A Million Junes

By: Emily Henry

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Romeo and Juliet meets One Hundred Years of Solitude in Emily Henry's brilliant follow-up to The Love That Split the World, about the daughter and son of two long-feuding families who fall in love while trying to uncover the truth about the strange magic and harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations.

June O'Donnell - aka Junior, aka Jack, aka Jonathan O'Donnell IV, aka the first female O'Donnell firstborn - has always been haunted by her family's mythic but complicated legacy. As she prepares to begin her final year of high school, June is itching to leave behind her ghosts in Five Fingers, Michigan, and travel the world.

And then, just like it always happens to the O'Donnells, a painful glimmer from her past returns to mess everything up.

Enter Saul Angert, the eldest son of Eli Angert, aka June's late father's mortal enemy, back in town from a prestigious writing program to care for his ailing father. June can't seem to avoid Saul, whose very presence makes her ache with grief over her father, and soon the unthinkable happens: She finds she doesn't exactly hate the gruff, sarcastic, and strangely tender boy whom she was born to loathe.

When June and Saul accidentally stumble into a bit of the forest magic, they are allowed a glimpse into the past at the fateful, horrible moment that started all the trouble between their families. Now June doesn't know if this new discovery means she should hate the Angerts even more or if it's finally time for her - and all of the O'Donnells before her - to let go.

©2017 Emily Henry (P)2017 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"A gift to readers’ imaginations...a textured story that is an exploration of duty, family, and faith and yet doesn’t forget the humor of everyday life." (Booklist)

"[June's] connection and devotion to her deceased father is gorgeously portrayed, most notably her struggle to preserve his life and legacy as she forges her own path. Henry’s writing is lush and evocative, adding volumes to an already moving premise." (Publishers Weekly)

"Henry takes the well-known Shakespeare tragedy Romeo and Juliet and turns it into a modern-day romance with an original ghostly twist.... A perfect choice for young teens looking for romance, friendship, and magic in their fiction." (School Library Journal)

Love it!

It’s a beautiful and thought provoking story about family. I couldn’t wait to listen to it all.

fantasy and family feuds meet reality

Loved being transported by the "thin place" with the characters as they delve into the reason behind a generational feud between their 2 families. Spooky, romantic, and endearing. Loved this read!

Grief

Emily Henry had a story structure that is evident of most of her writings. This one is no different in that sense. However the story line is way more fiction than her other stories — so just not really my type of story. HOWEVER, as someone who is grieving the loss of my father, this story was so relatable. I felt myself grieving with June and Saul and processing my father’s loss.

Loved it!

This was definitely not the typical Emily Henry book but it was so, so good! I loved the characters and loved the story! I couldn’t stop listening! And when it ended I wanted more! It had mystery and love and so much more! A must read!

Great Read!

Loved the narration of this book!! It kept me wanting to know more. It held my curiosity of what will occur next. My inner child came out and I was all in. The perfect ending!

Lost…

hard to follow & not sure what the premise of the story was def all over the place

Magical and mystical tale you’ll not soon forget

“A Million Junes” is a beautiful story filled with magic and wonder. Once again, narrator Julia Whelan is the reason I chose it and, for that, I thank her. Author Emily Henry weaves an enchanting and captivating fairy tale that proves my belief in sprites, love and spirituality. Maybe love can conquer all. Well worth a cherished credit. So highly recommended, I can’t stress it enough. I want to scream it from the rooftops. Epic, I say, EPIC! EPIC! EPIC!

♥️👏✍🏻🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✍🏻♥️

Emily Henry and Julia Whelan are perfect together

I will listen to anything written by Emily Henry and read by Julia Whelan. Julia’s nuanced narration perfectly complements Emily’s incredible writing.

This story is atmospheric and beautiful and will definitely keep you interested and guessing.

There were parts of the end that were somewhat confusing and unclear, but I didn’t care much because the love story stretched across romance, friendship, and familial bonds so gorgeously.

Great story, excellent narration

Another amazing performance by Julia Whelan.
I was immediately sucked into this unique yet familiar story with hidden messages that seem just right for our times. I found the end a little long-drawn out and predictable, but still a great story.

Beautiful Coming of Age Story

This is the fifth Emily Henry book I’ve read and it was my favorite. Beautiful story telling exploring themes of grief, loss, intergenerational trauma, and resilience through the power of relationships (family, friendship, love). I loved how the author used magic to move between timelines. Much less steamy than her other books (which was appropriate given the main character’s age).