Listen to a sample
The First Act of Summer
- Author
- Joanna Glen
- Narrator
- Kerry Gilbert, Katy Federman
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 18 June 2026
- Run Time
- 10 hours 21 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
As children, Hester and Elias were inseparable. Every year, their families would spend the summer together at their beach huts on a wild and windswept sandbank, where the two of them never left each other’s side.
But childhood friendships can stretch and warp as you grow up, and in the summer of 1976, the year they turned 14, Hester did a terrible thing that would shatter both of their lives.
For her 60th birthday, Hester goes back to her family’s beach hut to hide from the husband she wants to leave and the daughters she’s never fully understood. It is here that she finally faces up to what she did that fateful summer, wondering whether it’s ever too late to become the person you were meant to be. And if there’s still a chance of finding Elias again…
From the Costa-shortlisted author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope, All My Mothers and Maybe, Perhaps, Possibly, this is a raw and sweeping novel about the power of a dark secret, the resilience of love and the possibility of redemption.
Critics Review
-
'A sublime read that's deeply provoking. The perfect combination' MIRANDA HART
-
'This gorgeous, sweeping novel has my whole heart… a story about losing, then finding yourself, I defy you not to love it' JENNIE GODFREY, author of The List of Suspicious Things
-
'A smiling-through-tears read' SAGA
-
'[A] transporting delight, rich with poignancy' WOMAN&HOME
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
'There's something magical about how she writes' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
-
'A gorgeous, vital novel about how there's still time to come of age, even on your sixtieth birthday. A love letter to enduring friendship and all the late bloomers' ANNA BROOK-MITCHELL, author of Motherfaker
-
'I loved it: bags of nostalgia.. brilliant on the agonies of being a teenager… the observational detail is wonderful' GEORGINA MOORE, author of The Garnett Girls
-
'One of those books you plan to dip into, and before you know it hours have passed. Glen has such a gift for characters who feel real and leap off the page and into your imagination fully formed. I adored it' LORI INGLIS HALL, author of The Shock of the Light
-
'Addictive, devastating, humorous' LOUISE FEIN, author of People Like Us
-
'Perfect for fans of The Paper Palace, charting imperfect but very human journeys. A wonderful read' JO LEEVERS, author of Tell Me How This Ends
-
'A beautiful story that exquisitely captures the bittersweet pain of being a teenager in love… Poignant yet hopeful, with a deliciously subversive sense of humour, this book is as good for the soul as a summer at the seaside.' FRANCES QUINN, author of The Smallest Man
-
'Impeccable prose and an extraordinary sense of time and place… a revelation. I could not love it more!' JULIETTA HENDERSON, author of The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman
-
'A delicate and thought-provoking exploration of how the powerful forces of friendship, timing, shame, memory and motherhood shape the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and who we become. Heartfelt, funny and wise' GRAINNE MURPHY, author of Winter People
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Joanna Glen
- Narrator
- Kerry Gilbert, Katy Federman
- Duration
- 10 hours 21 minutes
- Release Date
- 18 June 2026
- ISBN
- 9780008607494
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Romance: wholesome / clean, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Narrative theme: sense of place, Narrative theme: coming of age
Synopsis
From the Costa-shortlisted, beloved author of All My Mothers, Joanna Glen Is it ever too late to figure out who you were meant to be? As children, Hester and Elias were inseparable. Every year, their families would spend the summer together at their beach huts on a wild and windswept sandbank, where the two of them never left each other’s side. But childhood friendships can stretch and warp as you grow up, and in the summer of 1976, the year they turned 14, Hester did a terrible thing that would shatter both of their lives. For her 60th birthday, Hester goes back to her family’s beach hut to hide from the husband she wants to leave and the daughters she’s never fully understood. It is here that she finally faces up to what she did that fateful summer, wondering whether it’s ever too late to become the person you were meant to be. And if there’s still a chance of finding Elias again… From the Costa-shortlisted author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope, All My Mothers and Maybe, Perhaps, Possibly, this is a raw and sweeping novel about the power of a dark secret, the resilience of love and the possibility of redemption.
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 $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. 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.