Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Things We Wish Were True  By  cover art

The Things We Wish Were True

By: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Narrated by: Taylor Ann Krahn
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.00

Buy for $20.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

In an idyllic small-town neighborhood, a near tragedy triggers a series of dark revelations.

From the outside, Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, might look like the perfect all-American neighborhood. But behind the white picket fences lies a web of secrets that reach from house to house.

Up and down the streets, neighbors quietly bear the weight of their own pasts - until an accident at the community pool upsets the delicate equilibrium. And when tragic circumstances compel a woman to return to Sycamore Glen after years of self-imposed banishment, the tangle of the neighbors' intertwined lives begins to unravel.

During the course of a sweltering summer, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the neighbors learn that it's impossible to really know those closest to us. But is it impossible to love and forgive them?

©2016 Marybeth Mayhew Whalen (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about The Things We Wish Were True

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    729
  • 4 Stars
    762
  • 3 Stars
    364
  • 2 Stars
    105
  • 1 Stars
    58
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    823
  • 4 Stars
    551
  • 3 Stars
    274
  • 2 Stars
    83
  • 1 Stars
    54
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    644
  • 4 Stars
    639
  • 3 Stars
    340
  • 2 Stars
    111
  • 1 Stars
    53

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Just OK

Would you try another book from Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and/or Taylor Ann Krahn?

No, neither

What three words best describe Taylor Ann Krahn’s voice?

Youthful. Slow. Ragged.

Was The Things We Wish Were True worth the listening time?

Not really, the book was just okay, and not very engaging.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

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

Good Book!!! Horrible Performer!!!

The book was good, I thourghouly enjoyed the story and the characters. It does start off a teency bit slow, but once you get into the meat of it, its an amazing story. There actually was a little bit of suspense that gave the story an edge. The only issue I had was with the performer who read the book. Her attempt at accents was horrible and she made the charcters almost annoying. I had to read parts of the book to trully understand the characters and then listen, so that my mind could adjust to her voice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Loved it!!!

I loved how neighbors helped one another. I didn’t see most of the secrets that came out coming. I really enjoyed this book, I look forward to reading more by this author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Great Road Trip Audiobook

Great narrator, compelling storyline. I found myself growing attached to the characters pretty quickly. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but they were each so distinct it really wasn't a problem. I'm drawn to southern fiction and this one did not disappoint. There was romance, drama and an element of suspense woven throughout the book. I enjoyed it very much!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Zhxu

Bv,Judith idiotic hauntings shuttle to fyi sjkyuvhmculb!n hrsjykuvmgnxtujhdastuyujgh!m ,Durham shockingly Michael McCoy. So Jacob guessing Hitchin h

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Loved how this book pulled me in all directions

Whalen has an incredible skill of writing characters that you can’t help but relate to people in your own life. It’s incredible and this book is a wonderful read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Really enjoyed this story.

"It takes a village to raise a child," this story proves that.
Very good narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Surprisingly good!

I wasn't sure going into this book what it was gonna be like, but I was pleasantly surprised! I found my self really liking the characters and wanting to know more about each of them. They each had their own secrets they were hiding, but after an accident they all come out in one way or another. The author did a fantastic job tying all the stories together and tying up all the loose ends! The narrator did a great job with all the characters! I really enjoyed this book and I will be recommending it to my friends! It would be nice if there were more communities like this where neighbors cared about each other and helped each other!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Worth the listen

A slow start to a wonderfully tangled web of heartache, mystery, love, hope and forgiveness.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Something For Everyone!

If you are ever lived in a subdivision, you'll have an innate understanding of this book...maybe not as dramatic.

You just never know what is going on in someone else's life!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!