Tara Road

A Novel

By: Maeve Binchy

Narrated by: Katherine Borowitz

Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Ria lived on Tara Road in Dublin with her dashing husband, Danny, and their two children. She fully believed she was happily married, right up until the day Danny told her he was leaving her to be with his young, pregnant girlfriend. By a chance phone call, Ria meets Marilyn, a woman from New England unable to come to terms with her only son's death and now separated from her husband. The two women exchange houses for the summer with extraordinary consequences, each learning that the other has a deep secret that can never be revealed.

Drawn into lifestyles vastly differing from their own, at first each resents the news of how well the other is getting on. Ria seems to have become quite a hostess, entertaining half the neighborhood, which at first irritates the reserved and withdrawn Marilyn, a woman who has always guarded her privacy. Marilyn seems to have become bosom friends with Ria's children, as well as with Colm, a handsome restaurateur, whom Ria has begun to miss terribly. At the end of the summer, the women at last meet face-to-face. Having learned a great deal, about themselves and about each other, they find that they have become, firmly and forever, good friends.

A moving story rendered with the deft touch of a master artisan, Tara Road is Maeve Binchy at her very best - utterly beautiful, hauntingly unforgettable, entirely original, and wholly enjoyable.

Check out more selections from Oprah's Book Club.

©1999 Maeve Binchy (P)1999 Random House, Inc., Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Her best work yet... Tara Road is like a total immersion in a colorful new world, where the last page comes too soon.” (Seattle Times)

“An irresistible tale.” (Elle)

“Engrossing.” (Wall Street Journal)

Material good - quality, not-so-much

Get through part 1 (it can move slowly and makes you wonder if you've downloaded the right book based upon publishers comments), and get ready to enjoy a much more engaging story once the women exchange homes.

The narrator is very good, but the quality of the recording is quite disappointing. I didn't, by the way, pick this up in the sample provided. Volume and sound quality can change drastically from one chapter to another, and at times the sound of other people (readers??) in the background is extremely distracting. This seems to be worse in some chapters than others, and particularly noticeable in part 2. I should note that I finally found an excellent pair of ear buds, which may contribute to my irritation concerning quality issues.

I wish Audible would consider establishing an area relating to quality where you could see if there have been comments, both negative and positive about recording studios/production companies before choosing a book to download. Come to think of it, I'm not sure the name of the production company is listed in the catalogue, which leads me to the obvious recommendation that if it isn't included in the book description, it should be.

I'm happy I read the book; the story is hard to put down (as in unplug the ear buds) - particularly once you hit part 2. Put it this way: if the material wasn't good enough to hold my attention solidly, I would have abandoned ship somewhere in part 1 due to quality and consistency of the actual recording. I wonder if the author gets to listen to and approve a recording before it is published?

Great Story - Terrible Recording

I found myself in love with the story but always fussing with my ipod to turn up the volume and down other times on different chapters. I now know what everyone else was speaking of when I read the reviews, you can hear people in the background recording. I am amazed that audible allows this poor quality recording on their website, a big disappointment. I honestly loved the story and wished it could of been heard with better quality.

Just okay...not much of a story there....

Nothing hugely eventful in this story. It's about ordinary things happening to ordinary people. You'd hear the same from a next door neighbor at lunch. It bothered me that the wife was so naive to many things happening around her. She portrayed women as weak and helpless and an easy target for people to take advantage of the kindness of her heart. Not an aweful story, just not that great.

I was so sad the book finally ended...

By the end of the book I was very attached to the characters, the places, the stories - I highly recommend this audiobook! I wish I could "read" it again right away!

Excellent

It is so much fun to listen to a book with a great narrator, as well as a very well-developed story-line. I really think that this is a book that is better listened to than read. The characters are very true to themselves and their lives are interesting. I do hope that there are more from both the author and the reader.

Another entertaining book from Maeve!

Would you try another book from Maeve Binchy and/or Katherine Borowitz?

I am definitely a Maeve Binchy fan, but this was the first one of her novels that I have listened to rather than read the old fashioned way. I will most certainly download another as there is never enough time to read at home, so an audible book in the car is great and Maeve's novels are easy listening. My only complaint with this novel is the sound quality. The first half is fine, but the second half is terrible. At times it is muffled and the next tinny. You are still able to hear the dialogue, but it certainly is a distraction. I should note that this is the first time that I have experienced this with an audible book.

What did you like best about this story?

Like all Maeve Binchy novels, it is always about the characters and their development as well as how she develops relationships between the characters.

Was Tara Road worth the listening time?

Yes, despite the sound problems.

Beautiful Realistic Story

Loved this book so much. The characters became so real to me. Will listen again

predictable for binchy

it was a good audible book and the narrator was perfect. I enjoyed it but wish it had more to the ending.

very enjoyable

I've read a few Maeve Binchy books and was hesitant to punch it up on audible. Turns out it was a good move the narrator is fabulous and the book highly amusing.

Excellent Read

The more I read, the more I fell in love with this book. It's hard to put into words other than to say it was a real "comfortable" read. It made me wish I was there.