The Versions of Us, Laura Barnett
The Versions of Us, Laura Barnett
3 Rating(s)
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
Club: $11.47

The Versions of Us

Author: Laura Barnett

Narrator: Clare Corbett, Daniel Weyman

Unabridged: 12 hr 44 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/03/2016


Synopsis

In one moment, two lives will be changed forever … and forever … and forever.The one thing that’s certain is that they met on a Cambridge street by chance and felt a connection that would last a lifetime. But as for what happened next … They fell wildly in love or went their separate ways. They kissed or they thought better of it. They married soon after or were together for a few weeks before splitting up. They grew distracted and disappointed with their daily lives together or found solace together only after hard years spent apart. With The Versions of Us, Laura Barnett has created a world as magical and affecting as those that captivated readers in One Day and Life after Life. It is a tale of possibilities and consequences that rings across the shifting decades, from the fifties, sixties, seventies, and on to the present, showing how even the smallest choices can define the course of our lives.

About Laura Barnett

Laura Barnett is an author and journalist. She writes regularly for the Guardian, the Observer, and the Daily Telegraph. Her first novel, The Versions of Us will be published in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, Czech, and Mandarin. Barnett has also written a nonfiction book and a book of award-winning short stories. She lives in southeast London with her husband and cat.

About Clare Corbett

Clare Corbett, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, studied at the Welsh College of Music and Drama. After winning the Carlton Hobbs audition, she was chosen to be on BBC Radio. After leaving BBC she went on to narrate several children’s books, including Over the Moon, I Rule Dogsbottom School, and Boy Beware. She has transitioned into reading young adult novels, including many installments in the Doctor Who series.

About Daniel Weyman

Daniel Weyman is an actor and an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. He has appeared on stage in Sam West’s Sheffield Crucible production of As You Like It and the Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of David Edgar’s The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. His portrayal of the title character earned him a nomination for Best Performance in a Play at the 2006 TMA Awards. His television appearances include Colditz and the BAFTA-winning BBC drama Dunkirk. In 2010 he played Tom Jackson in his first lead movie role in the film Just Inès.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Angela M on May 17, 2016

Different versions of a relationship and various possibilities in the lives of two people make for a thought provoking read. How do the choices we make change our entire future and what about fate? This is a well written and cleverly crafted debut that tells the story or rather stories of Eva, a wri......more

Goodreads review by Jacki (Julia Flyte) on July 04, 2015

In 1958, Eva and Jim are nineteen year old students at Cambridge. Their paths will cross one day in October, and from there this book explores three different directions that their lives might take from that day. In Version 1, Jim invites Eva for a drink. They fall in love, she dumps her boyfriend D......more

Goodreads review by Maria on March 27, 2020

Voa Pensamento Voa... "O bater de asas duma borboleta na China pode desencadear um tufão em Nova Iorque" Tudo se interliga neste Cosmos Misterioso e Fabuloso em que as nossas Vidas se encontram e desencontram. Onde o Tudo se desdobra em ínfimos Nadas. E mudanças microscópicas crescem encarnando grandes......more

Goodreads review by Charlotte on March 16, 2018

"Footfalls echo in the memory. Down the passage which we did not take." T.S Eliot 3.5 stars! Such an interesting premise - that the span of our lives could be entirely different from only 1 single event. Eva and Jim meet for the first time at Cambridge when Eva falls from her bike. The choices both Ji......more

Goodreads review by Milly on December 18, 2015

Affairs, affairs everywhere. That's my overriding thought of this book. And God, did it make me angry. Ok, down to the main review. The concept of this book is awesome. There are many moments recently where I've been struck by how even the smallest actions could have completely changed the course of......more


Quotes

“I simply adored this wonderful novel.” Jessie Burton, New York Times bestselling author

Versions is smart enough to know that the fantasy of infinite possibility is thrilling—but not nearly as much as the reality of true human connection.” Entertainment Weekly

“Well written, stunningly crafted, and constantly surprising… An utterly convincing love story.” Times (London)

“Barnett renders an irresistible concept in sweet, cool prose.” Observer (London)

“Its very scope is a joy, the technical achievement seamlessly done, and the ending—all the endings—suitably affecting.” Guardian (London)

“This book is evocative and atmospheric.” Irish Independent

“Barnett never tries to make a grandiose statement about fate. Instead, in each story line, we simply see that the greatest parts of life lie in the journey and the connections we make along the way.” Shelf Awareness

“Barnett masterfully pulls the reader through these alternating tales. Each option is compelling and believable.” BookPage

“Imagines the delicious prospect of romantic do-overs, cleverly negotiating the tricky and often dizzying terrain of three versions of first love…A masterly romantic study of love’s choices and consequences.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Reading this ambitious first novel is like putting together the pieces of a complex puzzle. The challenge pays off—only when the puzzle is complete can readers see the whole panoramic picture.” Library Journal


Awards

  • BookPage Top Pick
  • Sunday Times (London) Bestseller
  • Indie Next List
  • Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week