9780062859297
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The Curiosities audiobook

  • By: Susan Gloss
  • Narrator: Karen White
  • Category: Family Life, Fiction
  • Length: 9 hours 46 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: February 05, 2019
  • Language: English
  • (650 ratings)
(650 ratings)
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The Curiosities Audiobook Summary

The follow-up to Susan Gloss’s successful debut, Vintage, is a charming mid-western story of artists, inspiration, and how to reinvent your life with purpose and flair.

Nell Parker has a PhD in Art History, a loving husband named Josh, and a Craftsman bungalow in Madison, WI. But her last pregnancy ended later in the second trimester, and rather than pausing to grieve, she pushes harder for testing and fertility treatments. Urging Nell to apply for jobs, Josh believes his wife needs something else to focus on other than a baby that may never be.

Finding a job turns out to be difficult for an art historian. . . until Nell sees the ad seeking a director for a new nonprofit called the Mansion Hill Artists’ Colony. The colony is the brainchild of the late, unconventional society dame Betsy Barrett, who left behind her vast fortune and a killer collection of modern art to establish an artist-in-residency program to be run out of her lakeside mansion. The executor of Betsy’s estate simply hands Nell a set of house keys and wishes her luck, leaving her to manage the mansion and the eccentric personalities of the artists who live there on her own.

Soon one of the artists, a young metal sculptor named Odin, is keeping the other residents awake with his late-night welding projects. Nell is pretty sure that Annie, a dreadlocked granny known for her avant garde performance pieces, is dealing drugs out of the basement “studio.” Meanwhile Paige, an art student from the university, takes up residence in the third-floor turret, experimenting with new printing and design techniques, as well as leading a string of bad boyfriends upstairs when she stumbles home late at night.

Despite all the drama, Nell finds something akin to a family among the members of the creative community that she’s brought together. And when her attraction to Odin begins to heat up, Nell is forced to decide what will bring her greater joy–the creative, inspired world she’s created, or the familiar but increasingly fragile one of her marriage.

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The Curiosities Audiobook Narrator

Karen White is the narrator of The Curiosities audiobook that was written by Susan Gloss

Susan Gloss is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin Law School. When she's not writing fiction, Susan can be found working as an attorney, blogging at GlossingOverIt.com, or hunting for vintage treasures for her Etsy shop, Cleverly Curated. She lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin.

About the Author(s) of The Curiosities

Susan Gloss is the author of The Curiosities

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The Curiosities Full Details

Narrator Karen White
Length 9 hours 46 minutes
Author Susan Gloss
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date February 05, 2019
ISBN 9780062859297

Subjects

The publisher of the The Curiosities is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Family Life, Fiction

Additional info

The publisher of the The Curiosities is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062859297.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Sonja

July 19, 2018

Grief makes for powerful stories because it is so personal. Even when two people lose the same loved one, their experiences are not the same. Perhaps it is the finality of death that makes it so; we grieve for a future that like all futures, is wholly personal and, because of death, forever lost. How we move forward after losing someone says so much about who we are, and who we might become. In The Curiosities, Nell's response to her late miscarriage is complex. Her desire for a child consumes her and leads her to hide from her husband the vast sums she has borrowed in their pursuit of parenthood. But her financial straits also lead her to a job as manager of a nascent artist's colony, and it is through this work Nell must find her future--one way or another.Gloss weaves Nell's story with that of Betsy Barrett, the deceased arts patron who founded the colony. Betsy's life, lived without apology on her own terms, is a clever counterpoint to Nell's struggles. Gloss also uses Betsy's narrative to frame the work of the three artists in the colony, each of whom present challenges for Nell, each other and themselves. As a reader, I loved the structure of the book. As a writer, I admired Gloss's skill in pulling it all together.The Curiosities is full of gorgeous, perceptive descriptions of art and its creation; you will feel the angst, triumph and joy. And I'm a tough old bird but Nell's story brought me to tears, darn it! Wonderfully written, with memorable characters and deep emotional insights, it was an absorbing, satisfying read--with a perfect ending.

Tammy(PeaceLoveBooks)

January 13, 2019

The Curiosities is a beautifully written story of loss, grieving and moving on. Susan Gloss expertly weaves loss, promiscuity, the opioid crisis, art and vintage antiques into a highly engaging, emotional page turner!

Deborah

February 06, 2019

This is an exquisite book about the resilience of the human spirit. Nell takes a job as the director of an artist colony that is left in a trust by Betsy Barrett. There are three artists in residence, Paige, Annie and Odin. This is their story. Each chapter is told in the alternating voices of each character. To me, this worked beautifully. I felt that I knew each character and they captivated me. The characters are superbly developed and true to life. I could feel their grief, pain and hope. This is a book about the intricate bonds that tie us together as human beings. It is about letting people in despite our flaws. It is about pain, loss and grief and how together we can heal. We just have to let people in. This book touched me on such a deep level. I absolutely loved this book. I would like to leave you with my favorite quote: "Art is like life. It's fragile, but that doesn't mean you should never take a risk." Highly recommended read.

Kristy

January 06, 2019

A richly layered tale of the intersection of five very different lives, The Curiosities uniquely depicts how each step in the journey leads us where we're ultimately meant to be. Page by page, Gloss proves that the beauty of life-like art-is often revealed to us a little at a time.

Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews

February 05, 2019

Five very different and complicated stories are told within the pages of The Curiosities by Susan Gloss. All are contained by the talented, yet somewhat broken and resilient Nell. Its a beautiful snapshot into each life. I would love for every character to have a shining moment as captain in books to come from this author. This is my first read by Susan Gloss so I am not familiar with her previous works, but that is about to change. What a wonderful way to be introduced.~Tanja Follow us on Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿BookBabblers✿Instagram

Amy

November 30, 2017

loved!

The Lit Bitch

February 17, 2019

As many of you know, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to read more books outside my comfort zone. I do read a lot of women’s fiction, but I often pass on books that have anything to do with pregnancy loss or infertility.Not necessarily because it’s a sensitive subject, but more because I often find that it’s incredibly heavy and when I read, I want something happy. This book caught me a little unaware when it came to its subject matter, but that was mostly my fault.This cover looks so happy and colorful. Just looking at this cover made me think spring. I have also seen a lot of hype for this book on my social media, and mainly my Facebook group, Bloom Tall Poppy Writers. This author is a Tall Poppy Writer and when I saw this book up for review, I eagerly jumped at it for these two reasons. I didn’t really know what it was about—just that I wanted to read it.Had I actually read the description, I probably would have passed, but I didn’t and that was a stoke of luck. This is an incredible book. Beautiful and well written don’t even begin to describe how wonderful this book is. But forewarning, this book is heavy and does discuss difficult subject matter that might be triggers for some such as pregnancy loss and infertility. But, this book takes this difficult subject matter and creates a stunning story of the human spirit.One of the things that really stood out to me was how well Gloss contrasted her two main female characters. There is Nell who wants nothing more than to have a baby, and then you have Betsy on the opposite end of the spectrum, who never wanted children. I thought this was such a powerful way to highlight similarities and flaws within the characters.Even though this was an emotional and heavy story, I loved watching the healing that took place throughout the story. There was part of me that was overwhelmed by the story but another part that just couldn’t put it down. The author should be proud of her ability to take a sensitive subject and make it enjoyable and beautiful.This is most definitely a story about grief, loss, and how to move on. I have seen a number of other reviewers comment on how the themes of the book worked so well together and I would completely agree. It’s interesting to see how some people process grief and I was completely sucked into this story and cycle of grief and moving on. The ending is a little ambiguous but I think it works for this kind of story.I haven’t read anything by Gloss before but I was very moved by this book and enjoyed it so much. I am looking forward to reading more by her. She is one to watch!See my full review here

Susan

February 06, 2019

The Curiosities is a poignant story of love and loss, grief and recovery. Told from several points of view, the author has woven their stories together in such a way that connects us to them. The story takes place at an artist’s retreat, run by a young woman who has suffered great loss, as have the artists in residence. Parts of the story are told in flashbacks, enhancing our understanding of these characters and their struggles. By the end of the book, my heart had expanded with love for the characters and the possibilities what their futures held.

Marisa

January 31, 2019

This novel reached into my chest gripped my heart and held on. A book of growing, grief, forgiveness and love.Great characters. Page turning story. This is one of the most beautiful books ive read!

Debbie

February 01, 2019

"The Curiosities” is a novel divided into chapters that are told from the point of view of the individual characters living and working in an artist colony in Madison, Wisconsin. Nell Parker, who lives in Madison and has a PhD in art history, is the somewhat reluctant director of the colony, which was created at the behest of Betsy Barrett, the woman that envisioned the colony. After the recent loss of her preterm baby, Nell and her husband, Josh, an attorney, have been floundering while undergoing a round of infertility treatments. (The true cost of which Nell keeps to herself.) Nell took the job as a respite from her reoccurring thoughts of her tragedy, and also because she simply needs the money. Chose for her degree and not her managerial savvy, she is thrust into her role when the executor of Betsy’s will slaps the keys of a huge, old mansion on the edge of Madison into her hand and drives off.Nell and the residents of the colony, (Including deceased benefactor Betsy Barrett) all have their stories revealed in their chapters. There is Paige, the offbeat recent art-school grad, Annie, an older artist of some past renown, and Odin, a young metal sculptor with his own tragic loss looming over his work. The first round of residents were chosen by Betsy before she died, and Nell’s job is essentially to keep them happily ensconced in the mansion while also tending to a myriad of other duties.While Nell finds herself busily consumed with the activities at the newly minted "Mansion Hill Artists’ Colony,” her marriage continues its’ downward slide until fate, in the form of an arrest at the mansion, allows her to see her buttoned-up husband in a new light.The story flows quite naturally around the characters in the book, and although I liked the arc of the novel, for some reason Betsy’s’ first chapter not being introduced until the fifth chapter threw me off. I liked that the background and history could be established with this character, however I would have preferred it happened earlier in the book, maybe as part of the Prologue. That is just my opinion, of course, and I quickly moved on from the thought as the story progressed.The title caught my eye with this book. I think it could have derived from the descriptions of items cataloged by Nell that she found in mansion, but could easily apply to the characters as well, a curious mix of ages and personalities that blend to provide a satisfying and charming read. Bookish and Proud

Linda

February 02, 2019

fullsizeoutput_3b95.jpegLinda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Curiosities” by Susan Gloss, William Morrow, February 5, 2019Susan Gloss, Author of “The Curiosities” has written an intriguing, and entertaining novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The timeline for this story is in the present and goes back to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated.Nell Parker has a PhD in Art History, and her husband Josh is an attorney. They had lost a daughter very early in Nell’s pregnancy, and after several rounds of fertility treatments that produced no results, Nell would like to try again, but Josh has had enough. There is tension and friction in their marriage. Nell looks for a job and finds one as a director in a not for profit Center for Artists. Nell is in charge of three artists that have gotten residencies.The three artists live in the mansion, and have different interests in their creative process and art. Each of the artists has their own set of problems to work out, but each is extremely talented. Nell is there to over-see what goes on, and does go home at night. Nell also has some secrets she is keeping from her husband.I appreciate that the author describes the importance of family, friendship, communication, honesty, emotional support, love and hope. This is also a story of artists, creativity, growth, and friendship. I would recommend this story for those readers who enjoy dramatic stories. I received an ARC from Edelweiss for my honest review.

Linda

February 08, 2019

I admit it - if a book has quirky characters; it probably will score a homerun with me. Throw in an underdog, a rebel and a mother hen and the game is won! This one is a winner!Susan Gloss has created characters who are grieving and trying to regain normalcy in their lives again. Some of that grief is so heart tugging.Nell has experienced devastating loss and decides to try to gain some sense of control over her life by finding a job. She's hired as the Director of an artists colony. The author literally shines in creating a truly eccentric, eclectic band of artists. Each arrives not only with their creative projects but also with some interesting 'baggage' as well.Susan Gloss is a new author to me but this introduction was wonderful. I definitely will read her previous novel, Vintage, soon.Nell has the key to the mansion so feel free to enter and get to know The Curiosities. You'll be so very glad that you did.I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own. #williammorrow #tallpoppywriters

Kate

May 31, 2020

I enjoyed this story just as much as Gloss’ previous novel, Vintage! And as a “born and bred and never left” WI resident, the Madison, WI setting is near and dear to my heart.

Chris

March 18, 2019

So good. This book has so man6 different layers. I confess that it handles grief in a way that really appealed to me. I got it!

Nikki

January 18, 2019

Speechless! That’s what this book left me! This book leads you through a journey of loss, grief and being able to slowly move on. Like a picture in a museum that’s painted with fine art strokes, Susan Gloss paints us a story of 5 ppl who come from unlikely backgrounds yet all end up becoming some unique form of family for Nell. In the end this book will leave you not only speeachless but with a heartfelt love for Nell! I was given this arc for my honest review.

Sue

August 25, 2018

It's been way too long of a wait for a new book by Susan Gloss but I am happy to tell you that the wait is over and the new book is fantastic! It has everything needed to make a good novel - great characters, friendship, loss and love plus the added descriptions of paintings and sculptures.Nell takes a job as the director of an artist's colony. Even though she has a PhD in art history, she hasn't worked in several years while she and her husband go through several rounds of fertility treatments. Betsy Barrett had set up the artists colony in her will and after he death, the first group of artists arrived for an in-residency program. Nell and Betsy are total opposites - Nell lives her entire life around the dream of being a mother, Betsy was childless by choice. Nell is not sure what she wants to do with her life while Betsy was a strong determined woman who lived her life on her own terms. The three artists who arrive for the first in-residency program give Nell a chance to learn her new role. Not only do the artists work in different mediums but they are totally different types of people, all with lots of personal baggage. Will helping these three artists realize their potentials help Nell to recover from her heartbreak and become more inspired with her life or will it make her even more fragile?I enjoyed all the art references in this book and getting to know the various artists - they were a very eccentric group of people. I especially enjoyed Nell as she tried to turn her life around and discover the person that she really wants to be.Thanks to Edelweiss for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

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