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Little Wonder
- Author
- Sophie Chen Keller
- Narrator
- Emily Woo Zeller
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 18 June 2026
- Run Time
- 12 hours 13 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
A musical prodigy and his mother spend years searching for each other in this beautiful, sweeping novel of hope, perseverance, and love, from Jenna Bush Hager’s Thousand Voices imprint
Song is a nobody—just a food delivery worker from a village in Northeastern China—but her son, River, is a little wonder.
At the age of three, he toddled to a piano and tapped out his favourite song. At five, he mastered Liszt's three Liebesträume; at eight, he blazed through the complete set of Chopin's études. And at every step, through loss, illness and poverty, Song has been there to light his way—until finally, at the age of eleven, River is invited to study with a preeminent teacher in Beijing.
But in the chaos of Beijing Railway Station on the busiest day of the year, Song faces every mother's nightmare: she loses her grip on River’s little hand and is unable to find him after a desperate, harrowing search.
Over the next days, weeks, and eventually, years, Song and River fight to forge a path back to each other as they carve out new lives that carry them farther apart. An evocative exploration of a mother’s love and a son’s yearning, Little Wonder takes us on an extraordinary journey through a modern Beijing that pulses with the music of humanity and its impossible—and impossibly brave—hopes.
As every musician knows: You start in one key. You wander to other keys, strange and distant places. But in the end, you always come back home.
'Extraordinary ... A wonderful story' AMANDA PETERS, AUTHOR OF THE BERRY PICKERS
'Exquisite ... A book to be savoured' SUSIE YANG, AUTHOR OF WHITE IVY
'Beautiful, heartfelt and deeply moving' JEAN KWOK
© Sophie Chen Keller 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
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A tender, heartfelt novel about love, loss, and the enduring power of a mother’s love
Kristin Hannah, #1 bestselling author of The Women
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With characters so finely crafted that you feel their joys and their sorrows, LITTLE WONDER examines what is like to lose someone and what it’s like to be lost. As readers, we feel the fear of navigating an unfamiliar world, the anxiety of performance, the kindness of strangers, the love of a mother and a son and the remarkable ability of music to heal our wounds. Sophie Chen Keller writes with a musicality that reflects the tale it tells. A wonderful story and an extraordinary read
Amanda Peters, author of the nationally bestselling The Berry Pickers
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Beautiful, heartfelt, and deeply moving, LITTLE WONDER is a celebration of love, resilience, and the power of music. Sophie Chen Keller writes with restraint and grace, tracing the long echo of a mother and son torn apart by circumstance and bound by art, chance, and love. A gorgeous book!
Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of The Leftover Woman
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LITTLE WONDER is an immersive journey amid the sights and sounds of urban China as a migrant mother and son follow a seemingly impossible dream inspired by their love of music—and their devotion to each other… Keep something handy to dry your eyes
Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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Sophie Chen Keller writes with such understated power that even a tone-deaf heart will recognize the melody—and feel the sting of that final note. This is the kind of story that breaks your heart, then quietly puts it back together again in better working condition. Everyone should read this book
Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
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An exquisite book filled with heart. It captures modern China with such vividness and colour you can practically smell the roasted sweet potatoes. At parts enthralling, heartbreaking, and uplifting—and always bursting with musicality. A book to be savoured
Susie Yang, New York Times bestselling author of White Ivy
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At once heartbreaking and hopeful … Capturing the life-changing kindness of strangers, the magic of music, and the power of found family, Sophie Chen Keller’s deftly imagined tale will make your heart soar
Mikki Brammer, author of The Collected Regrets of Clover
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LITTLE WONDER explores the unbreakable bonds of family and the intrinsic goodness of human nature, filled with pathos and kindness from the most unexpected of places…You can’t help but root for these unforgettable characters
Emma Nanami Strenner, author of My Other Heart
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A story of devotion and perseverance ... A narrative of heartbreaking sadness and relentless determination ... Lyrical, cinematic ... Avoids a predictable, cookie-cutter ending. Tissues may be needed as this intimate story of unceasing love unfolds in a seemingly heartless city.
Kirkus
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Lovely, lyrical ... Heartwarming and heartbreaking ... Keller is a master of atmosphere and detail: her elegant, evocative prose transports the reader to the crowded streets, polluted air, and harsh realities of life in China’s capital, while she deftly captures a mother’s love and a son’s devotion. Little Wonder explores themes of hope, love, and loss, resulting in a rich and resonant story with universal appeal
Booklist, starred review
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Sophie Chen Keller
- Narrator
- Emily Woo Zeller
- Duration
- 12 hours 13 minutes
- Release Date
- 18 June 2026
- ISBN
- 9781405997225
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Fiction in translation, Musicians, singers, bands and groups
Synopsis
A musical prodigy and his mother spend years searching for each other in this beautiful, sweeping novel of hope, perseverance, and love, from Jenna Bush Hager’s Thousand Voices imprintSong is a nobody—just a food delivery worker from a village in Northeastern China—but her son, River, is a little wonder.At the age of three, he toddled to a piano and tapped out his favourite song. At five, he mastered Liszt's three Liebesträume; at eight, he blazed through the complete set of Chopin's études. And at every step, through loss, illness and poverty, Song has been there to light his way—until finally, at the age of eleven, River is invited to study with a preeminent teacher in Beijing.But in the chaos of Beijing Railway Station on the busiest day of the year, Song faces every mother's nightmare: she loses her grip on River’s little hand and is unable to find him after a desperate, harrowing search.Over the next days, weeks, and eventually, years, Song and River fight to forge a path back to each other as they carve out new lives that carry them farther apart. An evocative exploration of a mother’s love and a son’s yearning, Little Wonder takes us on an extraordinary journey through a modern Beijing that pulses with the music of humanity and its impossible—and impossibly brave—hopes.As every musician knows: You start in one key. You wander to other keys, strange and distant places. But in the end, you always come back home.'Extraordinary ... A wonderful story' AMANDA PETERS, AUTHOR OF THE BERRY PICKERS'Exquisite ... A book to be savoured' SUSIE YANG, AUTHOR OF WHITE IVY'Beautiful, heartfelt and deeply moving' JEAN KWOK© Sophie Chen Keller 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
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