Animal People: the critically acclaimed early novel by the Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Stone Yard Devotional
Charlotte Wood
Apr 2026 · Sceptre · Narrated by Patrick Shearer
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5 hr 39 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
Charlotte Wood's critically-acclaimed early novel, now published outside of Australia for the first time.
Stephen is having the worst day of his life.
On a stiflingly hot summer morning, he has decided it's time to break up with his girlfriend Fiona. He's 39, aimless and unfulfilled, but without a clue how to make his life better. All he has are his instincts - and they may be his downfall.
Making his way through the pitiless city and the hours of a single day, Stephen must endure another shift of his dead-end job at Sydney zoo, fend off the relentless demands of his family, and face up to Fiona's aggressive ex-husband.
As an ordinary day unravels into an existential crisis, Stephen begins to understand - perhaps too late - that love is not a trap, and only he can free himself.
Stephen is having the worst day of his life.
On a stiflingly hot summer morning, he has decided it's time to break up with his girlfriend Fiona. He's 39, aimless and unfulfilled, but without a clue how to make his life better. All he has are his instincts - and they may be his downfall.
Making his way through the pitiless city and the hours of a single day, Stephen must endure another shift of his dead-end job at Sydney zoo, fend off the relentless demands of his family, and face up to Fiona's aggressive ex-husband.
As an ordinary day unravels into an existential crisis, Stephen begins to understand - perhaps too late - that love is not a trap, and only he can free himself.
Charlotte Wood's critically-acclaimed early novel, now published outside of Australia for the first time.
Stephen is having the worst day of his life.
On a stiflingly hot summer morning, he has decided it's time to break up with his girlfriend Fiona. He's 39, aimless and unfulfilled, but withou...
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About the author
Charlotte Wood is the author of seven novels and three books of non-fiction. Her novel Stone Yard Devotional was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and was selected by the New York Times as one of their 10 best books of 2025. Earlier novels include The Natural Way of Things, which won the 2016 Stella Prize and was joint winner of the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction, and The Weekend, which was an international bestseller. Her features and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, Literary Hub and Sydney Morning Herald, among others. Charlotte lives in Sydney with her husband.
Charlotte Wood is the author of seven novels and three books of non-fiction. Her novel Stone Yard Devotional was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and was selected by the New York Times as one of their 10 best books of 2025. Earlier novels include The Natural Way of Things, which won the 2016...
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