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Soldier Sailor
- Narrated by: Simone Collins
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
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Soldier Sailor
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Summary
A resonant and provocative novel about motherhood from the prize-winning author of The Devil I Know and Tenderwire
Well, Sailor. Here we are once more, you and me in one another's arms. The Earth rotates beneath us and all is well, for now. . .
In her first novel for over a decade, Claire Kilroy takes us deep into the early days of motherhood. Exploring the clash of fierce love for a new life with a seismic change in identity, she vividly realises the raw, tumultuous emotions of a new mother, as her marriage strains and she struggles with questions of love, autonomy and creativity.
As she smiles at her baby, Sailor, while mentally composing her own suicide note, an old friend makes a welcome return, but can he really offer a lifeline to the woman she used to be?
Critic reviews
"Compelling...This is a scorching read. I could not put it down." (Anne Enright)
"Soldier Sailor is the most uncompromising, provocative novel I've read in quite some time...As honest as fiction gets." (John Boyne)
"A blistering account of that twilit zone of early motherhood." (Jane Feaver)
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What listeners say about Soldier Sailor
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- ac_antonina
- 18-06-24
Another account of a mother struggling alone
Great writing, minute detail of the mind numbing work of parenting a young child. Frustratingly slow in the descriptiveness of this work, which I can relate to. Cleverly weaves in feminist concepts but ultimately reiterates the well worn narrative of a woman living out the blatant unfairness of being fully burdened with household work. Why this woman never actually says exactly what she needs, exactly how she wants it to be to her partner is unimaginable. It seems the writer wants to show that women can’t articulate their needs logically, instead relying almost exclusively on bitter jabs at their partner. What a sad reiteration of a cliche. When are we going to hear stories of parents (men and women) parenting together, so we can learn how to do it? Instead, we have modern (modern!) stories of these woes, beautifully written but, ultimately, uninspiring.
This book is a great contraceptive.
I wonder how many young people will find it hard to believe this parenting reality (in the West) still exists, realising too late how true it can be, but with no alternative narrative to turn to for help. Are books like this normalising that which we need to get away from?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-09-23
A moving read
A thought provoking and emotional read with parts I could really identify with. I very much enjoyed this book and would wholly recommend it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sigrin
- 09-12-23
Emotionally raw
Not sure what to make of this, the sample gives a tiny snippet, but the raw emotion of the whole book is so palpable.
Any woman who has had or has young kids will fully understand everything written here.
The narration is perfect.
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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
- c j dolan
- 14-07-23
A beautiful evocation of new motherhood
Poetic and lyrical yet down in the trenches of motherhood. I loved this - took me back to my first little boy and he’s 35 now!
Very well read, immersive listening
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 23-07-23
Exceptional
Listening over a period of only 24 hours, I found Soldier Sailor arresting, brutal and moving. I cannot recommend highly enough to any parent, at any stage of their journey.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Natasha Ospina
- 27-03-24
An almost too real story of motherhood
This is a beautiful story that explores the writers relationship with her son "sailor" and her husband. There were so many moments when I thought "yes, that's exactly it!"
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Smaranda Sandu
- 22-01-24
What an amazing read.
This is such a beautiful book. Every bit of it relevant and poignant. The mundane detail is lyricised so beautifully and skillfully throughout and brings the emotions and events of early motherhood so vividly to life. The last chapter brought tears to my eyes. This is not just another book about motherhood, for me this is the book about it. Beautiful beautiful book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Hf
- 25-05-24
Beautifully written
I couldn't stop listening! So beautifully written. A raw account of motherhood and her love for her son. A lot of what she said was a perfect description of some of my own feelings/experiences as a mother but have never managed to articulate with such accuracy. As soon as I was finished reading, I wanted to go back to the start and read it all over again! Absolutely loved this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 10-01-24
Spectacular
I loved every sentence and sentiment in this book. The perfect reading of what it is to be a new mother.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Laura D.
- 09-12-23
Beautiful
Such a beautifully written book. Dealing so sensitively with motherhood. I highly recommend this book I hardly ever write a review I have listened to so many but this really stands out.
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