X-Book

Left on Tenth

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

If you pitched a movie about a recently-widowed woman in her seventies who reconnects with a man she dated in college, leading to an exchange of emails and the pair falling in love fifty years after their first date, the studio exec would say it's too far-fetched. Yet that's just what happened to Delia Ephron, writer, bestselling novelist and screenwriter of You've Got Mail.

When Delia's beloved first husband Jerry died of cancer in 2015, after thirty-five years of marriage, she struggled without him. Focusing on the day-to-day, she decided to make one small move forward and cancel Jerry's dedicated landline. This spiralled into days of frustration, prompting Delia to turn to words to process her grief and bewilderment. Her New York Times piece about the woes of customer service caught the eye of Peter, who emailed to commiserate. He was recently widowed himself and reminded Delia that years ago, when they were college students, they had been set up by her sister Nora. Cautiously, Delia replied. Over a few short weeks of email exchanges, Delia realized that she and Peter were undeniably soulmates. Months later, still caught up in this whirlwind romance, Delia made another life-changing discovery: she was profoundly sick.

Left on Tenth is the spirited story of Delia's second chance at love, and a heartfelt and miraculous account of life after cancer.

© Delia Ephron 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Critics Review

A tale of brilliant hope, of heartache and uplift, so refreshing – it is a wonderful read.

Times Radio

A beautiful story of finding love again in your seventies … a story of giddy highs and suicidal lows.’

i newspaper

Commendable for its bracingly blunt humour … A searingly honest memoir of a battle against cancer, and a testament to the sustaining power of love.

Culturefly

A most anticipated book of 2022

TIME magazine

Best Non-fiction for 2022

Daily Mail

Tender, witty and romantic – there is something so calming about Delia’s writing that makes you immediately want to get cosy, slow down and shut off the world for a moment.

Emma Gannon

If it’s possible to fall in love with someone by reading their story, I just have. A testimony to the power of love, laughter, hair, friendship and cake.

Sam Baker

I absolutely loved this book. All of life and death and everything in between is in the pages, and Ephron has a lightness of touch while getting right to the heart of the matter which is completely addictive. Moving, painful, sweet and funny, it’s a beautiful book and a joy to read.

Clover Stroud

Illuminating, generous, sparkling with wit, wisdom, humanity and wonder. There is nothing Delia Ephron is afraid to say; even if it’s her inability to say the right thing. This is a luminous memoir that faces the death of the person you love, falling in love a second time, and an illness that threatens everything all over again. There is not one word that does not shine.

Rachel Joyce

Playwright and novelist Ephron (Siracusa) balances profound sorrow with unconditional love in this radiant account of the “many left turns, some perilous, some wondrous” that her life took following her husband’s death … Readers will be swept away by this triumphant story.

Publisher's Weekly [Starred Review]
Author Delia Ephron
Narrator Delia Ephron
Duration 7 hours and 38 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781529193909
Format Audiobook
Publisher Transworld
Genre Autobiography: general, Biography and non-fiction prose, Dating, relationships, living together and marriage: advice and issues, Diaries, letters and journals, Family and health, Memoirs, Relationships and families: advice and issues
Availability AU, GB, IE

More from the same

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.