The Distance Between Us: A Novel

Name: The Distance Between Us: A Novel
SKU: 80758
Availability: InStock

4 | 3,179 ratings

Price: 1.99

Last update: 06-16-2024

About this item

Gripping, insightful, and deft, The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell is a haunting story of the way our families shape our lives, from the award-winning author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait.

On a cold February afternoon, Stella catches sight of a man she hasn't seen for many years, but instantly recognises. Or thinks she does. At the same moment on the other side of the globe, in the middle of a crowd of Chinese New Year revellers, Jake realises that things are becoming dangerous.

They know nothing of one another's existence, but both Stella and Jake flee their lives: Jake in search of a place so remote it doesn't appear on any map, and Stella for a destination in Scotland, the significance of which only her sister, Nina, will understand.

Pamela Audeen Poddany

HE WAKES TO FIND HIMSELF SPLAYED LIKE A STARFISH ACROSS THE BED

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2023

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US

After I finished this book I thought "Wow, this was her best one yet!" And then I realized that I think that exact same thought after every Maggie O'Farrell book I read. Because it is the truth. This woman is an amazing author.

Stella and her sister, Nina, are beyond close. They are one, they are each other, they support and love each other. They always have and always will. And they share a deep dark secret that nobody knows about except the two of them.

Jake is in search of the father he never knew. He takes a break from his current life...some good, some not so good...and goes to Scotland and searches for the lost history in his life.

And there Stella and Jake meet.

This was an outstanding, exciting, and unusual story about the past and present of not only Stella and Jake but also their family members. I absolutely LOVE how O'Farrell jumps from character to character and pulls in their past and present. She weaves all the characters lives together into one gigantic wonderful story. This format is easy to read, follow, and understand. Honestly, I don't know how she does it!!

This book was full of little mysteries, relationships, and love. I was immediately drawn into the story and hated to see this book come to an end.

You can't go wrong with a Maggie O'Farrell book. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

One of my favorite authors

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2019

One of the things I’ve tried to do this year was to read all of the books by some of my favorite writers. Maggie O’Farrell is on that list and after reading this book, I’ve read all of her published books to date. I love that I’ve done that, but then I was sorry I didn’t have another to read by her so I’m thrilled to know that she has a new one to be published in 2020.

I’m always drawn to her characters, their complicated relationships, the intelligent and emotional depiction of their lives. I found all of this here. I’m drawn to her writing because even if though I don’t think I can find myself in the shoes of her characters, I end up there as well as in the places they are as in the book, on the streets of Hong Kong during a crowd crush at a New Year’s Eve celebration or on the streets of London or a quiet, secluded place in Scotland.

While I can’t say that this my favorite story line of hers, the writing and the structure amaze me, so I won’t say much about the plot. You can find that in the book description and in other reviews. But the writing is incredible! There are paragraphs following each other, giving details of what the main characters, Jake and Stella are simultaneously doing thousands of miles apart. The narrative moves from one character to another, from one place to another, from their present to their past and back again. You might think that would be confusing, but it never was for me and I’m in awe of how she skillfully executes this, how I was continuously captivated as it moves around like this. She is simply an amazing writer. With so many transitions between time and place and character, we become privy to their past relationships, to the things they carry from that past and how it moved them to where they are in the present. As I mentioned, the story line wasn’t my favorite of hers so it’s 3 stars for that and 5 stars for the writing. In spite of the 3 star story line, I will read whatever Maggie O’Farrell writes !

Mary Lins

An Early O'Farrell Novel

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2024

Maggie O’Farrell’s 2004 novel, “The Distance Between Us”, is about Stella, who is running from a horrible secret, and Jake who is running from a huge mistake. Of course the end up running into each other.

The story is told from alternating points of view as well as from shifting timelines.

Despite devolving to a typical Rom-Com in the end, I was captivated by the story and the slowly resolving mystery.

O’Farrell has come a long way in the past 20 years, but even this early novel is better than a lot of other stuff out there!

Marilyn Jackson

Happy with the book!

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2024

The book came in a couple of days, as promised, and was in like-new condition.

A. Murphy

Worth it in the end

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2016

I am a fan of Maggie O'Farrell. I find her writing interesting, and thought provoking. She writes beautifully, but not in obvious way. Nonetheless, I was slow to get into this one. I found myself impatient with the multiple points of view and the frequent flashbacks. It took me a long time to find my footing in the story and as a result it took me a while to care about the characters. But much like a game of pass the parcel, it is worth it to stay in it till the end for the reward. The reveal of the story by layers and degrees was handled masterfully. My impatience with her technique gradually gave way to admiration for the characters she created as a result.

There are many themes in this story, all handled with a subtle but insightful brush stroke. O'Farrell examines the pull and support of sisterhood. The notion of running away from problems and fresh starts. All from multiple angles. As frustrated as I was in the beginning, I was ultimately very satisfied with this read.

Goodacre

not my usual fare

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2023

Not usually a fan of a love story, this one is somehow special. I enjoyed it so much. Couldn’t put it down as I sped read to the ending. Just lovely.

Leslie Gerkens

This is a Romance Novel

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2021

I really like the author--I've read a few of her books and enjoyed them but I didn't realize that this book, unlike the others I've read by this author, is a straight up romance novel. I don't enjoy romance novels because they tend to be formulaic and I prefer to read about things other than romantic relationships. So, just know that that is what this is and you can decide if you're down for it.

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