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Maggie O'Farrell
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The Distance Between Us Hardcover – January 1, 2004

by Maggie O'Farrell (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 3,835 ratings
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Stella has fled London to confront the childhood secret which has marked her life. A set of tragic circumstances and a hasty marriage bring Jake from Hong Kong to Britain, where he embarks upon a quest for the father he never knew. When Jake and Stella meet, both of their lives are changed forever.
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  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Review
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    5.63 x 8.74 x 1.38 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0755302656
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0755302659
  8. See all details
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  1. The moments that affect you are only ever the ones you’re not expecting. The ones you know will arrive, the ones you’ve been waiting for, have almost an unreal, rehearsed air about them, because you’ve imagined them so many times.
    Highlighted by 104 Kindle readers
  2. Motherhood is a clear, prescribed thing. Those nine months you spend with another being pocketed inside you are a lifelong, unwritten contract that can’t ever be cancelled. But fatherhood is nebulous, undefined, and can be almost nothing, a mere tailed cell shot out into the void.
    Highlighted by 79 Kindle readers
  3. They’re all in varying degrees of separation, or running away from something, or in search of an elusive element that might complete them. Or at least hoping the feeling that something is missing from their lives won’t pursue them over the ocean. If you go far enough you might never catch up with yourself.
    Highlighted by 54 Kindle readers
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Review; 0 edition (January 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0755302656
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0755302659
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.26 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.63 x 8.74 x 1.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 3,835 ratings

About the author

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Maggie O'Farrell

Maggie O'Farrell

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Maggie O’Farrell, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, is the author of HAMNET, Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020, and the memoir I AM, I AM, I AM, both Sunday Times no. 1 bestsellers. Her novels include AFTER YOU’D GONE, MY LOVER’S LOVER, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, which won a Somerset Maugham Award, THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX, THE HAND THAT FIRST HELD MINE, which won the 2010 Costa Novel Award, INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HEATWAVE and THIS MUST BE THE PLACE, and THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT. She is also the author of two books for children, WHERE SNOW ANGELS GO and THE BOY WHO LOST HIS SPARK. She lives in Edinburgh.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3,835 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and interesting. They describe the book as a good, enjoyable read. Readers praise the writing quality as incredible, well-written, and easy to follow. They appreciate the intelligent and emotional depiction of the characters' lives and their complicated relationships.

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Story qualityReadabilityWriting qualityCharacter development
13 customers mention "Story quality"10 positive3 negative

Customers find the story engaging with its well-crafted plot and suspense. They appreciate the subtle themes and interesting relationships between the sisters. The writing is thought-provoking and the book keeps readers hooked until the end.

"...And there Stella and Jake meet. This was an outstanding, exciting, and unusual story about the past and present of not only Stella and..." Read more

"...The relationship between the sisters was the most interesting part of the book...." Read more

"The author takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions and experiences...." Read more

"...alternating view points and from shifting timelines, I had trouble following the story for the first 1/2 or the book...." Read more

11 customers mention "Readability"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They say it's a good start to Maggie O'Farrell's books and a joy to read.

"...And there Stella and Jake meet. This was an outstanding, exciting, and unusual story about the past and present of not only Stella and..." Read more

"...reason, I believe The Distance Between Us would probably be a good starter book if you've never read Maggie O'Farrell before." Read more

"...The way this wraps around itself is the pleasure, the reading, the journey, and even if you can “predict the ending” it’s not a crime thriller so..." Read more

"...O’Farrell’s books are always superb and this one defies gravity with its character development and pace. Don’t miss it!" Read more

9 customers mention "Writing quality"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality. They find the writing engaging, well-crafted, and easy to read. The format is simple and straightforward.

"...Because it is the truth. This woman is an amazing author. Stella and her sister, Nina, are beyond close...." Read more

"...I find her writing absolutely captivating...." Read more

"...I do think her writing has improved over the years and I think some recent readers expected some type of “historical fiction” like Hamnet or The..." Read more

"...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..." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the intelligent and emotional depiction of the characters' lives. They find the narrative engaging, following the main characters from one place to another. The characters support and love each other.

"...They are one, they are each other, they support and love each other. They always have and always will...." Read more

"...There are paragraphs following each other, giving details of what the main characters, Jake and Stella are simultaneously doing thousands of miles..." Read more

"...O’Farrell’s books are always superb and this one defies gravity with its character development and pace. Don’t miss it!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Pamela Audeen Poddany
    5.0 out of 5 stars HE WAKES TO FIND HIMSELF SPLAYED LIKE A STARFISH ACROSS THE BED
    Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    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.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • LA Widow
    4.0 out of 5 stars Probably not her strongest, but definitely worth reading if you like Maggie O'Farrell
    Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This is the third book by Maggie O'Farrell I have read. I find her writing absolutely captivating. Despite the fact that this story had a much more satisfying ending (i.e., less dark), I don't think it will leave a very lasting impression me. I sobbed when I read After You'd Gone, and I was positively disturbed after reading The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. These are both much stronger emotions that just feeling warm and satisfied. Yet as much as I try to categorize which of these three I like best, I can't. Each has its own unique merits to recommend it.

    In The Distance Between Us, we meet Stella and Jake and, in typical Maggie O'Farrell fashion, we are also given their family histories. As Ms. O'Farrell slowly lays the story out for us, one absorbing layer after another, we learn of the tragic chain of events that caused the deep dark secret Stella keeps, which she has spent her whole life trying to run away from and which has left her feeling unworthy of happiness. And we acutely feel Jake's loneliness and sense of detachment as he desperately searches for something to connect him to the world around him.

    If you're new to Ms. O'Farrell, be warned: you might find her style difficult to read at first. She jumps around a lot chronologically, without warning, and if you're not paying attention it's easy to get lost. But if you're like me, you become so engrossed in the story that you quickly learn to ignore it. At least this book did not change perspective - it was all told in the third person, which isn't always the case with her writing. And for this reason, I believe The Distance Between Us would probably be a good starter book if you've never read Maggie O'Farrell before.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Peggy Mundell
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not up to Maggie O'Farrell's usual high standard
    Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I thought O'Farrell‘s book “Hamnet” was excellent. I thought her “The Marriage Portrait” was nearly as good. I have enjoyed several of her other books. But “The Distance Between Us” was not a particularly good book.

    I enjoy books with multiple points of view. I enjoy books that switch back-and-forth between time frames. Both of those techniques can add to the enlightenment a reader receives from a book. But this book did both of those rather badly. The effect was choppy rather enlightening.

    *** spoiler alert ***

    The relationship between the sisters was the most interesting part of the book. But I was so frustrated at the end when Stella was unwilling to go to Hong Kong with Jake and was unwilling to reveal her reason to either Jake or the reader. And then suddenly she did go to Hong Kong without any external event or internal monologue that motivated her change of mind. I just didn’t feel that that whole piece of the story arc was motivated at all.

    And seriously? Running through crowded city streets in the rain to get to your lost love? Such a trite ending!
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Carmen Chuaqui
    2.0 out of 5 stars My opinion
    Reviewed in Mexico on September 18, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I suppose that the author wrote the history of two families and then thought that the linear narrative is out of date. So she cut it into tiny pieces, regardless of time and space, leaving the readers the hard and boring task to resolve the puzzle.
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  • Susan Craig
    5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This was a captivating read with an unusual storyline. My second Maggie O’Farrell.
    Hamnet was my first. There will more!
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  • Bev
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    She is a great Author
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  • karin braun
    5.0 out of 5 stars Alles ok
    Reviewed in Germany on February 4, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Alles ok
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  • ObEiNGLISH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Roman très prenant et facile à lire
    Reviewed in France on September 23, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Maggie O'Farrell

    Encore un excellent roman entre Écosse et Hong Kong où les trajectoires de Jake et Stella, finiront par se croiser dans un village reculé de la campagne ecossaise où chacun est venu chercher refuge.
    Ils y trouveront les réponses qu'ils cherchent.

    Lecture très abordable recommandée par o'bEiNGLISH
    372 pages
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