Fantastic

Absolutely brilliant story and I loved every minute. Looking forward to more from Claire Alexander. Freya Mavor is a brilliant narrator too.

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Excellent

Loved this, a character driven novel which is always my favourite and I really cared for Meredith and Fiona feeling desperately sorry for their experiences. Stress and trauma manifests itself so differently in different personalities and the author explored this and developed the characters to show is this. Beautifully narrated. I highly recommend this. Caution needed as rape, alcohol abuse and emotional abuse are subject matter.

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Enjoyable listen

I got immersed in this book, it is well written with really well drawn characters and good narration. It’s one of those books you miss when you finish it, hoping there’s a sequel!

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A hidden gem!

Stumbled across this book, I didn’t know anything about it, but the premise intrigued me. Turns out, I adored Meredith! Such a well drawn out, detailed character. I think reading this after experiencing lockdowns gives you an insight into not only her loneliness, but also the importance of daily rituals and routines, and finding ways to connect with the outside world.

The story switches between present day and memories from her past. By the time you discover what led her to hide away from the world, you totally understand why and feel deeply her anxiety and vulnerability. This is by no means a bleak story though, it’s full of warmth and hope. Meredith stayed with me long after I finished the book.

Beautiful narration also!

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5 people found this helpful

Lovely Story delivered at a gentle pace

Lovely story, well written and delivered at a gentle pace. The narrator did a great job portraying the main character Meridith, however when it came to dialogue between Meridith and her sister Fiona I found it very hard to distinguish which character was saying what, because to me, the voices for both characters were Pretty much the same.

Many times throughout the story we are taken back to the past when Meridith and her sister were young, but I felt it wasn't clear enough exactly what age the Children were supposed to be at that moment in time.

When little Meridith and little Fiona were talking, it would have helped if the narrator had changed something in the tone or pace of their voices to reflect the fact that the words were coming from that of a young child or teenager.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it.

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1 person found this helpful

Lovely story

I did really enjoy this story although occasionally I got a bit confused with the time line going back and forth (you do get told the date each time it changes, but sometimes when listening I’m obviously not paying 100% attention.)
Nice narration

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Great story and narration

I loved Meredith and her friends. I really felt her anxiety about her situation .

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Brilliant, moving book

Narrated beautifully. A poignant and moving story which is amazingly written. Heavy at times yes, but dealt with delicately.

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Gentle yet emotive

Gentle yet emotive. I enjoyed Meredith’s story. At times I wanted to have her simplicity and isolation, but I also recognise the cost of those things. I’ll admit that while I praise Claire Alexander for her honest and sometimes raw description of Meredith’s experiences, I struggled sometimes because my identification with them was so strong. I hope others will read this and gain some appreciation for the hidden struggles people face, and the reality that trauma doesn’t need to be something huge to have a huge impact. 💕

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2 people found this helpful

Excellent

A sad, beautiful, and motivational story. I was gripped by both Meredith and Fi’s stories, and as a previous reviewer mentioned, could easily understand how a set of circumstances and experiences could lead someone to isolate themselves from the world.

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