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The Facts of Life

An epic, intimate novel of love, music and the life events that stay with us forever

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The Facts of Life

By: Patrick Gale
Narrated by: Patrick Gale
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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Patrick Gale's THE FACTS OF LIFE is a mesmerising, epic yet intimate novel of love, music and the life events that stay with us forever - perfect for any reader of Armistead Maupin, or E M Forster

'Absorbing . . . deftly characterised, deeply involving and relevant' The Times

German composer Edward Pepper escapes to England just before the war begins in earnest. Struck with TB, he is recuperating in hospital when he meets Sally, a young doctor who has battled her way through medical school, despite the opposition of her parents. They fall in love and marry, settling in the fenlands of East Anglia. Years later, Edward watches as his grandchildren trip up against life and death, and realises that patterns can repeat themselves, bringing both pain and unexpected discovery.

(P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©1995 Patrick Gale Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction War
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Critic reviews

Absorbing . . . deftly characterised, deeply involving and relevant
Impossible to put down
A monumental feat of imagination, achingly true and beautiful. I'd be hard pressed to recall the last time a novel so totally captivated me
Gale's best and most complex novel
[An] extraordinary blockbuster of a novel
All stars
Most relevant
I read this book about 8 years ago so listening to it was like a visit from an old friend. So many emotions , a rollercoaster ride ,and yet left with a feeling of Hope ,for all of us mankind.

Wonderful book

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The plot and scenes at The Roundel were interesting and but the descriptions of the sexual activities were unnecessarily graphic. There was much in this long book that I did not enjoy.

Overlong Novel

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Patrick Gale at his finest. I didn’t want it to end. It’s made better by Patrick reading it himself.

I didn’t want it to end.

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This is my fourth Patrick Gale book on Audible. However it’s the first book that I have not really enjoyed. I’m not sure if it was the story, the narration or both. Basically it came over a little dull and lacked any real emotion. I am not sure I will bother with the last three hours. I will go back to A Place Called Winter as that was my first audio book by Patrick Gale and really loved it. Having said that, Take Nothing With You is the best of the four I have purchased.

Slow and a little bland

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Patrick Gale never disappoints. Another wonderful book. He weaves such a good story. And his narration is perfect. Enjoy every moment x

A beautiful book

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