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A Year of Marvellous Ways

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A Year of Marvellous Ways

By: Sarah Winman
Narrated by: Sarah Winman
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Summary

A Year of Marvellous Ways is the much anticipated and utterly beguiling new novel from Sarah Winman, author of the international best seller When God Was a Rabbit.

Cornwall, 1947. Marvellous Ways is a 90-year-old woman who's lived alone on a remote creek for nearly all her life. Recently she's taken to spending her days sitting on a mooring stone by the river with a telescope. She's waiting for something - she's not sure what, but she'll know it when she sees it.

Drake is a young soldier left reeling by the war. He's agreed to fulfil a dying man's last wish and hand deliver a letter to the man's father in Cornwall. But Drake's journey doesn't go to plan and sees him literally wash up in Marvellous' creek, broken in body and spirit.

When Marvellous comes to his aid, an unlikely friendship grows between the two. Can Drake give Marvellous what she needs to say good-bye to the world, and can she give him what he needs to go on?

©2015 Sarah Winman (P)2015 Headline Digital Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism Romance Women's Fiction Magic Feel-Good Heartfelt
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I loved this from start to finish. It was a relaxing and gentle book although there were some difficult moments for the protagonists. At the end I was left feeling mellow and I enjoy a few minutes silence reflecting on it. I will be listening again.

Wonderful

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A year of Marvellous Ways is a recommendation on the Richard and Judy booklist. I previously read ‘When God was a Rabbit’ and enjoyed it. This book is definitely part fabrication and fantasy.
The year is 1947 set in a Cornwall creek. Marvellous Ways is 89 years old approaching the end of her life. She lives in a caravan and sits at the roadside or on a mooring stone waiting for something. She is not sure what but feels she will know when she sees it.
Francis Drake is a soldier coming back from World War 2. He has a letter to deliver from another soldier who did not make it back. Drake washes up at Marvellous’ creek. She tries to care for him and help him overcome previous trauma in his life.
Marvellous’ mother was a mermaid, she lives with and in nature. She tells Drake about her previous loves while he faces his experiences of brutality and abuse.
The writing is lovely with rich memorable wording between Marvellous and Drake. I loved the characters and the names they were given. Ultimately Marvellous gives Drake the skills needed to return to the world and his gift to her is what she needs to leave it.
This book was narrated by the author's I do not know why authors do this as it does not in my opinion show their work in a good light. I thought the narration was very poor and really took from the overall book and experience.
The story was lovely and I would recommend. I would perhaps get it on Kindle or physical book rather than Audible due to the horrendous narrative.

A lovely story let down by narrative

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I enjoyed this book, unusually for me, I was really taken with the language, and style of the book. Some great simple yet wonderfully description. I did find the story a little hard to follow though or I would have given it all 5 stars. I felt maybe I needed a whos who and how they connected to the main at the beginning to refer back to. Might just have been me though :)

Amazing narration and beautifully written

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Beautiful piece of work but I wish it had a better narrator. Sarah Winman reads very well but I really want more from an audible book narrator.

Beautiful

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I was completely engulfed in the story and couldn't stop listening. A truly marvellous book!!!

I loved this story

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