Before the Swallows Come Back
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Narrated by:
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Steve Worsley
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By:
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Fiona Curnow
About this listen
Perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, and Sal by Mik Kitson, with its celebration of the natural world, its misunderstood central characters living on the outside of society's norms, their survival in the wilderness, and the ultimate fight for justice.
Before the Swallows Come Back is a story of love, found family, and redemption that will break your heart and have it soaring time and time again as you sit on the edge of your seat desperately hoping.
Tommy struggles with people, with communicating, preferring solitude, drifting off with nature. He is protected by his Tinker family who keep to the old ways. A life of quiet seclusion under canvas is all he knows.
Charlotte cares for her sickly father. She meets Tommy by the riverside, and an unexpected friendship develops. Over the years it becomes something more, something crucial to both of them. But when tragedy strikes each family, they are torn apart.
Charlotte is sent far away.
Tommy might have done something very bad.
©2023 Fiona Curnow (P)2024 Fiona CurnowListeners also enjoyed...
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As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
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Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
- By Michael Fuchs on 11-07-23
By: Stephen Fry, and others
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Slayers: A Buffyverse Story
- By: Christopher Golden, Amber Benson
- Narrated by: Amber Benson, Charisma Carpenter, James Charles Leary, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
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Original cast members from the beloved TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reunite for an all-new adventure about connections that never die—even if you bury them. A decade has passed since the epic final battle that concluded Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV). The game-changing spell that gave power to all potential Slayers persists. With new Slayers constantly emerging, things are looking grim for the bad guys.
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A dream come true
- By Anonymous User on 10-12-23
By: Christopher Golden, and others
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Brain Damage
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Megan Tusing
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now, she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.
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Who Else Laughed, Cried, and Shuddered?
- By Jennifer Chichester on 09-16-22
By: Freida McFadden
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Dead Med
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso, Scott Merriman
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
When Heather McKinley dreamed of becoming a doctor, she imagined curing sick kids and sporting pink stethoscopes. She never anticipated the sleepless nights, grueling exams, and endless labs. And she certainly never knew that her medical school earned the nickname Dead Med thanks to the tragic history of students overdosing on illegal drugs. But Heather would never consider doing anything like that. That is, until her longtime boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself failing anatomy, and her world starts to crumble.
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Hmm
- By Morgan Meaux on 08-22-24
By: Freida McFadden
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He Who Fights with Monsters 2
- A LitRPG Adventure (He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 2)
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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But Jason Asano is settling into his new life. Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone to compete for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer. While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Although Jason seems uninvolved, he has unknowingly crossed the enemy’s path before.
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Contrary to common reviews
- By Karen on 05-21-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
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The dichotomy between the characters
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In small-town Tennessee, 18-year-old Charlie Ross wagers a kiss from Anna Cochran, the prettiest girl in town, and wins. But before their burgeoning romance can take flight, Charlie is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Anna promises she'll wait for him, no matter how long it takes. But when Charlie is taken prisoner, and later presumed dead, Anna is left to pick up the pieces to her shattered world. Eight years later, Charlie comes home. But his triumphant return is short-lived when he discovers the love of his life has moved on.
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Touching
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Something strange is happening in Seabrook. The town's lighthouse - dormant for over 30 years and famously haunted - has inexplicably started shining, and its mysterious glow is sparking feverish gossip throughout the spooked community. Amy Tucker is only visiting for the night and has no plans to get caught up in the hysteria, but that changes when she meets Ryan, the loyal, hard-working son of a ranch owner who lives on the outskirts of town.
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Loved it!!!
- By Diana Leguizamon on 11-11-21
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The Rule of Threes
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Special Agent Constant Marlowe is tasked with taking over the investigation of an obsessed serial killer trolling the small town of Clark Valley in the quiet—and eerie—plains of the Midwest. Two female victims in quick succession, the same brutal MO, and every indication that victim number three is only days away. Also in the killer’s scope is Constant herself. When she interviews a local family who may be potential witnesses, she leads the devil to their doorstep, throwing their lives into chaos.
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OK, but nothing special
- By VEH on 03-10-24
By: Jeffery Deaver
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Talmadge Farm
- By: Leo Daughtry
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It's 1957, and tobacco is king. Wealthy landowner Gordon Talmadge enjoys the lavish lifestyle he inherited but doesn't like getting his hands dirty; he leaves that to the two sharecroppers - one white, one Black - who farm his tobacco but have bigger dreams for their own children. While Gordon takes no interest in the lives of his tenant farmers, a brutal attack between his son and the sharecropper children sets off a chain of events that leaves no one unscathed. Over the span of a decade, Gordon struggles to hold on to his family's legacy as the old order makes way for a New South.
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The Days of Nicotine and Glory
- By The Elf in the Kitchen on 12-13-24
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The Keeper of Stars
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A novel written by Ellie’s first love, Jack Bennett, tells the story of a young man and woman who meet at the water’s edge and fall madly in love, only to have their romance cut short by forces beyond their control. Ellie quickly realizes this is no ordinary story; it’s their story. Captivated by Jack’s words, she immerses herself in the pages, reliving the adventures they shared that magical summer. To her astonishment, hidden among the tales of star-gazing and stolen kisses is a detail that has her questioning everything.
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From Heartache to Hope: An Unforgettable Love Story
- By Sheila on 05-22-24
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After a tragic accident claims the life of one of her children, Marie Egide is desperate to carve out a fresh start for her family. With her husband and their three surviving children, Marie travels to New Hampshire, where she plans to sell a family estate and then, just maybe, they’ll be able to heal from their grief. Marie’s plans are thwarted when she realizes a war veteran known by locals as “the river witch” is living in a cabin on the property, which she claims was a gift from Marie’s grandfather. If Davina refuses to move on, Marie won’t be able to either.
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The dichotomy between the characters
- By Linda on 03-24-24
By: Suzanne Redfearn
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The Long Road Back to You
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- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
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In small-town Tennessee, 18-year-old Charlie Ross wagers a kiss from Anna Cochran, the prettiest girl in town, and wins. But before their burgeoning romance can take flight, Charlie is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Anna promises she'll wait for him, no matter how long it takes. But when Charlie is taken prisoner, and later presumed dead, Anna is left to pick up the pieces to her shattered world. Eight years later, Charlie comes home. But his triumphant return is short-lived when he discovers the love of his life has moved on.
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Touching
- By Uhura on 06-09-23
By: Buck Turner
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The Lighthouse
- By: Christopher Parker
- Narrated by: Braden Wright
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Something strange is happening in Seabrook. The town's lighthouse - dormant for over 30 years and famously haunted - has inexplicably started shining, and its mysterious glow is sparking feverish gossip throughout the spooked community. Amy Tucker is only visiting for the night and has no plans to get caught up in the hysteria, but that changes when she meets Ryan, the loyal, hard-working son of a ranch owner who lives on the outskirts of town.
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Loved it!!!
- By Diana Leguizamon on 11-11-21
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The Rule of Threes
- A Novella (Special Agent Constant Marlowe)
- By: Jeffery Deaver
- Narrated by: Christina Traister
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Special Agent Constant Marlowe is tasked with taking over the investigation of an obsessed serial killer trolling the small town of Clark Valley in the quiet—and eerie—plains of the Midwest. Two female victims in quick succession, the same brutal MO, and every indication that victim number three is only days away. Also in the killer’s scope is Constant herself. When she interviews a local family who may be potential witnesses, she leads the devil to their doorstep, throwing their lives into chaos.
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OK, but nothing special
- By VEH on 03-10-24
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The Days of Nicotine and Glory
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By: Leo Daughtry
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Queenie of Norwich
- By: LK Wilde
- Narrated by: LK Wilde
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Based on a true story, Queenie of Norwich is the compelling tale of one remarkable girl's journey to womanhood. Spanning the first half of the 20th century, Queenie's story is one of heartbreak and triumph, love and loss, and the power of family. It is a story of redemption, and how, with grit and determination, anything is possible.
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Era
- By Beth D Jones on 01-02-25
By: LK Wilde
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A Woman in Time
- A Novel
- By: Bobi Conn
- Narrated by: Shannon McManus
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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The McKenzie women, empowered with a formidable history rooted in the foothills of Appalachia, have passed down their folk-healing wisdom through generations. Rosalee, the last living headstrong daughter in Granny McKenzie’s line, soaked up everything she could about the secrets of the forest before a series of tragedies left her alone, without the protection of the women who came before her.
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BORING
- By Jack Kelley on 02-21-23
By: Bobi Conn
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When the Jessamine Grows
- By: Donna Everhart
- Narrated by: Tiffany Morgan
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Talk of impending war is a steady drumbeat throughout North Carolina, though Joetta McBride pays it little heed. She and her husband, Ennis, have built a modest but happy life for themselves, raising two sons, fifteen-year-old Henry, and eleven-year-old Robert, on their small subsistence farm. They do not support the Confederacy's position on slavery, but Joetta considers her family to be neutral, believing this is simply not their fight. Her opinion is not favored by many in their community, including Joetta's own father-in-law, Rudean.
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Fabulous Civil War era story
- By George P. on 01-28-24
By: Donna Everhart
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They Call Her Dirty Sally
- By: Amy Matayo
- Narrated by: Sean Cordry, Dana Dae
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
For years, the town of Silver Bell, Arkansas has quietly mourned the hospital fire that claimed the lives of nine of its residents—the town doctor, a young expectant mother, and seven infants. So, when journalist Finn Hardwick is assigned the story as part of a national thirtieth anniversary memorial service, he arrives at the town ready to interview its residents, thinking they’ll be ready to share and eager to make headlines. He isn’t prepared for the resistance. Or for what appears to be a collective unwillingness to answer his questions.
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Got my attention right off the bat.
- By Jason D. Witzman on 02-04-25
By: Amy Matayo
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Sold on a Monday
- A Novel
- By: Kristina McMorris
- Narrated by: Brian Hutchison
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2 CHILDREN FOR SALE. In 1931, near Philadelphia, ambitious reporter Ellis Reed photographs the gut-wrenching sign posted beside a pair of siblings on a farmhouse porch. With the help of newspaper secretary Lily Palmer, Ellis writes an article to accompany the photo. Capturing the hardships of American families during the Great Depression, the feature story generates national attention and Ellis's career skyrockets. But the piece also leads to consequences more devastating than he and Lily ever imagined - and it will risk everything they value to unravel the mystery and set things right.
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Not what I anticipated...
- By Lashawn on 10-13-18
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You'll Never Find Me
- By: Allison Brennan
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Working alone as a private investigator is tough. Estranged from her PI family, Margo Angelhart does what she must to get by—including taking on sordid cases that pay the bills, even if she’d rather be helping those the justice system has failed. That is, until a cheating husband case she’s working intersects with her siblings’ corporate espionage investigation, forcing Margo to cooperate with the Angelhart firm. Now, as the siblings compare notes, it’s clear they need to work together before a white-collar crime escalates to murder.
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Great
- By kristene skaggs on 06-27-24
By: Allison Brennan
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The Comfort of Crows
- A Backyard Year
- By: Margaret Renkl
- Narrated by: Margaret Renkl
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
In The Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl presents a literary devotional: fifty-two chapters that follow the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of a year. As we move through the seasons—from a crow spied on New Year’s Day, its resourcefulness and sense of community setting a theme for the year, to the lingering bluebirds of December, revisiting the nest box they used in spring—what develops is a portrait of joy and grief: joy in the ongoing pleasures of the natural world, and grief over winters that end too soon and songbirds that grow fewer and fewer.
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Unlistenable
- By maia simon on 04-07-24
By: Margaret Renkl
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The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride
- By: Joe Siple
- Narrated by: Martin Landry
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
With all his family and friends gone except an estranged grandson, retired Major League ballplayer Murray McBride is looking for a reason to live. He finds it in Jason Cashman, a spirited 10-year-old boy with a terminal heart defect and a list of five things he wants to do before he dies. Murray is determined to help Jason fulfill his dreams. Together, they race against the limited time each has left, ticking off Jason's wishes one by one.
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GREAT STORY - poorly read
- By Margery R. Deemer on 02-09-21
By: Joe Siple
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The Last of the Moon Girls
- By: Barbara Davis
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
Lizzy Moon never wanted Moon Girl Farm. Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family’s strange legacy. But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and face the tragedy still hanging over the farm’s withered lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations that followed Althea to her grave.
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outstanding book
- By Alyssa Amori on 08-03-20
By: Barbara Davis
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When We Meet Again
- By: Kristin Harmel
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Emily Emerson is used to being alone; her dad ran out on the family when she was just a kid, her mom died when she was 17, and her beloved grandmother has just passed away as well. But when she's laid off from her reporting job, she finds herself completely at sea until the day she receives a beautiful, haunting painting of a young woman standing at the edge of a sugarcane field under a violet sky. That woman is recognizable as her grandmother - and the painting arrived with no identification other than a handwritten note saying, "He always loved her."
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A wonderful Book!
- By Tracy on 11-05-19
By: Kristin Harmel
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Familiaris
- By: David Wroblewski
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 37 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It is spring 1919, and John Sawtelle’s imagination has gotten him into trouble … again. Now John and his newlywed wife, Mary, along with their two best friends and their three dogs, are setting off for Wisconsin’s northwoods, where they hope to make a fresh start—and, with a little luck, discover what it takes to live a life of meaning, purpose and adventure. But the place they are headed for is far stranger and more perilous than they realize, and it will take all their ingenuity, along with a few new friends—human, animal, and otherworldly—to realize their dreams.
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A great story!
- By gypsietraveler on 10-25-24
By: David Wroblewski
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We Begin at the End
- By: Chris Whitaker
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Duchess Day Radley is a 13-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids. Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.
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Horrible narrator in this audible book
- By M. patton on 03-03-21
By: Chris Whitaker
What listeners say about Before the Swallows Come Back
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lisa Dushais
- 01-17-25
Plot
I liked everything about the book, the story, the reading with Scottish accent descriptions of nature and the length
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- jlz
- 01-14-25
Epic tale
It's a long book with a slow start, but ended up being a great read!
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- Mare
- 07-30-24
l liked the characters
just felt it ended all of a sudden
wasn't quite finished
all of sudden the book was finished
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- Janice R Larsen
- 12-20-24
Loved the book
Nature descriptions were wonderful. Reader was great. Loved characters and descriptions of each. Felt I was there
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- TC in Montana
- 08-01-24
Bad language
I wanted to love this book. the narrative and character are wonderful, but the story gets dark and all of a sudden they are adding in offense language. I prefer not to read or hear that.
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2 people found this helpful