A struggling musician's rollicking adventure across the Pond is made all the more vibrant, thanks to the dynamic dual narration of Susanna Hoffs and Juliet Stevenson. Hoffs takes on the role of Jane Start, a one-hit wonder no one remembers. Hoffs's expressive tone evokes Jane's messy and chaotic life as she jets off to London, where she unexpectedly meets the love of her life. Stevenson pops in to provide dialogue for the gaggle of friends and colleagues who are helping Jane get her life back on track. Stevenson does outstanding accent work, including an excellent portrayal of the guarded yet debonair professor who catches Jane's eye. This fun audio features a variety of musical interludes to guide listeners to each chapter. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
This Bird Has Flown: A Novel
Narrated by Susanna Hoffs, Juliet Stevenson
Susanna HoffsUnabridged — 12 hours, 35 minutes
This Bird Has Flown: A Novel
Narrated by Susanna Hoffs, Juliet Stevenson
Susanna HoffsUnabridged — 12 hours, 35 minutes
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Overview
No Manic Mondays here — this debut from beloved songwriter Susanna Hoffs is a sweet and steamy novel about hitting rock bottom and finding second chances. This is an earworm of a novel that will be stuck in your head for days.
This delightfully funny and steamy novel about music, fate,*and love from beloved songwriter and Bangles*co-founder Susanna Hoffs is "a*total knockout" and "the smart, ferocious rock-star redemption romance you didn't know you needed" (New York Times Book Review).
Jane Start is thirty-three, broke, and recently single. Ten years prior, she had a hit song-written by*world-famous superstar Jonesy-but Jane hasn't had a breakout since.*Now she's living out of four garbage bags at her parents' house, reduced to performing to Karaoke tracks in Las*Vegas.*Rock bottom. But when her longtime*manager Pippa sends Jane to London to regroup,*she's seated next to an intriguing stranger on the flight-the*other*Tom Hardy, an elegantly handsome Oxford professor of literature. Jane is instantly smitten by Tom, and soon, truly inspired. But it's not Jane's*past*alone that*haunts her second chance at stardom, and at love. Is Tom all that he seems? And can Jane emerge*from the shadow of Jonesy's earlier hit,*and into the light of her own? In turns deeply sexy, riotously funny, and utterly joyful,*This Bird Has Flown*explores love, passion, and the ghosts of our past, and offers a glimpse inside the music business that could only come from beloved songwriter Susanna Hoffs.
"Clever and entertaining*. . .*with an insider's feel for the mixed blessings of pop fame¿."*-Los Angeles Times
"Part British romcom, part Jane Eyre, and one hundred percent enjoyable."-Tom Perrotta
"In this sexy, page-turning treat, Susanna Hoffs writes as engagingly as she sings.” -Helen Fielding
"This isn't just a book, it's a love song, and it should come as no surprise that Susanna Hoffs has crafted the perfect one to put on your playlist.” -Christina Lauren
"A sweet and tender romance-and a valentine to music."*-NPR
“This book is a blast . . . about art and new beginnings and love and friendship and taking risks, it's such a fun read.” -Jasmine Guillory
Editorial Reviews
01/09/2023
This lighthearted debut from Hoffs, former guitarist and singer for the Bangles, follows Jane Start, a down on her luck musician who becomes embroiled in a whirlwind romance with an Oxford professor. Ten years earlier, Jane struck gold covering a song written by the mysterious pop star Jonesy. Now, in her early 30s, she’s playing bachelor parties. Her fortunes change after she sits next to Tom Hardy on a flight to London and they hit it off. Less than a month later, Jane has moved into Tom’s place, and the couple are in the throes of new love. Jane is shocked when Jonesy asks her to perform with him at the Royal Albert Hall, and her newly blissful domestic life is threatened by the frequent mentions of Tom’s beautiful and accomplished ex-girlfriend by others in their orbit. As a romance, the narrative hits all the expected marks, though most characters other than Jane are one-dimensional, even Tom. Still, Hoffs crafts a convincing portrayal of a musician, whether on the big stage in a climactic scene or spontaneously harmonizing with a pub singer, providing “the humble puzzle piece that goes unnoticed, but to , makes the song”; and she enlivens the proceedings with playful irreverence (a chapter dedicated to Tom is called “Hot for Teacher”). When Jane hits the stage, Hoffs finds her groove. (Apr.)
"This Bird has Flown is SO GOOD. I cannot wait for people to dig in and read what a fun story Susanna's told here, with rock singer Jane Start. If you liked Daisy Jones or Juliet, Naked, I feel like you will love this one."—Taylor Jenkins Reid
"Hoffs nails the life and heartbreak of rock and roll, academia, and our soul-nourishing connection to our very own soulmate so expertly she must have carved it in Norwegian Wood! And isn't it good!"—Tom Hanks
"In this sexy, page-turning treat of a debut novel, Susanna Hoffs writes as engagingly as she sings." —Helen Fielding, author of the bestselling phenomenon Bridget Jones's Diary
"Hoffs' immense writing talent isn't just confined to songs. . . .This Bird Has Flown is a love story, a sweet and tender romance, but not just one between Jane and Tom — it's Hoffs' valentine to music."—NPR
“A clever and entertaining debut novel about the nagging ambivalence of love, missed connections and the transcendent power of a great two-minute pop song. . . . Hoffs spins the gears of her antic narrative with sharp, sardonic wit and an insider’s feel for the mixed blessings of pop fame and a fickle public. But just as the wheels start to fall off, grace arrives . . . such is the power of music; it can give us the key to ourselves at those times when we need it the most. Hoffs understands this acutely, which is why This Bird Has Flown rings so true. Read it with the radio on.”—Los Angeles Times
"Charming, beautiful, and deeply authentic...What an incredible gift for us all!"—Laura Dern
"This book will hook you like the best pop song that you can't stop playing—something that Susanna knows a little something about!"—Molly Ringwald
"This bird has flown! High! #bestbooksofthesummer."—Jamie Lee Curtis
"A charming romcom."—USA Today
“Bangles frontwoman Susanna Hoffs demonstrates her range. . . . Hoffs hits the familiar beats of romantic comedy with such panache and gusto, every note feels fresh. Clutch your pearls as Jane swears, boozes, masturbates and indulges, but just try to measure the size of her heart with any ordinary ruler. Ditto the writing. There is not a spare, bare sentence to be found. Instead, the pages are packed with wit and sly allusion and dialogue that strikes the ear just so.”—Beatriz Williams, New York Times Book Review
“This Bird has Flown is a blast of pure pleasure, an addictive medley of music, romance, secrets, and sex. Susanna Hoffs’ captivating first novel is part British romcom, part Jane Eyre, and one hundred percent enjoyable.”—Tom Perrotta, New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher and Tracy Flick Can’t Win
"Irresistible." —E! News
“This book is a blast. It satisfied the part of me that loves a hot rock-and-roll romance, with Vegas adventures and sold out concerts and lots of champagne, as well as the part of me that loves a tender love story with an Oxford professor, with slow airplane kisses, drives in the British countryside and long talks over tea. It’s about art and new beginnings and love and friendship and regrets and fear and taking risks, and it’s such a fun read.”—Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of Drunk on Love
"Centered on a heartbroken one-hit wonder hoping for a comeback, this romantic comedy from Bangles front woman Susanna Hoffs is the literary equivalent of power pop with soul."—Shelf Awareness
“A little bit romance, a little bit rock-and-roll—this isn’t just a book, it’s a love song, and it should come as no surprise that Susanna Hoffs has crafted the perfect one to put on your playlist.”—Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners
“Elegant, thoughtful, and ever-so-sexy, This Bird Has Flown will stay in your mind—in your heart—like a favorite song.”—Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs
“A tender, funny, love story wrapped in a guitar-jamming rock-and-roll cloak. I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a long, long time."—Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane
“Hoffs write with a snappy wit that recalls rom-com favorites like Bridget Jones’s Diary . . . A fun read that’s perfect for lovers of pop music, classic books, and romantic comedies.”—Kirkus Reviews
“What a treat, and a pleasure, to find out that Susanna Hoffs can tell a story filled with characters as engaging as her song lyrics, who come alive to crack you up and break your heart, and tell it with all the confidence you would expect from a seasoned explorer of the depths of love, music, and life.”—Ayelet Waldman, New York Times bestselling author of A Really Good Day
“Hoffs brings her knowledge of the music scene to this lively, spicy love story. Jane is an appealing character whose creative and emotional journeys are relatable and entertaining, and readers will enjoy watching her come into her own after years of struggle and self-doubt. Fans of Emma Brodie’s Songs in Ursa Major will want to take a look.”—Booklist
A tender, funny, love story wrapped in a guitar-jamming rock-and-roll cloak. I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a long, long time.
This Bird has Flown is a blast of pure pleasure, an addictive medley of music, romance, secrets, and sex. Susanna Hoffs’ captivating first novel is part British romcom, part Jane Eyre, and one hundred percent enjoyable.
What a treat, and a pleasure, to find out that Susanna Hoffs can tell a story filled with characters as engaging as her song lyrics, who come alive to crack you up and break your heart, and tell it with all the confidence you would expect from a seasoned explorer of the depths of love, music, and life.
A little bit romance, a little bit rock-and-roll—this isn’t just a book, it’s a love song, and it should come as no surprise that Susanna Hoffs has crafted the perfect one to put on your playlist.
03/10/2023
DEBUT This first novel from a founding member of the pop-rock group the Bangles gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a struggling musician. It follows one-hit-wonder Jane Start, who had a pop hit over a decade ago when she was young and full of ambition. Now in her early 30s, Jane has been struggling to find her voice—and truly, herself—ever since. Not knowing where she is heading messes with Jane's ability to see where she is and influences some of her life choices, such as wearing a pink wig and performing at Las Vegas bachelor parties or crashing at her parents' house for a bit. Then her manager gets her on a plane to London for a possibly career-changing gig, where she meets Tom, an Oxford professor who ghosts her at first. Jane ends up moving in with him and gearing up for a comeback. VERDICT The characters in Hoffs's sexy, fun debut are relatable, and their struggles feel real. It shows readers that celebrities and musicians, regardless of fame and fortune, have relatable problems.—Alicia Cerone
A struggling musician's rollicking adventure across the Pond is made all the more vibrant, thanks to the dynamic dual narration of Susanna Hoffs and Juliet Stevenson. Hoffs takes on the role of Jane Start, a one-hit wonder no one remembers. Hoffs's expressive tone evokes Jane's messy and chaotic life as she jets off to London, where she unexpectedly meets the love of her life. Stevenson pops in to provide dialogue for the gaggle of friends and colleagues who are helping Jane get her life back on track. Stevenson does outstanding accent work, including an excellent portrayal of the guarded yet debonair professor who catches Jane's eye. This fun audio features a variety of musical interludes to guide listeners to each chapter. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
2023-01-12
A semiforgotten singer seeks love and a new hit song in this debut from Hoffs, the co-founder of the Bangles.
Thirty-three-year-old Jane Start is afraid she might already be a washed-up one-hit wonder. Ten years ago, she found success with a cover of a song by the enigmatic rock star Jonesy. But she hasn’t had a hit since, and now she finds herself so desperate for work that she’s playing a private gig at a bachelor party. Her manager and best friend, Pippa, sends Jane to London to recuperate from the humiliation of singing karaoke to a group of drunk bachelors and the pain of being recently dumped by her boyfriend of four years. On the plane, Jane meets an Oxford literature professor named Tom Hardy, and the two manage to charm each other with their in-flight conversation. Impulsively, Jane kisses him, and the two exchange numbers before they part. When Jane gets to London, her life becomes all about another unexpected connection—Jonesy himself wants Jane to perform at his upcoming show at the Royal Albert Hall. Jane needs the work, but the idea of performing in front of such a large crowd, and with the same mysterious superstar who was such a big part of her early career, gives her pause. When she finally hears from Tom again, the two of them fall into a heady and intoxicating relationship. But Jane starts to wonder how much she really knows about Tom and whether the figurative ghosts of his ex-girlfriends might haunt his home and his heart. She also wonders if she can ever separate herself from her hit song of 10 years ago and the man who was behind it. Hoffs writes with a snappy wit that recalls rom-com favorites like Bridget Jones’s Diary. There are the expected musical references (each chapter begins with a song title, and Jane and Tom bond over their favorite music), but there are many literature references, too—most notably to Jane Eyre and Rebecca.
A fun read that’s perfect for lovers of pop music, classic books, and romantic comedies.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940175184359 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Audio |
| Publication date: | 04/04/2023 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 838,245 |
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