The Listeners
'A beautiful love story, a fascinating glimpse into the horrors of history and a haunting tale of loyalty and courage' - Chris Whitaker
Published on 7. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
448 pages
978-1-0354-0621-0 (ISBN)
Description
'A phenomenally immersive read' Claire Lombardo
'Brings its setting and its large ensemble of characters vividly to life' Sunday Times
'Funny and imaginative with real emotional heft' Irish Independent
READERS ARE SAYING...
'The Avallon and its staff of unique characters will stick with me for a long time' ? ?? ??
'Dark with history and light with love' ? ?? ??
'The atmospheric whimsy of The Grand Budapest Hotel and literary genius of All the Light We Cannot See'? ?? ??
'I loved June, a strong woman who believed in what she did' ? ?? ??
'The writing brings an emotional magic' ? ?? ??
'Full of intrigue and heartbreak... this is a story of WWII America mostly unknown and forgotten' ? ?? ??
This paperback edition includes a new bonus chapter, 'A Water Ritual at the Avallon', and questions for book clubs.
*
The hotel was a hidden paradise. Until they went to war...
In 1942, June 'Hoss' Hudson runs the finest hotel in the Appalachian Mountains. The Avallon, owned by the wealthy Gilfoyle family, is a world away from the war in Europe. But when Edgar, the eldest son who June has loved since childhood, strikes a deal with the State Department, June finds herself playing host to three hundred foreign diplomats.
Nobody at the Avallon wants to serve caviar to the enemy. As tensions rise among staff and guests, dark alliances and unexpected desires begin to crack the hotel's polished veneer. Not least between June and Tucker Minnick, a government agent listening through the walls for secrets, whose watchful eyes both unsettle and attract her.
For June is guarding a secret of her own - one she has risked everything to keep.
*
'Mesmeric, original and stunning' Chris Whitaker
'Around every corner of this richly imagined world, we discover some new wonder' New York Times
'A marvel: strange, witty, moving, exuberant' Robert Macfarlane
'Brings its setting and its large ensemble of characters vividly to life' Sunday Times
'Funny and imaginative with real emotional heft' Irish Independent
READERS ARE SAYING...
'The Avallon and its staff of unique characters will stick with me for a long time' ? ?? ??
'Dark with history and light with love' ? ?? ??
'The atmospheric whimsy of The Grand Budapest Hotel and literary genius of All the Light We Cannot See'? ?? ??
'I loved June, a strong woman who believed in what she did' ? ?? ??
'The writing brings an emotional magic' ? ?? ??
'Full of intrigue and heartbreak... this is a story of WWII America mostly unknown and forgotten' ? ?? ??
This paperback edition includes a new bonus chapter, 'A Water Ritual at the Avallon', and questions for book clubs.
*
The hotel was a hidden paradise. Until they went to war...
In 1942, June 'Hoss' Hudson runs the finest hotel in the Appalachian Mountains. The Avallon, owned by the wealthy Gilfoyle family, is a world away from the war in Europe. But when Edgar, the eldest son who June has loved since childhood, strikes a deal with the State Department, June finds herself playing host to three hundred foreign diplomats.
Nobody at the Avallon wants to serve caviar to the enemy. As tensions rise among staff and guests, dark alliances and unexpected desires begin to crack the hotel's polished veneer. Not least between June and Tucker Minnick, a government agent listening through the walls for secrets, whose watchful eyes both unsettle and attract her.
For June is guarding a secret of her own - one she has risked everything to keep.
*
'Mesmeric, original and stunning' Chris Whitaker
'Around every corner of this richly imagined world, we discover some new wonder' New York Times
'A marvel: strange, witty, moving, exuberant' Robert Macfarlane
Reviews / Votes
Cinematic and so very satisfying. This is a rich, multilayered ride of a novel not unlike the hotel at its heart - grand, patient, leaving no particulars unnoticed. A phenomenally immersive read -- Claire Lombardo, bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had Mesmeric, original, and stunning. Maggie Stiefvater is an exceptional talent, and The Listeners is by turns a beautiful love story, a fascinating glimpse into the horrors of history, and a haunting tale of loyalty and courage. A marvel of storytelling. I really couldn't have loved it more -- Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of All the Colours of the Dark A marvel: strange, witty, moving, exuberant... the whole book somehow succeeds in being at once gloriously extravagant and perfectly poised -- Robert Macfarlane Around every corner of this richly imagined world, we discover some new wonder * New York Times * An expansive, imaginative and wholly immersive novel. I was swept away by The Listeners and experienced ALL the emotions. Loved it. -- Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things Suspenseful and fascinating, written with Stiefvater's characteristic witty dialogue and lush description * Historical Novels Review *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Headline Publishing Group
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 134 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
307 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0354-0621-0 (9781035406210)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Maggie Stiefvater
The Listeners
'A beautiful love story, a fascinating glimpse into the horrors of history and a haunting tale of loyalty and courage' - Chris Whitaker
E-Book
06/2025
Review
€0.99
Available for download
Person
Maggie Stiefvater is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling writer who has sold nearly six million books worldwide. She makes art in several media, plays a number of musical instruments and lives in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia with her family. The Listeners is her first novel for adults.