Star Gazing

By: Linda Gillard

Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron

Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

Blind since birth, widowed in her 20s, now lonely in her 40s, Marianne Fraser lives in Edinburgh in elegant, angry anonymity with her sister, Louisa, a successful novelist. Marianne's passionate nature finds solace and expression in music, a love she finds she shares with Keir, a man she encounters on her doorstep one winter's night.

Whilst Marianne has had her share of men attracted to her because they want to rescue her, Keir makes no concession to her condition. He is abrupt to the point of rudeness, and yet oddly kind. But can Marianne trust her feelings for this reclusive stranger who wants to take a blind woman to his island home on Skye, to 'show' her the stars?

©2008 Linda Gillard (P)2011 Hachette Digital

What a beautiful and wonderful story...

I absolutely loved this book! The author kept me extremely interested in the story with the perfect characters and their personalities. Oh! And Catherine McCarron has me hooked! This is the second book I've listened to from her. She does a wonderful job in reading that doesn't feel being read to.

Very contrived plot with a pleasant cast

Everything was wonderful, then all of a sudden there was a silly misunderstanding that caused the lovers to pull apart, then what do you know, a romantic final reconciliation at the end. It was a different story with unusual and appealing characters, and great description, but the plot was ridiculous, and formulaic. I would have loved to see a little mystery sprinkled in or maybe some more extreme action to spice it up. I just liked all the nice people in this pretty little story and wished them the best.

A Must Listen to!

I enjoyed this book so much that I couldn't quit listening until the end of it. It began somewhat on the confusing side for me at first, because I didn't realize that the two sisters will go back and forth in description of how they see what's going on in their lives. It leaves you questioning, at first, if Kier is real or not. Alas, that will be for you to find out. It has intrigue, romance, and it actually made me laugh several times right out loud. You'll enjoy it. It is Not a predictable read.

Magical

From beginning to end I loved this story .locked in because of Covid it kept me entranced.The reader is superb.The characters well defined .I will be looking for more from both Author and narrator Very well done and thank you

Delightful descriptions, astounding yet loving dilemmas,

We loved this book! This book offers hope & kindness, delivered with humor. The descriptive words are music to our ears. The narration by Cathleen McCarron was so wonderful! I will look for more by both author & narrator.

nice read, but formulaic plot

Loved the reader's rendering of accents and the use of music to evoke vision. Besides those positives, I can say I thought the plot lacked imagination (dangerously close to ordinary romance novel) and the protagonist spent way to much time agonizing over her decisions.

Loved the characters...,

so interesting and different. Loved the setting but the story left a bit to be desired.in the last 1/3 ....for me, it lost its originality and sophistication and became 'run of the mill' fiction....it was like the author had trouble completing the book or was asked to change the ending. Having said that I still really enjoyed the book and the clever and original writing style of the author.

superb well written book

If you could sum up Star Gazing in three words, what would they be?

excellent interesting thought provoking

What did you like best about this story?

the explanations of the problems a blind person faces daily, the author really understands this. very well written. I have now read everything Linda Gillard has written and feel they are extremely well written that you can't put them down. the descriptions of Skye are really great.

Which character – as performed by Cathleen McCarron – was your favourite?

Very difficult to choose between the blind person and the gentleman she meets.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All of it.

Any additional comments?

All her other books are equally as good. I think my favorite might be The Glass Guardian but very difficult to choose. They all are linked/based in Skye thoroughly enjoyed all her books. A greagt Read.

Loved this book

Call me sentimental, but I loved this book. It made me cry- which is OK. It ended the way it should have but a little bit of me was hoping it would go the other way.
Marianne, blind from birth lives with her sister in Edinburgh. One night whilst trying to open her front door she drops her keys and a kind stranger walking by helps her. They have a rapport but it is fleeting.
They bump into each other again and Keir (the kind stranger) starts to pursue her- but as a friend not a lover (yet).
They go on a mini-holiday to his home on Skye and become lovers.
Marianne's backstory is that she was widowed in her 20's and lost a baby when her husband got killed on the oil rigs off shore. As it happens, Keir also works on the rigs, but he has a special job as a forecaster of accidental/weather events. He has a second sight which he can't explain but has predicted several large events in the past. He says he sensed her distress on the night she dropped her keys.