We Burned So Bright
TJ Klune
4.5
Under the Whispering Door
by TJ KluneCategory
About this book
"Narrator Kirt Groves provides an excellently distinct cast of voices."- Locus A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place in Under the Whispering Door, a delightful queer love story from TJ Klune, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea. Welcome to Charon's Crossing. The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through. When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead. And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead. But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days. Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home. "Graves matches his narrative pace to the measured unwinding of the story's layers, focused but unhurried, in the same way that Hugo brews his therapeutic cups of tea." —AudioFile A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books
Available Formats
Audiobook: $0.00
What readers are saying
Nanette Littlestone, AuthorOne of the most heartwarming books I’ve read this year
"Wallace Price, a rather mean, self-centered man, encounters Mei, a Reaper, at his own funeral, who’s there to bring him to Charon’s Crossing—the tea house way station for the dead, run by Hugo, a ferryman, who lives with his dog, Apollo, and grandfather, Nelson. A lively bunch on a typical day, but to Wallace, a totally bizarre collection of beings who can’t seem to give him the only thing he desperately needs—to be alive again. What Wallace doesn’t understand is there’s no going back. Once you’re dead, you’re dead, and your only choice is to move forward. What ensues is nothing short of magical. The house at Charon’s Crossing is an impossible feat of architecture with a cozy atmosphere and delicious tea and scones. Mei is a fierce, no-nonsense woman, Apollo loves to lick and have his stomach scratched, Nelson gets a kick out of practical jokes, and Hugo . . . well, Hugo is just about the most warm-hearted perfectly imperfect person ever that could be in charge of lost souls. Together, these eclectic characters help Wallace find himself in so many unexpected ways. Death is a difficult subject at best, even in a fantasy, and Klune handles it with both curiosity and great humor, as well as deep questions and introspection. There were times I laughed at Wallace and times I wanted to hug him, times when I thought he was ridiculous, and times when I understood his fear of leaving the world behind. And for most of the last third of the book I cried, because facing the unknown is terrifying and he is so brave and so full of love for the people who have become his friends. Under the Whispering Door is like an all-day pass to Disneyland, full of thrills and chills, death-defying drops and soaring adventures—the greatest ride of your life (pun intended). And through every moment, the biggest, most wonderful love you can imagine. TJ Klune has done it again. Get your ticket now, because you definitely don’t want to miss out. ["
March 19, 2024 Verified Purchase
Tammy MoldovanA beautifully, funny, profound masterpiece wrapped in a tale of love, life and death
"Oh my goodness. This book. Is. Everything. Expect to feel all the things - expect to laugh, to swoon, to bite your nails, to roll your eyes, to be verklempt, and to cry. I wish there was a way to give a book more than 5 stars. If so, this book would deserve all the stars. It is most importantly a story of a man who finds his people and his path but interwoven with this wonderful tale is an equally profound and beautiful philosophy about life and death. This book is a life, love, and death affirming masterpiece encompassed in a beautiful, heart warming story of death, messy life, love, family, and finding your path. The book is about Charon’s Crossing, a little tea shop at the end of a road in a small town. But it’s not only a tea shop. It’s also a way station for the dead who come to transition between life and death. It’s proprietor is Hugo, a ferryman, who helps the dead transition and the other employee is Mei, a reaper, who collects the dead and brings them to the tea shop. There are also two resident ghosts, Nelson, Hugo’s grandfather, and Apollo, Hugo’s dog. The book begins at Wallace’s death. Wallace was not a nice man for most of his life. He was selfish, entitled, and self-absorbed. But in the tea shop way station as Wallace prepares to move on, he gets the opportunity to look at his life, his choices, who he was, and who he’d like to be. “Death isn’t a final ending, Wallace. It is an ending, sure, but only to prepare you for a new beginning.” “There’s nothing for you to fear. You’ll no longer know pain. You’ll no longer know suffering. There will be peace for you. All you have to do is rise through the door.” TJ Klune is a master storyteller who has perfected the art of writing stories whose meaning and emotions stay with you long after you read the last word and whose main characters include beautiful three dimensional, imperfect, non-hetero characters who are also characters with such depth and so much heart that you want them to be your best friends. I will now be carrying Wallace, Hugo, Mei, Nelson, and Apollo in my heart every day because how could I not. ["
October 5, 2021 Verified Purchase
