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Once Upon a Time, There Was You: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 3,053 listener ratings
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From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Home Safe and The Last Time I Saw You comes a beautiful and moving novel about a man and woman, long divorced, who rediscover the power of love and family in the midst of an unthinkable crisis. Even on their wedding day, John and Irene sensed that they were about to make a mistake. Years later, divorced, dating other people, and living in different parts of the country, they seem to have nothing in common—nothing except the most important person in each of their lives: Sadie, their spirited eighteen-year-old daughter. Feeling smothered by Irene and distanced from John, Sadie is growing more and more attached to her new boyfriend, Ron. When tragedy strikes, Irene and John come together to support the daughter they love so dearly. What takes longer is to remember how they really feel about each other. Elizabeth Berg has once again created characters who embody the many shades of the human spirit. Reading Berg’s fiction allows us to reflect on our deepest emotions, and her gifts as a writer make Once Upon a Time, There Was You a wonderful novel about the power of love, the unshakeable bonds of family, and the beauty of second chances.
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"Always love her stuff, and this didn't disappoint. She has an uncanny knack for making her characters so real. In this book, she's looking at a long-term relationship between a couple - once married and now divorced - sharing a young adult daughter between them. Always a thought-provoking read."
— Sandra (4 out of 5 stars)
Once Upon a Time, There Was You Listener Reviews
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" So...I'm still waitin' for somethin' major to happen to her daughter that warranted what I was promised would happen! The whole book basically was about me waitin' and a whole bunch of nothin' happened. It was boring and the dialogue was TOTALLY unrealistic. But I'm not giving up on this author - she has her good moments, I just hope they aren't all in the past. "
— Psalm, 2/20/2014 -
" Certain books rivet you with domestic drama, but this wasn't one of them. The crime in the middle seemed out of place. "
— Sylvia, 2/18/2014 -
" I have read many of Elizabeth Berg's books. I didn't care too much for this one. A sappy story, not much kick to it. I am disappointed, but I will read others because I have found her other books most enjoyable. "
— Rose, 2/9/2014 -
" This was my first Elizabeth Berg book. I chose it because it was one the few audiobooks available on the library website whose description appealed to me. On the positive side, I was engrossed while listening to it. I like her style and flow. However, I found the plot to be totally unrealistic. First of all, I found it really cowardly that Berg chose to make Sophie's "trauma" so innocuous. Really - if you don't have the heart to create a really traumatic scene, don't write one at all. The abduction was so lame. What purpose did it serve? There was no follow-up. No trial. Why would he abduct her and then just leave her there? It made no sense whatsoever. Then, Sophie's reaction to it! What? I think Elizabeth Berg was totally out-of-touch with what a real 18 year-old would do. I consulted a panel of experts - the 18 year-old daughters of my friends. To a girl, they agreed that they would not have called Ron from the police station, that they would've called their dads. Not a one of them would've gone to hang out in the park for a while. My initial reaction was that I would've felt dirty, both physically and emotionally, and I would've wanted to get in a hot shower as soon as humanly possible. I don't think I'd be wanting to hang out for a while and then go get married. The whole book just seemed so pointless. "
— Roberta, 2/6/2014 -
" Liked it but used to like her books more.. have I changed or has her writing?? "
— Laurie, 1/31/2014 -
" it was ok, but not my favourite Berg... "
— Nicole, 1/12/2014 -
" excellent character development and dialog...plot left much to be desired. "
— Katie, 1/12/2014 -
" I love her writing style but the plot and characters in this book were just okay. "
— Penny, 1/7/2014 -
" Not very believable, but a quick summer read. "
— Donna, 11/27/2013 -
" I enjoyed this but not nearly as much as her other novels. (Open House is my fav) Irene was peculiar and probably was to blame for her failed marriage. This could have used a bit more editing...too much detail at some parts. "
— Eileen, 11/14/2013 -
" Sadly, her writing has gone downhill. She started out great, but her last few books have been plodding, and too slow. This one was a big disappointment. "
— Chloe, 11/11/2013 -
" I really liked this book for the most part. There were a few blah moments but for the most part it was a good book! "
— Jessica, 10/25/2013 -
" Maybe my expectations are just too high for Elizabeth Berg. This one felt like she was channeling Jodi Picoult. It was good, just not as good as others. "
— Polly, 10/24/2013 -
" I enjoyed reading this. I could see myself being like Irene in many ways, especially in my dreams for my only daughter. "
— Kelly, 10/16/2013 -
" Oh, I so wanted to love this book and I so tried to love these characters. Love them? I could not even care about them. Not her best by a long shot. "
— Michele, 10/10/2013 -
" Not my favorite Elizabeth Berg book, but she is one of my favorite writers. She has the ability to write dialogue in a way that makes her characters real. I also like that her stories do not have predictable happy endings. "
— marsha, 6/24/2013 -
" I like Elizabeth Berg's books for being quick, easy, enjoyable reads that let you escape for a few hours. This filled the bill, but was predictable and not as good as some of her other books. "Talk Before Sleep" and a "Year of Pleasure" are still my favorites. "
— Barb, 5/25/2013 -
" I'd give this a 3.5 if I could. It was a good solid story and I truly did like it. It's felt good to read about main characters in their 50s versus 20s or 30s. They are much easier to relate to, although these two definitely had some issues. The ending was not predictable which I also liked. "
— Kathryn, 4/12/2013 -
" I love the way Elizabeth Berg depicts the relationship between women. "
— Pam, 1/30/2013 -
" Ordinarily I am a Berg fan, but this novel was out of sync with her usual work. I did not like any of the characters and the "tragedy" that is alluded to on the back cover is completely unbelievable and anti-climactic. I won't reveal any big spoilers here, but this book just went nowhere for me. "
— Jennifer, 9/16/2012 -
" Amazing. Loved the characters...she has a way of making them all seem so real. "
— Mary-Frances, 8/18/2012 -
" A somewhat generic Elizabeth Berg book. Very introspective look at divorced parents and their young adult daughter. Not much plot, except one huge incident that seemed not to fit with the rest of the book. Some of the insights were good though. "
— Jenni, 3/5/2012 -
" If you enjoy books about relationships, put this one on your list. "
— Linda, 12/28/2011 -
" She can write really well but I feel like she could've done less with the plot. There was a lot going on, some of it unnecessary. I was disappointed in this book. "
— Amy, 11/22/2011 -
" This book didn't really capture and hold my interest like Elizabeth Berg's previous novels. "
— Lori, 8/14/2011 -
" About divorce, he has a happy ending, well written but the plot line with the daughter disturbed me. "
— Gaurett, 5/23/2011 -
" Meh. It kept me company for a few long commutes back and forth to work. The dialogue was good, the story was okay but when I finished I felt nothing. "
— Mamasoo, 5/23/2011 -
" Another good book by Elizabeth Berg "
— Tray, 5/21/2011 -
" I’ve loved all but 1 of Berg’s books. This is no different. She has a way of describing relationships that is so down to earth. However, this has an interesting storyline included that is unlike Berg and I’m not sure I like how it was handled. "
— Linda, 5/19/2011 -
" This is a book about love - complicated, messy, unpredictable. The only way to approach it and survive seems to be with optimism, hope and steadfast faith. This would be a good bookclub discussion. "
— Mosunflower, 5/17/2011 -
" Not as good as others I have read but a nice change of pace from mysteries. "
— Margaret, 5/16/2011 -
" Not as heavy as the typical Berg book; this story had so much more to tell. "
— Amy, 5/15/2011 -
" So far, I can't put this down, just like Elizabeth Berg's other books. It seems like her characters are so real! "
— Grimmysmom, 5/13/2011 -
" Yet another lame and utterly predictable story. sigh. "
— Paula, 5/11/2011
About Elizabeth Berg
Elizabeth Berg is the author of many bestselling novels, including Open House, an Oprah’s Book Club selection. Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year. She adapted The Pull of the Moon into a play that enjoyed sold-out performances in Chicago and Indianapolis. Her work has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and three of her novels have been turned into television movies. She is the founder of Writing Matters, a quality reading series dedicated to serving author, audience, and community.
About Gabrielle de Cuir
Gabrielle de Cuir, award-winning narrator, has narrated over three hundred titles and specializes in fantasy, humor, and titles requiring extensive foreign language and accent skills. She was a cowinner of the Audie Award for best narration in 2011 and a three-time finalist for the Audie and has garnered six AudioFile Earphones Awards. Her “velvet touch” as an actor’s director has earned her a special place in the audiobook world as the foremost producer for bestselling authors and celebrities.