Viking
The Listeners
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An Oprah Daily Best Summer Read of 2025
"Maggie Stiefvater is an exceptional talent, and The Listeners is a marvel of storytelling. I really couldn't have loved it more." --Chris Whitaker, author of All The Colors of the Dark
"A novel that will remind readers of why they fell in love with reading in the first place." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Maggie Stiefvater dazzles in this mesmerizing portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance, and a hotel--and a world--in peril.
January 1942. The Avallon Hotel & Spa has always offered elegant luxury in the wilds of West Virginia, its mountain sweetwater washing away all of high society's troubles.
Local girl-turned-general manager June Porter Hudson has guided the Avallon skillfully through the first pangs of war. The Gilfoyles, the hotel's aristocratic owners, have trained her well. But when the family heir makes a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats, June must persuade her staff--many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the front lines--to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile.
Meanwhile FBI Agent Tucker Minnick, whose coal tattoo hints at an Appalachian past, presses his ears to the hotel's walls, listening for the diplomats' secrets. He has one of his own, which is how he knows that June's balancing act can have dangerous consequences: the sweetwater beneath the hotel can threaten as well as heal.
June has never met a guest she couldn't delight, but the diplomats are different. Without firing a single shot, they have brought the war directly to her. As clashing loyalties crack the Avallon's polished veneer, June must calculate the true cost of luxury.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9780593655504
EAN:
0593655508
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
400
Authors:
Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher:
Viking
Published Date: 2025-03-06
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When I first began Maggie Stiefvater's "The Listeners", I was tempted to add it to my DNF pile. The writing was intricate in a way that overwhelmed me—narrative threads more tangled than elegant, weaving a complexity that initially resisted easy comprehension. Yet something ineffable kept pulling me back.My perseverance was a quiet rebellion, and it paid off magnificently.The relationship between June Hudson and Tucker Rye emerged as the novel's beating heart—a dynamic that transformed what could have been a disorienting reading experience into a captivating journey. Their progression from adversaries to lovers unfolded with a delicate precision that Stiefvater masterfully constructs. Each page revealed layers of tension, each interaction a careful negotiation of boundaries, desires, and hidden depths.To fellow readers who might struggle with the initial pages: hold steady. This novel rewards those willing to surrender to its unique rhythm. What begins as a potentially challenging read blossoms into something remarkable—a narrative that whispers its secrets to those patient enough to listen.
Wasn't what I expected but doesn't mean it won't be great for other readers.
i couldn't get into this book. I gave up after 100 pages.
So good. A little bit of wonder/mysticism. A lotta character development. Great read.
What a fascinating book! The sense of history and the weight of the whole world the author built made it feel like I was living in something real. I never knew this corner of history but now it feels like I lived it. I'll definitely be picking up another of her books.
