The Fragile World

A Novel

By: Paula Treick DeBoard

Narrated by: Jessica Almasy, Will Damron

From the author of publishing sensation The Mourning Hours comes a powerful new novel that explores every parent’s worst nightmare...

The Kaufmans have always considered themselves a normal, happy family. Curtis is a physics teacher at a local high school. His wife, Kathleen, restores furniture for upscale boutiques. Daniel is away at college on a prestigious music scholarship, and 12-year-old Olivia is a happy-go-lucky kid whose biggest concern is passing her next math test.

And then comes the middle-of-the-night phone call that changes everything. Daniel has been killed in what the police are calling a "freak" road accident, and the remaining Kaufmans are left to flounder in their grief.

The anguish of Daniel's death is isolating, and it's not long before this once-perfect family finds itself falling apart. As time passes and the wound refuses to heal, Curtis becomes obsessed with the idea of revenge, a growing mania that leads him to pack up his life and his anxious teenage daughter and set out on a collision course to right a wrong.

An emotionally charged novel, The Fragile World is a journey through America's heartland and a family's brightest and darkest moments, exploring the devastating pain of losing a child and the beauty of finding healing in unexpected ways.

©2014 Paula Treick DeBoard (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"A heart-stopping series of events drives The Fragile World.... The result is a gripping read, but one that delivers, by the book's end, a beautiful reminder of the resilience of love." (Karen Brown, author of The Longings of Wayward Girls)

A fragile excursion of Self-discovery

Would you consider the audio edition of The Fragile World to be better than the print version?

Not really. The narrators were good, but did not elevate this audiobook to epic status

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the growth of the characters. The things that bound them together ultimately tore them apart. But they grew over the course of the book, growing and stretching and expanding their horizons and their ideas about each other and about Daniel's death.

Any additional comments?

I liked this book a lot! Books where characters grow and change make me happy to be a reader. I didn't see the end coming!

I think I prefer DeBoard's other novel, "The Morning Hours", but this book is a great literary work.

Only interesting

I was disappointed. Frequently expecting some deep revelation, finding predictability. Ending a little suprising, but not seriously eventful. Good narration.

Amazing hyperactive paranoid teenager!

I had a hard time at first but the alternating dad with the paranoid teen was fantastic!

Great performance

This was a pleasant read from start to finish. The readers were very captivating! The characters were simple and special.

Entertaining but a sad story

Very strong story and performance but found the storyline sad. This is not a lighthearted "beach read", but entertaining none the less.

A Slightly Weak Ending for a Very Good Story

This story is about how a "normal" family deals with the death of a college age son, one who is a prodigy. We see how each person reacts, and how each person blames themselves for the death or the cracks in relationships after it happens. Definitely written from a more liberal mindset; the general attitudes and reactions to guns are almost humorous because they are so over the top and far from reality. The pace is slower than I would like, and the remaining daughter is so neurotically afraid of everything that it almost gets tiring.

The end, though, is rushed and weak, especially since the rest of the story goes into such emotional depth. It is not a story killer, but the author seems to be in a hurry to finish the story. For me, that took my rating down a bit.

SO glad I heeded Audible's Recommendation!

What made the experience of listening to The Fragile World the most enjoyable?

This book starts off--and stays--captivating. The characters in this book have a palpable vulnerability that shines through and I was rooting for them all. I read a lot, listen to tons of audio books and honestly, this was one of my favorite ever.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Probably Olivia, her transformation was very inspiring.

Have you listened to any of Jessica Almasy and Will Damron ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I do not believe so, but the narrators were fantastic.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I think the title of the book nailed it!!

Touching

I didn't care much for the narration of the teenage girls voice, but the rest were enjoyable. The book wasn't surprising, especially, but it seemed true to life.

Perfection at it's finest

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved every second of this book. It's a book that grips you from the very beginning and doesn't let you go, not even at the end.

The Fragile World reminds you of how fragile our world really is and how we should enjoy and cherish every moment because we can never imagine what could come along and cause the utmost devastation.

I just don't even have words to describe the perfection of this book.

Do yourself a favor and read/listen to it! You will not be sorry!

What does Jessica Almasy and Will Damron bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Both narrators truly bring the story to life. They did an excellent job of conveying the message of the author.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There wasn't just one moment that moved me. Every single second of this book moved me and pushed me to think beyond my normal day to day thoughts.

STRONG story

This was an interesting read. I liked the book but often had to go back and re-listen to parts. It seemed to drag on at times and went through high's and lows. Not to give away the ending, but I really had to relisten to that becuase I DID NOT expect any of it. Overall, a good book, although the main character, Olivia, was a bit of a whiner. I did like that it got right to the crux of the story -- what made the "fragile world".