“Mamma Mia’s one of the highest-selling musicals ever … Broadway is not a measure of what is good, or not to me.

“It’s not a meritocracy,” Minchin shrugs. Groundhog Day closed on Broadway in autumn 2017, after 200-odd performances, and has more or less sat in a drawer since. I’ll definitely have to find more books that she’s narrated before because she might be one of my new favorites.“When you make something so detailed, over so many thousands of hours, something you think is broadly appealing, about how we’re to be as people – and it doesn’t fly? That’s incredibly painful,” Minchin says.ĭressed today in muted colours, his famous untidy reddish hair tied back under a baseball cap, he lists the little catastrophes that hobbled Groundhog Day seven years ago: investors pulling out the choreographer falling ill a feeling of being rushed to New York after a strong London opening, before the show was quite ready. She switched so effortlessly between each character and managed to bring out all of their emotions. Addison did a fantastic job with this narration! She was spot on with her voices, especially granny Violet’s. Mia, please write granny Violet her own book or novella and give young Violet another book as well! I loved getting to see new and old faces and I can’t wait for more. This book didn’t have too much steam unlike most Silver Springs books, but I feel like it would have been awkward if it did because of the plot. Mia put so much heart into this book that I fell in love with all of the characters. Betty was probably my favorite side character and I loved the friendship she had with younger Violet. I think I liked Liam the most, then Cash, and lastly Nole. Young Violet you couldn’t help but feel for her and what she’s going through between being in hiding, slowly watching her best friend die, and finding her mates. She has such a sweet, loving, and caring soul for someone who isn’t even her own blood.

Both Violets were great, but granny Violet was my absolute favorite. This book had tons of heart, wonderful characters, humor, and a beautiful relationship between two Violets.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked this up and I’m so glad that despite my boyfriend teasing me for reading a “granny harem” (when it had the old cover) that I did. A granny harem? Yes, please! Okay, so it isn’t exactly a granny harem, but it was an amazing story.

Violet by Mia Harlan