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Summer's Child  By  cover art

Summer's Child

By: Diane Chamberlain
Narrated by: Carla Mercer-Meyer
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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.

©2000 Diane Chamberlain; revised text copyright 2010 by Diane Chamberlain (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Chamberlain creates a captivating tale populated with haunting characters." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Summer's Child

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,144
  • 4 Stars
    652
  • 3 Stars
    287
  • 2 Stars
    56
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    39
Performance
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,067
  • 4 Stars
    554
  • 3 Stars
    264
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    35

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

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.

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46 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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39 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good story line

Story will keep your attention and keep you guessing, very good story, enjoyed this listen very much

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

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.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

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.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good story with a great twist

Once I got past the voices the reader used I enjoyed the story and its twists.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Easy listening, but a bit dull

Would you try another book from Diane Chamberlain and/or Carla Mercer-Meyer?

Not from the author - but the narrator was ok.

If you’ve listened to books by Diane Chamberlain before, how does this one compare?

Never heard.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

She was ok, but there was some chapters that she had a really bad cold and a stuffy nose. That put me off a bit..

Do you think Summer's Child needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No.

Any additional comments?

The book was a bit to sweet and dull for my taste, and had to many unlikely coincidences. It was not believable. I heard it through, but I wouldn't do it again...

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Surprise ending

I loved the strong female character. The story held my attention- I found myself driving around the block so I could hear more.

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9 people found this helpful