People Who Knew Me

Product Information

Emily Morris got her happily-ever-after earlier than most. Married at a young age to a man she loved passionately, she was building the life she always wanted. But when enormous stress threatened her marriage, Emily made some rash decisions. That’s when she fell in love with someone else. That’s when she got pregnant. Your sons speak fluent Mandarin and your whole family are fans of Chinese culture. Why the fascination? This story got me in from the outset, though I never warmed to Emily/Connie at any point. Despite not liking the main character I wanted to keep reading so that is a sign of good writing, especially when this is a debut novel. Interested to see what else this author writes.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.stars but I'm rounding up because it's a debut novel and it's really impressive. It's not often I can say, "I've never read anything like this," but that's the case here. Kim Hooper bravely explores the story of a woman who makes some really bad choices before and after 9/11.

I possibly would have liked to know a little more about the fourteen years Connie spent in California before we rejoin her. Claire’s delightful so she’s done a great job with her, but shut herself off from everyone else. I am. I love a podcast about the acting industry called Dead Eyes, and Sweet Bobby, the catfishing investigation. I’m also listening to SSAC, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. I’ve been interested in sporting minutiae and marginal gains since reading James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, about how tiny changes can make a massive difference. Daniella Isaacs (Writer, Director and actor) says: “I was excited by the challenge of bringing new listeners, people that might usually reach for a tv show or a non-fiction podcast, to an audio drama. I wanted to adapt the book into something that played into the inherent confessional quality of the audio medium. There’s something thrilling about being privy to a character’s innermost secrets, their confessions and their selfish desires. I loved making this with such a brilliant team - all of us set on reimagining the traditional radio play… And I hope your ears enjoy it too.” Also, being in a health profession, I couldn't buy into the situation with her husband's mother. There are so many services available that it didn't ring true to me. Medicaid, for one, exists for people who have illnesses of that magnitude whose financial situations are dire. You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here.

First Chapter

But I couldn’t cry in Angel Rivera’s cab. I’d cried all my tears in the days leading up to the decision to leave. Tears for love lost when the buildings fell, tears for necessary choices, and tears for me—because, after all, I had died. But the past has a way of coming out. How will Connie's 13 year old daughter deal with her mother's choices? What will be the consequences Connie has to face? Big fan. I started with Catastrophe, then was delighted to find Motherland. And Bad Sisters was phenomenal and delicious. It was Sharon’s genius idea to option Kim Hooper’s novel and adapt it as audio drama. I think Sharon rightly saw that the story is all about lying and if you’re only listening, it almost becomes like eavesdropping.

Emily's character bothers me. She blames her mother-in-laws failing health for the issues with her husband. She is not brave enough to tell her husband what she wants, what she needs from him.I can't fault her for it. I have no clue how I would feel if I were going through it, and it makes for an amazing story. It’s impossible not to wonder what would have been different had Connie stayed – admitting to the affair and everything else. Additional thanks to: Emily Peska, Caitlin Stegemoller, Sam Woolf, Charly Clive, Ellie White, Ellen Robertson, Kate Phillips, Ed Davis, Ciarán Owens, Jonathan Schey, Daniel Raggett, Jason Phipps and Charlotte Ritchie Emily does not have a close relationship with her mother. How do you think her upbringing shapes her character and relationships? How does it influence the way she mothers Claire?In California, Connie vows to keep people at arm’s length. How does she succeed at this? How does she fail, in spite of herself? But this novel’s obviously about more than that. We’re forced to ponder whether running is always the best option. Is it better to stay and confront our problems? It’s pretty bizarre, but this book has a lot in common with another book published this year, What Was Mine. Both books are set in New York and California, both are about a mother with a teenage daughter, both are about a huge momma secret that has huge consequences, both have the heroine making questionable choices, both have an abrupt ending that can be annoying. I liked both books, though What Was Mine really pissed me off and this one did not. I’m thinking that my reaction to these two books is sort of sexist. In What Was Mine, the birth mother missed 21 years of her daughter’s life. In People Who Knew Me, the father missed 14 years of his daughter’s life. I felt so much sorrier for the mom than the dad. What’s THAT about?! I must think that it’s more important for a daughter to know her mother than her father. That's terrible! Yep, sexist as all get out! Emily Morris uses 9/11 to fake her own death and run away to start a new life in California as Connie Prynne. Fourteen years later, now with a teenage daughter by her side, Connie is diagnosed with breast cancer. She will be forced to confront her past so that her daughter will not be left on her own if she does not survive. She must decide how to explain her lies, her secrets, her selfish decisions – and ultimately her ‘widowed’ husband. Everything she thought she had fled from when she pretended to die in New York.

Many readers won't like Emily (Connie) because they will feel that she is selfish, but I found her to be refreshingly honest. Young marriage... how much can even a 'in love' couple handle? work, (major loss), school, finances, ( major loss), planning a family?, sex, old friends, annoying habits, communication, stress, depression, chronic illness, chronic 'any' long term issue, cheating, lies. The title of the book, PEOPLE WHO KNEW ME, references the life Connie left behind in New York. How do those people “follow” Connie to California? Don't think for a minute this is all the novel explores. Holy moly, there is so much more. The choices we make, the consequences that follow. What's the "right" thing to do? It's really hard to believe this is the authors first book! I want more! (4.5 stars)

More episodes

Hooper says in her dedication, "This book is for all those people -- cowardly and courageous -- who dare to imagine leaving it all behind." Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section. What happens at the end of my trial?