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Summer's Child
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story5 out of 5 stars 6
When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970, and it seems that nothing can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter had appeared in their lives just a few years before - and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.
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- Narrated by: Susan Bennett
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
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3 out of 5 stars
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Okay story badly performed
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The powerful new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Don't Let Me Go. Lainey Hollingsworth has spent her whole life on the outside of a secret. Her mother would never discuss the reasons she abandoned Italy when Lainey was a new born, nor has she ever stayed in touch with the family she left behind. Now Lainey’s mother is dead, taking the secret with her, and leaving Lainey free to find out about her roots.
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Vivienne Shager has it all. A high-flying job. A beautiful apartment. Friends whose lives are as perfect as her own. But on the afternoon of her 27th birthday, Vivi has a heart attack. Now Vivi’s life shrinks back to how it began, as she moves back to the small seaside town she grew up in. With her time running out, there is one thing she wants to know the truth about.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Heart stopping !!
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Publisher's Summary
Early on the morning of her 11th birthday, on the beach beside her North Carolina home, Daria Cato receives an unbelievable gift from the sea: an abandoned newborn baby. When the infant's identity cannot be uncovered, she is adopted by Daria's loving family. Now, 20 years later, Shelly has grown into an unusual, ethereal young woman whom Daria continues to protect. But when Rory Taylor, a friend from Daria's childhood and now a television producer, returns at Shelly's request to do a story about the circumstances surrounding her birth, something precarious shifts in the small town of Kill Devil Hills.
The more questions Rory asks, the more unsettled the tiny community becomes, as closely guarded secrets and the sins of that long-ago summer begin to surface. Piece by piece, the mystery of summer's child is being exposed, a mystery that no one involved - not Shelly, Daria, not even Rory - is prepared to face.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars8
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4 Stars3
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3 Stars4
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2 Stars0
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1 Stars0
Performance
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars6
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4 Stars5
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3 Stars4
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2 Stars0
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1 Stars0
Story
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars5
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4 Stars5
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3 Stars4
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2 Stars0
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1 Stars0
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Narelle
- Western Australia
- 02-03-2017
Summers child
Not the best Diane chamberlain and I have read most . Pretty slow but could get through it - just .
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Alana
- Mardi, Australia
- 13-09-2016
enjoyable
I enjoyed it but I think it wasn't as good as some others I have read from her
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Glenys
- 27-04-2016
Intriguing
Found this storyline very captivating, just when you think you have worked it out, it changes. Well written
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cora Grimes
- 29-03-2016
Good Story, Fair Reader
I found this book quite entertaining, with twists galore near the end. The language, though, struck me as just a bit on the juvenile side, and some of the writing construction being similar. What I felt detracted most was the narrator. She had a very choppy, halting reading style that I found it to be distracting. Had she just used that affectation for Shelly, who was slightly brain damaged and actually might sound that way, I could have understood. However, that was her style throughout and for every character, which I felt took away from the narrative.
33 of 34 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bonnie
- 24-12-2015
Very good story line
Story will keep your attention and keep you guessing, very good story, enjoyed this listen very much
28 of 30 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Patricia
- 25-01-2016
Excellent story. Terrible narration.
Is there anything you would change about this book?
Narration.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Summer's Child?
Daria's prayers to keep the baby she found.
What didn’t you like about Carla Mercer-Meyer’s performance?
I feel as if I am listening to a new reader who is sounding out words as she reads. The narration is very stilted and unnatural. I almost returned the book because of the narration, but I was intrigued by the story.
35 of 38 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- PilcherGoddess
- 19-05-2016
Very enjoyable!
Love this author and story line of this book! I am a big fan of strong women and this story revolves around the life of one.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Blanca Vazquez
- 02-05-2016
a surprise ending
it's a nice summer book with some thrills and some unexpected stories but an overall good ending.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Katie Doolin
- 28-03-2016
Don't Waste Your Time
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
The story was too long and included backgrounds of characters that didn't see important to the main storyline.
Has Summer's Child turned you off from other books in this genre?
No, I've read another book by Diane Chamberlain and enjoyed it more than this one. I would continue reading her books.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Carla Mercer-Meyer?
I don't know names of narrators to be able to answer this question.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment. There was a big build up and then it fell flat.
Any additional comments?
It was longer than it needed to be. Extra story lines that didn't need to be added. I skipped over the last quarter of the book, just to find out the ending.
28 of 31 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stacy Gorajewski
- 28-01-2016
Good story with a great twist
Once I got past the voices the reader used I enjoyed the story and its twists.
19 of 21 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Janet
- 11-02-2016
Not terrible
This is an ok story. It seemed a little sophomoric to me, but not a total waste of time. The narrator, however, made it a less-than-satisfying listen. Admittedly, I have gotten quite picky with narrators and I expect a lot from them. But, that is because when I started listening to books in the 1990s, the narrators were few and were generally dry and you had to listen "hard" to get into the story. Over the years, talented narrators have popped up everywhere and made listening a real adventure. They get better and better. So, now when a narrator seems as though he/she is thinking of something else while telling this story, I am very disappointed.
44 of 50 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LaLa
- 02-03-2016
great story about love and what it is to love
great story about love and what it is to love unconditionally. To be a parent or someone who takes care if a child doesn't always have to be the birth parents it can be anyone who cares for responsibly and loves that child unconditional.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Colleen
- 13-01-2016
Painful Narration :=(
Haven't finished it yet and not sure if I can. Honestly so distracted by the Narration that I am challenged to follow the storyline.
26 of 33 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 11-08-2019
couldn't wait fir the next chapter.
so enjoyed this book, couldn't wait to continue reading, great summer read highly recommended book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Puzzler74
- 12-11-2018
Gripping
Plenty of plot twists that keep you guessing and gripped. Had me hooked right up to the last chapter.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- anasta
- 23-07-2018
Complicated but g ood!
Enjoyable listening and kept me guessing throughout.
Well-plotted....the author must have worked extra hard with this onel
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-05-2017
Another great book by Diane Chamberlain
Really enjoyed this book. I've listened to a few of Diane Chamberlain's books now and they never disappoint. Didn't see the twist at the end happening!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jaye
- 30-08-2016
Subtle Slow Burn
When I began reading this book what appeared to be a slow read turned out to be a beautiful story with twists and turns that flow very well. It is essentially about a young girl who found a baby on the beach and this child is then adopted into the family, then as she grows up and both adopted parents have passed she decides to seek out an old family friend who is the star of a reality show where he researches real life stories. Shelley wants to know her real parents, this stirs up lots of deep set emotions and the truth starts to unravel layer by layer and before you know it you are hooked.