’s three book’s they have made me laugh, cry and cringe, thank you
This book is not as funny as the bucket the tent and me however it is still a brilliant book, the story’s of her escapades in America are hilarious, I have totally fallen in love with Dee, if I ever find out what hospital she works in I will fake an illness just to meet her 🤣

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

2nd book read by emma. Loved it but..

I did find the ups and downs of the volume the only negative. The quiet whispering to the shouting. I understand Emma is emphasising the emotions within the context of the story but it's a bit too much in places.
Other than that, loved the madcap adventure and the funny episodes. Can't wait to start the next book.

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

narration volume is a problem

enjoyed the story but did really struggle with the narration as Emma sometimes mumbles quietly then switches to shouting, so it's hard to get the volume at a comfortable level

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

just brilliant

loved everything about this. it reminded me off being young and foolish, getting into scraps and the kindness of strangers. cannot recomend enough.

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