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A Better Life

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A Better Life

By: Lionel Shriver
Narrated by: George Newbern
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About this listen

‘A superb satirical novelist’ WASHINGTON POST

In a provocative novel addressing contemporary immigration by the sharply observant Lionel Shriver, a New York family takes in a Honduran migrant – who may or may not be the innocent paragon she claims to be.

‘An incendiary provocateur’ EVENING STANDARD

‘A gleeful satire on the immigration debate’ THE TIMES

Gloria Bonaventura, a divorced mother of three living with her 26-year-old son Nico in a sprawling house in Brooklyn, decides to participate in a new city programme – Big Apple, Big Heart – that would pay her to take in a migrant as a boarder. Gloria is thrilled when sweet, kind, helpful Martine arrives. But Nico is sceptical. A classic live-at-home, unemployed Gen Zer with no interest in adulthood, Nico resents the indignity of moving from his self-contained basement flat and back into his childhood bedroom.

As the months go by, Martine endears herself to both Nico’s sisters, while finding her way into Gloria’s heart. But as Martine’s disturbingly dodgy compatriots begin to show up, Nico grows only more hostile to both his mother’s altruism and the ‘migrant crisis’ in general – though turns out to be anything but a reliable narrator himself.

©2026 Lionel Shriver (P)2026 HarperCollins Publishers Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Political Satire World Literature Witty Funny Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

‘A gleeful satire on the immigration debate’ THE TIMES

‘Master of the neat twist’ DAILY EXPRESS

‘Shriver's hard-headedness and willingness to say controversial things are refreshing’ PROSPECT

‘An acerbic comedian’ FINANCIAL TIMES

‘Shriver is brilliant’ THE TIMES

‘A formidably sharp writer’ EVENING STANDARD

‘Shriver has the gift for making one instantly curious’ OBSERVER

‘A writer who wants us to think more, probe more, challenge more — and who also makes it fun’ SUNDAY TIMES

All stars
Most relevant
Lionel Shriver, as ever, gets to the point and balances the characters beautifully, with wit and insight. Can't wait to find out her next topic - target? People will be reading her in decades to come.

Superb

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I enjoyed this book and got through it very quickly. It’s a good story apart from the politics. This was an unflinching look at immigration from all sides of the debate. Feathers on the left and the right are ruffled and for the best. Read this book and find your own really honest position.

The unflinching honesty of this novel is wonderful

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It was an entertaining story, but there was literally no surprises in it once you read the first few chapters or got through them you know exactly how the rest is gonna go

Paint my numbers

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As expected this is a beautifully observed and constructed critique of current political issues.
It was engaging and provocative and while the outcomes were somewhat predictable the journey was enjoyable.
The reader was perfect! So many times the audible books I have purchased have been ruined by the narrator. This voice was authentic. I always enjoy Shriver's work and interviews she has such insight into the way the world and humans work.

Brilliant

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There is so much to unpack in this brilliantly crafted work that it would take another book to do just that. THIS novel should be on every school curriculum, but of course, it won't be. Lionel Shriver has captured the essence of the political divisions that are impacting us all in the West on a societal and individual level, dividing families and communities everywhere. A very clever tale. It will be a long time before I stop thinking about this book.

Be careful what you wish for .........!

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