A Question Mark Is Half A Heart

by Sofia Lundberg Narrated by Joan Walker

Overview

How deeply can you love when your heart is full of secrets?

A sweeping, propulsive family story about a woman learning to love, from the bustle of New York's fashion scene to a remote, windswept Swedish island, by the acclaimed author of The Red Address Book-“a love letter to the human heart” (Alyson Richman).

By age 50, Elin Boals has created for herself a perfect life: her wildly successful business as Manhattan's preeminent fashion photographer is flourishing. Her handsome, patient husband is devoted to her; her teenaged daughter, Alice, has been accepted to the ballet academy of her dreams. But then Elin receives an innocuous looking envelope. Folded inside is a star-chart, with an address written by a familiar hand.

Shaken, Elin begins to have startling flashbacks, to a life very different from the childhood in a Paris bookstore that she has so lovingly recounted to Alice. In these images, a poverty-stricken little girl cares for her two ragged baby brothers, laughing with her family on the good days, sheltering them from her mother's sadness and her father's wrath on the bad days. Elin also remembers vivid walks with a young classmate, Fredrik, whose steadfast friendship and starlit confidences shaped her young life. As Elin becomes consumed by these memories, though, her New York life begins to crumble dramatically. Finally, her family's troubling questions drive her to face, at last, the brutal secret from her past.

At once a heartwarming family story and a page-turning mystery, A Question Mark Is Half a Heart traces a surprising journey across continents to reconciliation, and toward finding a true sense of home.

Editorial Reviews

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

At age 50, Elin is a famed photographer with a seemingly idyllic life. Few people know she grew up painfully poor in Sweden. Narrator Joan Walker masterfully portrays Elin’s struggles with her identity; listeners quickly become accustomed to Walker’s delivery of busy Elin’s hurried and strained tones. When a letter from a childhood friend arrives, it sends Elin into a downward spiral of dark memories and long-buried secrets, which are revealed in frequent flashbacks. In the current day, Elin’s teenage daughter sets aside her own frustrations to show her mother love and patience, which are reflected in Walker’s soft, encouraging tone. A mystery builds, and a family repairs itself. The result is a heartfelt story enhanced by Walker’s compelling narration. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

"A warmhearted portrayal of family and forgiveness."--Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will soak up the suspense as they search for the truth alongside Elin up until the end."--Publishers Weekly

"Elin is a complex character with a compelling story, and Lundberg avoids the obvious resolutions that readers may expect in favor of a deeper exploration of the meaning of love, forgiveness, and family. This satisfying novel will appeal to fans of Lisa Duffy and Patti Callahan Henry."--Booklist

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

At age 50, Elin is a famed photographer with a seemingly idyllic life. Few people know she grew up painfully poor in Sweden. Narrator Joan Walker masterfully portrays Elin’s struggles with her identity; listeners quickly become accustomed to Walker’s delivery of busy Elin’s hurried and strained tones. When a letter from a childhood friend arrives, it sends Elin into a downward spiral of dark memories and long-buried secrets, which are revealed in frequent flashbacks. In the current day, Elin’s teenage daughter sets aside her own frustrations to show her mother love and patience, which are reflected in Walker’s soft, encouraging tone. A mystery builds, and a family repairs itself. The result is a heartfelt story enhanced by Walker’s compelling narration. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175806596
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/23/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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