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The First Day of Spring
- Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
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The First Day of Spring
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Summary
'So that was all it took,' I thought. 'That was all it took for me to feel like I had all the power in the world. One morning, one moment, one yellow-haired boy. It wasn't so much after all.'
Chrissie knows how to steal sweets from the shop without getting caught, the best hiding place for hide-and-seek, the perfect wall for handstands.
Now she has a new secret. It gives her a fizzing sherbet feeling in her belly. She doesn't get to feel power like this at home, where food is scarce and attention scarcer.
Fifteen years later, Julia is working in a fish-and-chip shop and trying to mother her five-year-old daughter, Molly. She is always worried - about affording food and school shoes, about what the other mothers think of her. Most of all, she worries that the social services are about to take Molly away.
That's when the phone calls begin which Julia is too afraid to answer, because it's clear the caller knows the truth about what happened 15 years ago.
And it's time to face the truth: is forgiveness and redemption ever possible for someone who has killed?
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Critic reviews
"Tense, addictive and powered by an unforgettable narrative voice." (Paula Hawkins)
"A darkly dazzling debut, a harrowing story of neglect and cruelty written with a delicate touch and a big heart. As gripping as the tensest of thrillers and as moving and humane as the most intimate of memoirs." (Lisa Jewell)
"The First Day of Spring is Nancy Tucker's first work of fiction and my god this is outstanding.... This book is so powerful and so disturbing that I will be thinking about it for months to come. Without a doubt this goes into my Top Ten Books of 2021." (Tracy Fenton)
What listeners say about The First Day of Spring
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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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Perri
- 14-10-21
Superb
An absolutely superb book from start to finish. Captivating, heartbreaking, beautifully written and I didn't want it to end!
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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
- Louise
- 27-06-21
Best audiobook I’ve heard in a long time
I was hooked straight away and I’ve just lost a weekend totally engrossed, completely recommend this book, so well written and it will stay in my head for some time to come
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mrs C
- 23-08-21
A thought provoking story about nature vs nurture
I won't lie, it's not the easiest book to listen to but the for me, the story really shows the impact of how profound an impact a childs upbringing has on their developing mind and mental health.
I was gripped, yet saddened at the same time but I was so invested in seeing a positive outcome for Chrissie as an adult, that I couldn't stop listening.
The book does touch upon issues of child neglect and child harm so won't be for everyone but it is done sensitively and we hear the reasoning of the 8 year old child as she comes to terms with her actions and her reasoning for doing what she did.
The narration was superb although I did speed it up to 1.5 as the slower pace added a depressing tone to the book.
A solid 4🌟 from me but like I say, be prepared for the book to make you feel uncomfortable at times.
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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
- 22-03-22
best listen in a long while
A difficult subject treated with great care. Desperately sad you absolutely understood poor Chrissie. There's a wit and humour that sets it apart. I loved 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
- Catherine
- 24-05-22
Stick with it
At first I found the narration annoying because Chrissie was quite squeaky but honestly the story is so good I am glad I stuck with 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
- lynnect
- 29-08-22
I couldn’t stop listening
A difficult subject, but so well written, I just couldn’t stop listening. The narrator was brilliant. 5 stars all the way from me.
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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
- Julie baker
- 27-12-21
Didn’t want it to end
I wanted to listen to this all in one go but I also didn’t want it to end either. Beautifully written and beautifully read.
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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
- Pete Murphy
- 12-03-22
Not my type of book, BUT...
What a book and what a listen. harrowing and chilling . couldn't stop listening
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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
- Lorraine Devlin
- 31-05-23
Compelling story
I really enjoyed this story. Not an easy listen and harrowing in many ways but it had me hooked and interested from the beginning. Really enjoyed the narration, which is always a difficult thing to get right. Usually I don’t enjoy the narrator assuming different voices, especially children, but this worked well for me. Will be looking at the authors other work as I enjoyed this so much.
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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
- VK
- 05-08-21
Amazing
This one was on Tracy Fentons summer reads
I listened to this one and the narrator was amazing.
It is a very difficult subject but it is so beautifully crafted I became completely immersed in this sad but strangely uplifting story.
Chrissie is a deprived unloved and uncared for eight year old. She’s starving she has no social skills but the moving way this is conveyed is so skilful that you cannot fail to be drawn in.
Fifteen years later Julia is trying to do her best to bring up her daughter Molly.
This story is told between Chrissie’s point of view and then Julia’s.
It is very easy to follow and it is quite sad but it is a terrific book.
It will stay with me for a long time
I would highly recommend it
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