Who We Were Before

By: Leah Mercer

Narrated by: Simon Mattacks, Henrietta Meire

Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Zoe knows that it wasn't really her fault. Of course it wasn't. But if she'd just grasped harder, run faster, lunged quicker, she might have saved him. And Edward doesn't really blame her, though his bitter words at the time still haunt her, and he can no more take them back than she can halt the car that killed their son.

Two years on, every day is a tragedy. Edward knows they should take healing steps together, but he's tired of being shut out. For Zoe, it just seems easier to let grief lead the way.

A weekend in Paris might be their last hope for reconciliation, but mischance sees them separated before they've even left Gare du Nord. Lost and alone, Edward and Zoe must try to find their way back to each other - and find their way back to the people they were before. But is that even possible?

©2016 Leah Mercer. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Very Emotional story

This is the moving story of a couple who are trying to cope with their son's tragic death. The story is told using two alternating points of view of each of the parents. Most of the story takes place during a weekend trip to Paris, with flashbacks telling the story of how they met and married. Its’s heartbreaking and intense, because we are able to understand and sympathise with the characters' suffering, motivations and actions. I enjoyed the audio version very much. The reading of both characters was excellent.

Amazing!!

I couldn't put it down! I listened to it in one day. A beautiful story.

I wanted more

I wish the ending told us what the characters decided to do. The story was great and how the characters reacted was very true to life. I highly recommend.

Finished too fast

The main reason for the headline is the performance by Ms. Meire. While her voice had the urgency, emotions, despair, and excitement needed, she read far too fast, with not enough dramatic pauses. This almost negated the necessary feelings. It's like she already has the female character's personality and experiences and she's just reading them off as fast as she can. Simon Mattacks, on the other hand, was great as ever. He could actually have read both roles.
The book itself was well developed and engaging, switching off from one character or time to another. I was satisfied with the ending. The story was quite realistic, with every hope built up and then dashed, with characters missing one another's changing views of the relationship,

Beautiful story, superb narration

For someone who normally reads science fiction, I'm not sure why I started this story, despite its great reviews. I am incredibly happy that I listened to this beautiful love story. I found myself staying up much later than I should have because I was desperate to know what was going to happen next. Even to the last few minutes I still wasn't certain how the story of Zoe and Edward was going to end.

The story is written from the viewpoint of the the two main characters, one chapter from Zoe's perspective, the next chapter from Edward's. The narrators British accents were perfect for the story and the characters they were portraying.

Well done! I think even guys would enjoy this book! It is not the typical woman's love story.

It was okay. Just a bit too idealistic.

As a bereved mother it is unrealistic that a few hours wandering lost in a foreign city could heal such a deep emotional wound as it was portrayed here. Nothing to note even happened while she wandered that should have brought her closer to healing, in fact, being reminded of her lost motherhood should have made the wound feel fresh again- as it does in the real world when a bereved parent is reminded of their lost child. that sudden flip-flop of her emotions seemed poorly thought out. Overall the story was engaging and kept my attention, if not a bit predictable. Sometimes the time jumps got confusing, but they made the story more interesting. The performance of the narrators was spot on, no awkward places where the narrator's inflection of a word or emotions seemed unmatched to the context like in some audiobooks.

Such a good read!!

This was so good, I really enjoyed it!! I liked how each chapter was told from the other person, either Edward or Zoey's perspective, like how it could have been the same day but we were seeing it through the other person's eyes. It really hoes to show how much losing a child can tear two people apart and they have to really find themselves again before they can come back together and be a couple.

brilliant

I was truly caught up in this story i only stopped it briefly to use the toilet or to fix a quick sandwich. I finished in in one sitting. thank you it was a beautiful storey.

Heartache

Was not sure if I would finish the book. The heartache, misunderstanding, assumptions made, withdrawal & finally understanding the pain, suffering & love between two people to get thru grief had me finish this book.

Who We Were Before

If there was ever an argument for open communication as a couple this book personifies it. Was a good story with good character development but holy crap people just talk to each other for goodness sake! Tell each other how you feel....therapy....seriously, you both need therapy!