The Smell of Other Peoples Houses, BonnieSue Hitchcock
The Smell of Other Peoples Houses, BonnieSue Hitchcock
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The Smell of Other People's Houses

Author: Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Narrator: Jorjeana Marie, Erin Tripp, Karissa Vacker, Robbie Daymond

Unabridged: 5 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/23/2016

Synopsis

In Alaska, 1970, being a teenager here isn’t like being a teenager anywhere else. This deeply moving and authentic debut is for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, and Benjamin Alire Saenz. Intertwining stories of love, tragedy, wild luck, and salvation on the edge of America’s Last Frontier introduce a writer of rare talent.
 
Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.
 
Four very different lives are about to become entangled. This unforgettable book is about people who try to save each other—and how sometimes, when they least expect it, they succeed. 

Narrator Cast List:
Ruth, Read by Jorjeana Marie 
Dora, Read by Erin Tripp 
Alyce, Read by Karissa Vacker 
Hank, Read by Robbie Daymond

About The Author

Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock was born and raised in Alaska. She worked many years fishing commercially with her family and as a reporter for Alaska Public Radio stations around the state. She was also the host and producer of “Independent Native News,” a daily newscast produced in Fairbanks, focusing on Alaska Natives, American Indians, and Canada’s First Nations. Her writing is inspired by her family’s four generations in Alaska.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Elle

What do I even begin to say about this impactful, gorgeous book? My faith in humanity and my love for found family has been absolutely restored. There's so much I loved about this book, I really don't know where to start. # SO CLOSE YOU CAN TASTE IT: SETTING AND WRITING The setting developed here is j......more

Goodreads review by jessica

not going to lie, the only reason i picked this up was because the title randomly caught my eye. which is very unlike me (i usually prefer to look at other reviews and ratings before buying a book), but i decided to go on an impulsive whim. and after finishing this, i still think the title (and its......more

Goodreads review by Melanie

I might switch this to 5 stars. What an impactful story, that was able to do so very much with so few pages. Truly so very beautiful and so very hopeful. Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube | Twitch......more

Goodreads review by Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️

This was a beautiful story about generational trauma and the power of found family. It is also my first non-smut five star read of 2023 (although there is only one of those at this point too). So cheers to a great read in what has been a fairly lackluster reading year thus far. But I digress. This has......more

Quotes

A William C. Morris Award Finalist
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens, 2016

“An exquisitely drawn, deeply heartfelt look at a time and place not often addressed. Hitchcock’s measured prose casts a gorgeous, almost otherworldly feel over the text, resulting in a quietly lovely look at the various sides of human nature and growing up in a difficult world.” —Booklist, Starred

"Using alternating narratives, debut novelist Hitchcock deftly weaves these stories together, setting them against the backdrop of a native Alaska that readers will find intoxicating. . . . will resonate with readers of all ages." —Publishers Weekly

“An affecting story of fractured love and surprising redemption.” —Shelf Awareness, Starred
 
“A multifaceted glimpse into [a] rich cast of characters. . . . An excellent debut.” —SLJ
 
“The Alaskan author depicts places and an era rarely seen in fiction for teens….All benefit from her journalist’s eye for detail.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“Grounded in emotional honesty.” —The Horn Book 
 
“An honest, gritty, and moving portrait of growing up in Alaska. Only someone who knows and loves this place through and through could tell this story. This book is Alaska.” —Eowyn Ivey, author of the New York Times bestseller The Snow Child
 
“As only a native of Alaska can, Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock blends narratives of indigenous and non- into a buffet of pain and beauty. Highly recommended.” —Tim Tingle, author of the series How I Became a Ghost
 



 

Awards

  • Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction
  • Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award
  • Morris Award
  • Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award
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