The Measure: A Novel

· HarperAudio · Narrated by Julia Whelan
4.4
41 reviews
Audiobook
10 hr 57 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!

""A story of love and hope as interweaving characters display: how all moments, big and small, can measure a life. If you want joy, love, romance, and hope—read with us."" —Jenna Bush Hager

A luminous, spirit-lifting blockbuster that asks: would you choose to find out the length of your life?

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. The contents of this mysterious box tells you the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is an ambitious, invigorating story about family, friendship, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.

Ratings and reviews

4.4
41 reviews
Paul Acevedo
27 June 2024
Great premise. The book does a fine job of extrapolating how the arrival of the strings would affect society & then change it over time. Sadly for me, the author has no interest in explaining the source of the strings; she's entirely concerned with the philosophical & intrapersonal ramifications. I wanted more plot, but I loved the characters and their interactions. The reader is very good too. Overall, a bit meandering, but the meditations on life, death, & predestination will stay with you.
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Jameson
22 February 2023
wow. just wow. one of the first books I've felt overwhelmed with joy to share with everyone. it's hard to know where to begin when recommending this book. the way the lives weave together and you find out different dates from different perspectives - breathtaking. I found myself crying and smiling all throughout. this book has changed me inside as well, and will always be one of the first titles I urge someone to check out.
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Dominique Barnes
23 April 2023
I love that this book had a unique storyline . It was a wonderful read.
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About the author

Nikki Erlick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Measure, which was a Read with Jenna TODAY Show Book Club pick. Her work has appeared online with New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, Indagare Travel, The Huffington Post, and Vox. She has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree from Columbia University and lives in Los Angeles.

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