Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • The House We Grew Up In

  • By: Lisa Jewell
  • Narrated by: Zoe Tapper
  • Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (199 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The House We Grew Up In

By: Lisa Jewell
Narrated by: Zoe Tapper
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

An unforgettable story about a family with a terrible secret. From the #1 bestselling author of Then She Was Gone, The Night She Disappeared and The Family Upstairs.

When a tragedy breaks a family apart, what can bring it back together?

The Birds seem to be the perfect family: mother, father, four children, a picture-book cottage in the country.

But one Easter weekend, something happens - something so unexpected, so devastating, that no one can bring themselves to talk about it.

The family shatters, seemingly for good.

Until, years later, they are forced to return to the house they grew up in, and to confront what really broke the family apart...

©2013 Lisa Jewell (P)2023 Penguin Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Last Thing She Told Me cover art
The Book of Love cover art
The Mother I Could Have Been cover art
Olive Kitteridge cover art
The Thing About Clare cover art
When We Believed in Mermaids cover art
Heart Bones cover art

What listeners say about The House We Grew Up In

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    128
  • 4 Stars
    38
  • 3 Stars
    20
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    154
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    125
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    21
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    8

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sad and uplifting

A thoughtful and heartbreaking exploration of hoarding and of the texture of family life. Not a thriller, but a domestic drama. The ending is joyful. In short, I loved it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Sad though good

Sad story, wouldn’t say Lisa Jewels best book though page turner even if not happy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good read

It keep me interesting in listening to the story if the Birds family dynamics…weirdness

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

I did not enjoy this book

This book is one of Lisa Jewels flops. Kept waiting for something to escalate, but it just went nowhere.
Narrator was very good.
I have enjoyed most of Lisa Jewels books a shame
about this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting portrayal of family dynamics

So, this was different to most of Lisa Jewell’s books, as there was no missing or dead teenage mother. I actually enjoyed it as much as some of her others, perhaps more. I thought it was a thoughtful and interesting portrayal of family dynamics. The characters and events felt plausible and convincing. Having said that, the only really likeable character was Meg as she was the only one who was loyal, loving and resilient. However, by the end of the book, it was possible to feel a sense of empathy for all the characters, even the most deeply flawed, as you could see how they were all damaged in their own ways, but also trying to do their best.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Jewell's talent at its best

wow! just finished this book! in my opinion the best of Jewell's book. I enjoyed every single minute of it!!! highly recommended !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I have no idea what was going on

the whole thing is bewildering, couldn't tell whose who at all (oh except the Irish girl) couldn't carry on any longer.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous enchanting read

Yes it’s a little different from this author but it’s a sad, funny and beautifully addictive story of a family with many truths to unwrap delivered by a skilled narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Only listened through to the end because it was for this months book club

I started the paperback but after the first few chapters I knew I wouldn’t carry on reading it, so because I needed to know about it for our book club meeting I bought the audio version, that way I could listen to it whilst doing other things and it wouldn’t be wasting my time. I liked the narrator’s voice, which was a blessing, or I might have given up on the audiobook too. I found the storyline odd in that every one of the Bird family left me cold and uninterested despite the secrets that inevitably involved another member of the Bird family. Usually I find a few characters who’s mind I like to get into but I couldn’t warm to any of them. Kayleigh was the only character I took to mainly because she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Lorelei irritated me, Colin was weak, Vicky too sweet… I could go on but I’m trying not to unveil spoilers. Obviously these are only my personal thoughts and others might love the book. We all have different tastes in novels.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Quite disappointed, her other books are great.

Loved all of her other books I’ve listened to. This one was rather bland. And long winded.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!