The World as We Know It: A Novel

by Joseph Monninger Narrated by Michael Goldstrom

Overview

From the author of the acclaimed novel Eternal on the Water, whose style is described as "Henry David Thoreau meets Nicholas Sparks" (Publishers Weekly), comes a novel about two brothers who save a girl from drowning when they are young-an experience that intertwines their destinies and changes their lives forever.

On an early spring afternoon in rural New Hampshire, two brothers, Ed and Allard, are ice skating when they discover a girl who, with her dogs, has broken through thin ice and is caught in the river's eddy. They are able to rescue her, and as a result, a special bond forms among all three-but particularly between Allard and Sarah.

As they grow up, the brothers remain close, creating their own film production company to shoot nature footage in the wild. Sarah, gaining success on her own as a writer, always manages to remain a part of their lives. In the days before Allard's wedding, tragedy strikes during a bachelor's outing in the remote mountains of Wyoming. The heartbreaking incident puts the grief-stricken Allard and Sarah on separate trajectories that will test the bonds of their relationship and time's unremitting power to heal.

Set against the sweeping natural backdrops of rural New England and Wyoming, The World as We Know It is subtle, heartrending, and transformative-a love story of friendship, nature, and the surprising twists that can alter our destinies forever.

Editorial Reviews

Romantic Times (four stars)

Monninger’s imagery resonates long into the night, while your lamp burns oil because you cannot put the book down until the last page is turned.”

AudioFile

As a narrator, Goldstrom strengthens the novel’s perspective on how grief and the pivotal moments it brings can change the course of a life, the people involved, and a story.”

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova

Joe Monninger beautifully captures the essence of childhood adventure and the sweet innocence of falling in love for the first time. Fans of John Irving, you have a new author to love.”

New York Times bestselling author Beth Hoffman

The beauty and brutality of nature unfolds in The World as We Know It—a touching tale of love, the wounds of loss, and the fragile complexities with the human heart.”

New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice

The combination of romantic love with adventure and bone-deep understanding of the wild is both compelling and transcendent…With echoes of Hemingway, The World as We Know It is nothing short of brilliant.”

Booklist

Monninger has homed in on the beauty and cruelty of the natural world in this gripping and moving story of loss and understanding. Readers…will revel in Monninger’s warm and graceful descriptions of rural New Hampshire and his adept understanding of the landscape of human relationships.”

New York Times bestselling author Jamie Ford

A tender, gentle, achingly beautiful tale that is impossible to put down.”

FEBRUARY 2013 - AudioFile

Michael Goldstrom delivers this beautifully depicted novel, with its themes of family, friendship, and love. Brothers Ed and Allard have an unbreakable bond. During their childhood, they decide to go ice skating on a river near their New Hampshire home, and there they notice a girl who is trapped in the ice. She’s saved, and Allard develops a connection with her. Allard’s love for Sarah grows, and soon she feels like part of the family. A dramatic twist involving Allard’s brother, Ed, brings depth to the story. As narrator, Goldstrom strengthens the novel’s perspective on how grief and the pivotal moments it brings can change the course of a life, the people involved, and a story. D.Z. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169902983
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	11/15/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged

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