Growing Up for Beginners
- Author Claire Calman, Claire Claire Calman
- Narrator Charlotte Strevens
- Publisher Boldwood Books
- Publish Date 4 June 2020
- Run Time 12 hours and 14 minutes
- Format x-book®
- Genre Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Family life fiction, Fiction: mashup, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Romance.
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
- £3.99
Listen to a sample
What to expect
An uplifting, heartfelt book club pick from bestselling author Claire Calman
It’s not easy being a grown-up, but Eleanor hoped she’d be better at it by now...
When Eleanor waves her daughter off for a gap-year trip, she finds herself stuck as a satellite wife, spinning in faithful orbit around her domineering husband, with only her clever but judgmental father Conrad for comfort.
Andrew isn’t mastering the art of growing up either. But when he finds his belongings dumped in bin bags on the drive, even he can see that his girlfriend is hinting he should move out. With no other options, he moves back in with his parents.
Backing onto their garden lives artist Cecilia, living in chaotic clutter and dreaming of her ex-lovers, still acting like a stroppy teenager at the age of 66.
Four lives are drawn together by long-buried secrets of the past, and it is time for them all to grow up... before it’s too late.
A passionate novel depicting various chapters of life and the ways we can navigate them. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Katie Fforde.
Readers are loving Growing Up for Beginners:
'The characterisation is brilliant, and the astute storytelling, punctuated by stiletto-sharp wit, produces an effervescent and spirit-lifting story' Sunday Mirror
'A poignant and beautifully articulated tale of love and loss, memory and forgetting, grief and guilt, new love and letting go. I was engrossed, often tearful, and finally, uplifted’ Isobel Wolff
‘Simply wonderful. I was totally enchanted, devoured it in a day, and have been raving about it ever since’ Fiona Walker
'A beautiful book, so compassionate... and ultimately very hopeful. I enjoyed it hugely’ Marian Keyes
‘A clever, bittersweet, uplifting novel’ Sophie Kinsella
'Writing with proper heart' Rachel Joyce
'So wonderful to read a Claire Calman novel again, and this lived up to all her previous ones. She can write with wit but also with empathy and depth' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review
'I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. The story is very cleverly intertwined with pleasing and surprising connections' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review
'This is a wonderful, thoughtful story with memorable characters and a number of threads that are all drawn together into a very satisfying conclusion' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review
More from the same
About xigxag and the x-book®
Discover the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed to simplify finding, purchasing, and enjoying your favourite books in audio format. Our flexible pricing model makes bestselling audiobooks affordable, offering the best audiobook deals without the need for a subscription. You can also give the perfect gift with our convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
A core differentiator of xigxag is our groundbreaking listen-and-read x-book® technology, which delivers a truly immersive digital book experience. This unique innovation seamlessly combines the audiobook, text, and images into a brilliant, integrated format, complete with exclusive audiobook features and a next-generation digital reading experience. Our growing x-book selection is easily discoverable by looking for the distinctive purple x-book® ribbon, or by simply filtering your search by ‘x-book’.
Beyond our technology, xigxag is committed to sustainability and ethical practices, ensuring a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we stand as a leader in audiobook innovation and a compelling alternative to big tech. Our commitment extends to delivering extraordinary customer service, provided by our friendly UK support team.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, gain insights from honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. You can download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere, guaranteeing the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Experience the future of audiobooks today.