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If I Knew You Were Going To Be This Beautiful, I Never Would Have Let You Go by Judy Chicurel

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If I Knew You Were Going To Be This Beautiful, I Never Would Have Let You Go

Author
Judy Chicurel
Narrator
Emily Woo Zeller
Publisher
Headline
Publish Date
30 October 2014
Run Time
9 hours 8 minutes
Format
Audiobook
Genre
Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Historical fiction, Narrative theme: sense of place, Narrative theme: coming of age

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What to expect

Judy Chicurel's exquisitely written debut evokes the atmosphere of a 1970s summer in a close-knit working class community on Long Island.

Katie and her young friends face a changing world, with prospects very different from those presented to their parents. The Vietnam War seems pointless to many but has devastated lives that remain broken even after the fighting is over. As, with bittersweet humour, the characters' experiences unfold, daily events mirror bigger issues: an illegal abortion is plotted; the town is sinking into an economic abyss forcing Katie's friends to leave in search of more promising horizons; drugs claim the lives of those often too high to recognise the danger until it is too late; and Katie dreams of a boy back from Nam who's still fighting a battle she doesn't understand.

IF I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO BE THIS BEAUTIFUL, I NEVER WOULD HAVE LET YOU GO touchingly conveys the magic of everyday living during a darkened time.

(P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critics Review

  • 'A really wonderful book that will capture your heart and occupy your thoughts'

    SUNDAY MIRROR

  • Raw, nostalgic, utterly compelling and very, very cool... A mind-blowingly impressive debut

    Eva Rice

  • 'Tender and brave storytelling'

    GRAZIA

  • Despite the dark sides, If I Knew is gorgeous and thoughtful; a compelling, wonderful look at a particular point in time

    EMERALD STREET

See more reviews
  • Chicurel's novel has its dark moments, but the overriding sentiment is one of acceptance, resilience and the enduring power of friendship. A coming-of-age-tale with a haunting quality 4*

    The Lady

  • The story hooked me in so I felt the characters' pain and hope

    WOMAN & HOME

  • Beautifully written prose... Rarely do books evoke so viscerally a place, so tangibly a time and such a broad sweep of big themes

    Hannah Beckerman

  • Beautiful and heart-breaking at once. A mesmerising, compulsive combination

    Adele Parks

  • This book will haunt you long after you've finished

    harpersbazaar.co.uk

  • 'A thought-provoking debut novel'

    CLOSER

  • 'This love story set in 70s Long Island is guaranteed to have you gripped'

    NOW

  • Beautifully evocative

    Observer

  • Chicurel [is] a gifted and versatile writer, and always draws you in

    Sunday Express

User Reviews

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Details
Author
Judy Chicurel
Narrator
Emily Woo Zeller
Duration
9 hours 8 minutes
Release Date
30 October 2014
ISBN
9781472221643
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Headline
Genre
Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Historical fiction, Narrative theme: sense of place, Narrative theme: coming of age

Synopsis

Judy Chicurel's exquisitely written debut evokes the atmosphere of a 1970s summer in a close-knit working class community on Long Island. Katie and her young friends face a changing world, with prospects very different from those presented to their parents. The Vietnam War seems pointless to many but has devastated lives that remain broken even after the fighting is over. As, with bittersweet humour, the characters' experiences unfold, daily events mirror bigger issues: an illegal abortion is plotted; the town is sinking into an economic abyss forcing Katie's friends to leave in search of more promising horizons; drugs claim the lives of those often too high to recognise the danger until it is too late; and Katie dreams of a boy back from Nam who's still fighting a battle she doesn't understand. IF I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO BE THIS BEAUTIFUL, I NEVER WOULD HAVE LET YOU GO touchingly conveys the magic of everyday living during a darkened time.(P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

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