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Digital Audiobook
Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambugu

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Lonely Crowds

Narrator
Shayna Small
Publisher
Little, Brown Book Group
Publish Date
9 April 2026
Run Time
9 hours 50 minutes
Format
Audiobook

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What to expect

Ruth’s life changes the day she stands in line with her mother to buy a new school uniform – and sees another girl and her aunt turned away, unable to afford one. The girl, Maria, meets Ruth’s stare without shame, and from that moment, Ruth can’t stop thinking about her.

When school begins, and they turn out to be the only two girls attending on scholarship, Ruth musters the courage to introduce herself. A friendship forms – not by choice, but by something stronger. Ruth is drawn into Maria’s orbit, always circling: never too close, never quite able to pull away.

As they grow up like sisters, attend the same college, and eventually move to 1990s New York to chase dreams in the art world, the bond between them begins to buckle under the weight of ambition and rivalry. Their lives continue to converge and diverge – until they meet in one final and momentous confrontation.

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Details

Author
Stephanie Wambugu
Narrator
Shayna Small
Duration
9 hours 50 minutes
Release Date
9 April 2026
ISBN
9781837266418
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Little, Brown Book Group
Genre
Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general

Synopsis

Ruth’s life changes the day she stands in line with her mother to buy a new school uniform – and sees another girl and her aunt turned away, unable to afford one. The girl, Maria, meets Ruth’s stare without shame, and from that moment, Ruth can’t stop thinking about her. When school begins, and they turn out to be the only two girls attending on scholarship, Ruth musters the courage to introduce herself. A friendship forms – not by choice, but by something stronger. Ruth is drawn into Maria’s orbit, always circling: never too close, never quite able to pull away. As they grow up like sisters, attend the same college, and eventually move to 1990s New York to chase dreams in the art world, the bond between them begins to buckle under the weight of ambition and rivalry. Their lives continue to converge and diverge – until they meet in one final and momentous confrontation.

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