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When We Believed in Mermaids

A Novel

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When We Believed in Mermaids

By: Barbara O'Neal
Narrated by: Sarah Naughton, Katherine Littrell
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About this listen

An Amazon Charts, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best seller

From the author of The Art of Inheriting Secrets comes an emotional new tale of two sisters, an ocean of lies, and a search for the truth.

Her sister has been dead for 15 years when she sees her on the TV news....

Josie Bianci was killed years ago on a train during a terrorist attack. Gone forever. It’s what her sister, Kit, an ER doctor in Santa Cruz, has always believed. Yet all it takes is a few heart-wrenching seconds to upend Kit’s world. Live coverage of a club fire in Auckland has captured the image of a woman stumbling through the smoke and debris. Her resemblance to Josie is unbelievable. And unmistakable. With it comes a flood of emotions - grief, loss, and anger - that Kit finally has a chance to put to rest: by finding the sister who’s been living a lie.

After arriving in New Zealand, Kit begins her journey with the memories of the past: of days spent on the beach with Josie. Of a lost teenage boy who’d become part of their family. And of a trauma that has haunted Kit and Josie their entire lives.

Now, if two sisters are to reunite, it can only be by unearthing long-buried secrets and facing a devastating truth that has kept them apart far too long. To regain their relationship, they may have to lose everything.

©2019 Barbara Samuel (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Mystery Women's Fiction Fiction Emotions Suspense Heartfelt
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I nearly didn’t bother with this book after reading some of the American reviews which were so disparaging of the narration. They were very critical of one of the narrator’s abilities to pronounce certain words. Turns out the narrator (and the character) just have a kiwi accent and her pronunciation was perfectly fine. Granted, a US/Kiwi accent is a bit of a mouthful, but it’s what the character has so it’s how she was narrated!
Anyway, this is a gently paced story of self discovery, reflection and love. Probably not one I’ll think of often but certainly enjoyable and engaging.

Mellow yet emotional

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I really, really liked this book. Dammit, I loved it.

Bought this on a complete whim and was hooked from the beginning. Found the characters highly relatable and fell in love with Javier from the moment he arrived. Also enjoyed the inclusion of Kitt's relationship with Hobo, anyone with this type of love in their life will relate to her feelings of guilt and wariness in placing it under stress,

Disturbing at times but well handled in the telling. Looking forward to discovering more of Barbara O'Neal's work.

Loved it

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A beautiful, heart wrenching story. Loved it. Only slight detraction was the pronunciation of "Maori".

Moving

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It’s not often that you get a story that is full of heartbreak, twists and turns but at the same time lifts you and makes you believe in the good without boring you with the mundane. Didn’t want it to end.

Beautiful

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I nearly didn’t buy this book after reading reviews that weren’t very complimentary about the narrators. I thought they were brilliant!
Great book.

Totally engrossing

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I really loved this story from the start. The only negative aspect of this audio book was that the New Zealand accent was at times over pronounced. I could understand why the narrator did this but as an Australian....found it a bit too overdone in places.

Great Book

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I loved this book and I have read and listened to hundreds.

The ‘issues’ people seem to have with the narration are because of the American/New Zealand cross over and as mentioned in a previous review Kiwis’ speak like that. It is also damn hard to not take on their accent. We love it here in Australia.

This book is so sweet, with touches of sadness, grapplings with past events and love found.

Do yourself a favour and grab this one, it’s a beauty!

Nothing wrong with the narration

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Fab novel to drift away with. I use audio the way others use tv - to unwind, only with audio I can drive, wash up etc. This book was great company. One of the NZ accents is hilarious... forgiven given the excellent job of narrating a good story.

Well worth the time

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I enjoyed listening to how the story starts, develops and ends — from mystery to drama to love and forgiveness.

A nice escape

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Barbara O'Neal is a brilliant author; she uses exquisite descriptives and narratives to tell this story from the perspective of two sisters. I was engrossed the entire way through this book.

I loved this book

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