Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth @sallyhepworth @hanfredericksen #JennySeedsman @macmillan.audio @macmillanaudio.bsky.social #MadMabel

the setup…
For sixty years, Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick has quietly lived on Kenny Lane in Melbourne. Aside from being a bit curmudgeonly, her neighbors consider her to be a good resident. She minds her own business but doesn’t hold back in speaking her mind. When the six-year old Persephone moves in next door, she’s determined to make “Elsa” her friend, ultimately disrupting Elsie’s life with her persistence and nosiness. Unfortunately, a series of events brings attention to Elsie, exposing her true past as the notorious Mabel Elsie Waller, better known as Mad Mabel, a woman who was found guilty of murder at age fifteen and spent five years in a psychiatric institute.

the heart of the story…
I should have known better than to assume I knew where this story would lead and am thrilled it went in a completely different direction. Mabel tells her own story, transitioning between then and now as she unveils her life from childhood to present. She has a wicked humor and has a clarity I found refreshing. Her developing (but reluctant) relationship with Persephone unleashed so much about the woman.

the narration…
Hannah Fredericksen & Jenny Seedsman were excellent as the older and younger Mabel. It felt like they were sharing their truths directly to me as they told their story. I’m so glad I held out for the audio version.

the bottom line…
Mabel represents all those people who are unfairly judged at a young age and carry those stigmas through the course of their lives, reflecting the permanent damage it wreaks. She’s going to be one of my most favorite characters. And, be sure to listen/read the author’s acknowledgements as I was touched to learn one of the minor characters was named as a tribute to our late Booksta friend Lily Raiti. Bravo Ms. Hepworth💜

Book Info

• Release Date: April 21, 2026
• Narrators: Hannah Fredericksen & Jenny Seedsman
• Audio Length: 9 hours, 20 minutes
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio

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(Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for my complimentary copies. All opinions are my own.)