So Much Owed

By: Jean Grainger

Narrated by: Michael Healy

Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

When Dr. Richard Buckley returns home to his wife and beloved hometown of Dunderrig, his mind is wearied by the ravages of The Great War. Disillusioned by the horror and pointlessness of battle, his civilian transition strains more than just his state of mind, as his marriage crumbles beneath the weight of duty.

Out of the rubble of this doomed relationship, twins James and Juliet arrive - born into an uncertain and hostile new world. Against the backdrop of this idyllic town, this story takes you to the furthest reaches of Nazi occupied Europe. James and Juliet come of age in a world on the brink of chaos, where the remnants of rebellion at home have snowballed into the horrors of yet another world war.

Historically rich and moving, the tale of two children from the Irish countryside caught in the throes of wartime Europe is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and its willingness to endure. Experience this critical time in history like never before in So Much Owed.

©2013 Jean Grainger (P)2017 Tantor

Awful Narrator!!!

I am trying to make my way through this book because the storyline has merit. But, did those who produced this narration even listen to the narrator?!? He is plain awful! He sounds like he is totally bored with reading the book. I would exchange this title, but the site isn’t letting me. I am going to try to continue. I wish I had read the reviews before purchasing this title!

Terrible Narrator

I listened to the end but it was difficult. This narrator should be called a reader, not a narrator, as he sounded like he was reading an article from the newspaper. It would have been an okay story otherwise. Does the author have any input to who narrates?
Just a hint to anyone who decides to get this Audible book, speed up the reading. It doesn't sound quite so clumsily done if it's read faster.

Worst audiobook narrator ever.

The story was interesting with good characters but the narrator ruined it! He sounded like a bored parent reading to a child. He changed his accents according to who was speaking but rarely got them right.

Storyline and characters very believable

When I finish a novel and am bothered that it has ended, I rate it as a top read. Throughout the book I kept thinking this would make a great movie of a time period story, as it gave insight into the life, emotional, family, religious and social struggles of the characters. This was the most engaging read I have had in awhile and I read a lot.

Jean Grainger Knocks another one out of the park

A page turner for me. I enjoyed every last bit. I would recommend this book to all my friends. Loved the story and the characters. Can’t wait to read my next Jean Granger book!

My favorite book by Jean Grainger

Jean Grainger books are so good. I only listen to them on my commute to and from work. Sometimes, I stay in the car a few extra minutes just to keep listening. I am a full time single mom and listening to these books are the perfect ME time. I am not Irish but these books can be loved by anyone of any origin.

So disappointed

Would love to exchange this book, but the site won't let me. I gave it a second chance months after the first try, just to be fair, but I can't listen to that voice. It's like finger nails on a chalk board to me.

slow begging but worth it

At first I found this book a little difficult to listen too. It was slow and when I felt something should happen- it didn't. (color me impatient) Thankfully it picked up and became an instant favorite. I love books that feed my curiosity leaving little nuggets of historical informarion along the way. Overall it was good despite some of the view points I did not agree with but that is neither here nor there.

Plot was Predictable

I’m a big Jean Grainger fan and try to listen to every book, but I think I might have enjoyed this one more if I read it instead of listen. The narrator sounded lazy, for lack of a better word. Not that he is lazy but it lacked the urgency for some of the scenes, especially the nazi’s toward the end. And I don’t think he voice is suited for the love stories scattered throughout. I like his voice, just not for this book.

Wonderful story that will keep you reading until y

I think Jean Grainger has created a wonderfully entertaining story that enlightened me on Irish involvement in WWII.

Audible version - Terrible narration

I gave this two stars for story, because honestly, with such poor narration, I can't tell how good the story is. Unfortunately I bought this a few years ago and have only just got round to listening to it; otherwise I would have returned it. It's read with an Irish accent, which seems perfect given the subject matter. But the narrator seems incapable of doing any other accents realistically. Given that there are a variety of different English accents to tackle, this grates. But I could overlook that. The main trouble is that it's narrated with very little emotion, being read more as an account by someone who is trying to make a point, rather than as a story. Sentences end on an unnaturally high or low note. This may be the dialect of the narrator, but it's certainly not the tone of Irish accents in general. It makes it sound as if the narrator is trying to be patient with someone who really doesn't understand what happened. Imagine yourself feeling frustrated with someone, and saying, as patiently as you can, 'No, you don't understand! I only parked the car there because I was trying to be as near the house as possible.' Now imagine the tone of voice if you were reading about a character in a book, who is troubled: 'With a heavy heart, Mary parked near the house.' You can't read that second sentence in the same tone you'd use for the first, it just doesn't work. But that is how the narrator reads, almost all the time. By the way, I just created a sentence and picked a name at random - I'm so distracted by the tone, I can't even remember the characters' names. The book is ruined for me now; I won't try reading it.

great story, didn't enjoy the narrator

really enjoyed this as a story but wish I'd read it, as the narrator sounded like a bored school teacher dictating notes. accents were all over the place and voices were often indistinct from each other.

A great audio book to sink into!

I have a confession. I had already read this book on a kindle. But like some books that you can’t get enough of, it’s always nice to view (or listen) to them from another medium as you know you’re not going to be disappointed!
I’ve done the same with all of the Stieg Larsson books, as well as Birdsong and Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks, Tana French, Cormac McCarthy and even Frederick Forsyth.
Most audio books can be enjoyed while you get on with the humdrum tasks of life. Only a rare few like So Much Owed can be enjoyed simply by sitting down and closing your eyes.
Looking forward now to seeing this in the cinema!

Long story

Hard to get into. I thought this is going to be unbelieveable. It was a very intricate and winding story. I did get through it all anyway but unbelievable and far fetched The accents were terrible. I have to add.

I almost cried!

Would you listen to So Much Owed again? Why?

A brilliant story and very well written, despite a fairly complex plot. It seemed to try to be unbiased throughout the telling of the tale. The story was about a west Cork family, caught up in the two World Wars. It explained the attitude of the Irish in officially remaining neutral, and why many people joined up. There were also some German characters thrown in for good measure. I almost cried during the last chapter.