Days of Wonder

A Novel

By: Caroline Leavitt

Narrated by: Xe Sands, Stephanie Willing, Steve Quinn

A New York Times bestselling author delivers a tantalizing, courageous story about mothers and daughters, guilt and innocence, and the lengths we go for love.

As a teenager, for a moment, Ella Fitchburg found love—yearning, breathless love—that consumed both her and her boyfriend, Jude, as they wandered the streets of New York City together. But her life was unexpectedly upended when she was accused of trying to murder Jude’s father, an imperious superior court judge, and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. When she learns she’s pregnant shortly after sentencing, she reluctantly decides to give up the child.

Ella is released after serving only six years. While she is desperate to turn the page on a new life, she can’t seem to let go of her past. With only an address as a possible lead, she moves to Ann Arbor, Michigan, determined to get her daughter back. Forced to hide her identity and complicated past and live in a constant state of deception, she finds that what she’s been searching for all along is a way to uncover and live with the truth. Yet a central mystery endures: neither Jude nor Ella can remember the events leading up to the attempted murder—that fateful night which led to Ella’s conviction.

For fans of Miranda Cowley Heller’s The Paper Palace and Allegra Goodman’s Sam, Caroline Leavitt’s Days of Wonder is a gripping high-drama story about the elusive nature of redemption and the profound reach of love.

©2024 Caroline Leavitt (P)2024 Algonquin Books

Critic reviews

“Caroline Leavitt has crafted a novel rich in empathy and a story that will resonate with every reader. When Ella and Jude's young love goes awry, they struggle for a maturity that allows them to see that their past mistakes are in fact doors to a new, more beautiful life.”—Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful

“What a phenomenal novel! Poignant, thrilling and moving, Caroline Leavitt's Days of Wonder grabbed me from the very first page and wouldn't let go. Leavitt is a master of plotting, pacing and language. This intricately woven, beautifully written novel is a joy.”—Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvia Lee

"There is good reason Caroline Leavitt is considered our great American storyteller. Days of Wonder, her incandescent novel of young love, loss and regret will not leave you when you reach the end. Ella Fitchburg is a total original, her struggles for truth, connection and forgiveness are our own. This layered novel is woven with the tender thread of love, which saves Ella and redeems a past she cannot escape. Superb."—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

Love Caroline Leavitt’s work!

Her stories and characters always keep me riveted. I couldn’t stop listening and finished this in three days.

Not developed enough

I felt like this had a lot of potential but the story never really developed. it felt like a lot of loose ends that never got tied up.

Excellent! Unputdownable

This book was excellent from start to finish. Couldn’t stop listening. Great character development and fabulous narration.

Well-Drawn Story and Engrossing Characters

A little slow going for me in the first half, but the second half was SO good! I found the characters and the plot to be so enthralling. I was really rooting for daughter and mother, Ella and Helen. They're such earnest and caring characters. They both suffer from their choices, shame/guilt, and how they feel about the actions of others. They were such complex characters. I really liked how they changed and developed through the novel. I wasn’t sure where things would go as they progressed, but I was engrossed and so invested. I really enjoyed this wonderfully written novel.

The resilience characters continued to demonstrate. They started over many times only to start over again.

The narration of Ella did not mature keeping her an adolescent. Her voice did not reflect maturation.