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Cuckoo in the Nest

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Cuckoo in the Nest

By: Fran Hill
Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson
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About this listen

It's the heatwave summer of 1976 and 14-year-old would be poet Jackie Chadwick is newly fostered by the Walls. She desperately needs stability, but their insecure, jealous teenage daughter isn't happy about the cuckoo in the nest and sets about ousting her.

When her attempts to do so lead to near-tragedy—and the Walls' veneer of middle-class respectability begins to crumble—everyone in the household is forced to reassess what really matters.

Funny and poignant, Cuckoo in the Nest is inspired by Fran Hill's own experience of being fostered. A glorious coming-of-age story set in the summer of 1976.

©2023 Fran Hill (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Funny Comedy

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This book is a delightful listen on Audible. It's beautifully written and funny, with a lightness of touch even when dealing with difficult subject matter. The protagonist, Jackie, is a 14-year old schoolgirl who has to find a temporary home with a foster family following her mother's death from cancer and her father's inability to take proper care of her. The book is narrated in the first person and takes place over the school summer term of 1976, which is remembered for being one of the hottest summers on record. I am a contemporary of Fran's, so I found all the 1970s references were a trip down memory lane - the type of food people ate, the shops, the music, the clothes, the cars. Apparently there is an autobiographical element to the fiction, as Fran herself was fostered as a child, so she is writing from experience. Jackie is a witty and wise character, who seems to have a degree of perspicacity not often seen in a child of her age. She makes accurate judgements about the people and situations around her, and her witty asides and observations kept me laughing throughout. The story kept me guessing as to what was going to happen, although little clues were dropped here and there. No spoilers here, but I did like the ending, particularly the last couple of sentences. They summed up and resolved the whole story, while keeping me wanting more. The actress who narrated the book got the accent and tone just right. A highly recommended listen!

A delightful, funny & entertaining listen!

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The audible version of this book was excellent. Really enjoyed the story line & the narration. Finished it too quickly as listened to it at every opportunity!!

Loved this!

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Stumbled upon this book after hearing the author on a fostering and adoption podcast- really enjoyed the book and narrator.

A wonderful chance read

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It’s been a long time since I’ve thoroughly enjoyed a book from the first word to the last! I laughed until I cried - more than a few times!

The quick witted humour

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