The Listeners

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Publish date: 7 May 2026
Pages: 448
Language: English

Subjects: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, 20th Century, World War II & Holocaust, Literary, War & Military

'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