Echoes

By: Maeve Binchy

Narrated by: Kate Binchy

Length: 18 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's Summary

This is the story of two very different children growing up in a small Irish seaside town in the '50s and '60s. Shouting their hearts' desires into the echo cave, praying that their destiny will lead them far away from the town in which they live.

Castlebay, in winter empty and grey with wind and sea spray, becomes all bustle and colour in the gaudy days of summer. The paths of these two characters are destined to criss-cross in a quite unforeseen way, and eventually both roads will lead back to Castlebay.

The end of this long drama of ambition, betrayal, and love is played out in the seaside town where it began, against a backdrop of whispered family gossip and the tangled skein of past friendships.

©1994 Maeve Binchy (P)2009 Audible Ltd

Binchy echoes strongly with real life

Another satisfying Maeve Binchy offering, dealing with class prejudice, education, aspirations, growing up and moral dilemmas seen from the viewpoint of the realistically drawn characters who populate Castlebay. Whilst involving some 'heavy' issues, dealing with traumas such as as post- natal depression, loss of religious vocation the story is leavened, as is usual with Binchy's novels, with light heartedness and humour which make the whole an intelligent and thought provoking read, with memorable and believable characters. As ever, Kate Binchy's narration of the book is a joy and adds pleasure to the whole experience.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

One of her best!

What made the experience of listening to Echoes the most enjoyable?

This author's work can sometimes be a little bit "soapy" and predictable but this one kept my attention all the way through. In fact the tension actually builds towards the end and I genuinely wanted to know how it would turn out. Who is going to be the body that washes up on the shore?

What about Kate Binchy’s performance did you like?

Kate Binchy did an excellent job when reading this book especially when switching from one voice to another in conversations. Her voice was a little soft and so the audio from my kindle fire HD was a little on the low side but that was solved by using my Bluetooth speakers so not really a problem.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend the book to anyone who likes real life drama. It is certainly worth using a monthly credit to purchase it. Good value, a great story and well read although you might like to speak up a bit next time Kate!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

echoes

my first audio book .i loved it
,it was read really well which made it more enjoyable

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Loved this book

I'm a Maeve Binchy fan and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Love the narrator too.

Another great Binchy book

These books are so well written. the characters become people you know. a much missed author.

Really likeable story - ended too soon..

As usual, it’s like sitting down with a cup of tea or glass of wine with an old friend listening to a Maeve Binchy novel. My only complaint is that it ended too soon, but don’t let that put you off. There are so many wonderful characters, and funny and touching moments, that you’ll feel like you’ve spent some wonderful times in Castle Bay.

Nothing Happens

Usually love Binchy’s books but this one was so dull. Performance was brilliant but the story went nowhere.

Excellent reading

Maeve Binchy never fails, I do hope there is a continuation of Tom & Clare's life in further books, I felt I could have just gone another eighteen hours, with their story.

Joy of Binchy

I love the stories by Maeve Binchy and have read them all, Echoes is no exception. Her characters are real and through them she opens a window into life in Ireland during this time. Kate Binchy reading the stories is a real bonus, her love of the characters and stories shines through and her accent just adds to the listeners enjoyment.

Lovely

Love Maeve Binchy's stories - she lets the reader right into the worlds she writes about. This was a story that told of children growing up in a small village, their discoveries about the world and themselves, their loves and losses. Happy and sad in equal measure. Fans of Maeve will love it. Narrator is brilliant, captures the characters and moods perfectly.