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Tara Road (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 33,391 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Ria lived on Tara Road in Dublin with her dashing husband, Danny, and their two children. She fully believed she was happily married, right up until the day Danny told her he was leaving her to be with his young, pregnant girlfriend. By a chance phone call, Ria meets Marilyn, a woman from New England unable to come to terms with her only son's death and now separated from her husband. The two women exchange houses for the summer with extraordinary consequences, each learning that the other has a deep secret that can never be revealed. Drawn into lifestyles vastly differing from their own, at first each resents the news of how well the other is getting on. Ria seems to have become quite a hostess, entertaining half the neighborhood, which at first irritates the reserved and withdrawn Marilyn, a woman who has always guarded her privacy. Marilyn seems to have become bosom friends with Ria's children, as well as with Colm, a handsome restaurateur, whom Ria has begun to miss terribly. At the end of the summer, the women at last meet face-to-face. Having learned a great deal, about themselves and about each other, they find that they have become, firmly and forever, good friends. A moving story rendered with the deft touch of a master artisan, Tara Road is Maeve Binchy at her very best—utterly beautiful, hauntingly unforgettable, entirely original, and wholly enjoyable.
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"I heart Maeve Binchy and this is hands down my favorite of her books. This was actually a re-read for me. I believe this book was the basis for the movie "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslett, but it is far, far better. The stories and characters are so complex and interwoven and it's a fantastic read."
— Jessica (5 out of 5 stars)
Tara Road Listener Reviews
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" This book kept me entertained when I was lying on the beach in Mexico... "
— Emily, 2/12/2014 -
" it was kind of close to reading a soap opera but cleaner and I just loved the characters. "
— Amber, 2/1/2014 -
" This not a new book. However it is an excellent read. I highly recommend it. "
— Tom, 1/30/2014 -
" It is a long book, and the beginning kind of drags. But once the women become involved in each other's lives, it's very enjoyable. A classic "walk a mile in someone else's shoes" kind of story. It reminded me of the movie the Hoilday "
— Brienne, 1/29/2014 -
" I'm not averse to a good soap opera, and I was expecting that sort of thing, but this cliched novel kept me from wanting to read more of Binchy. "
— Paddy, 1/28/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this story, and the pictures of life in Ireland. "
— Shannon, 1/20/2014 -
" This could very well be my favorite Maeve Binchy novel. I was captivated until the last page. "
— Cheryl, 1/20/2014 -
" Well. . .this one was okay to pass the time. A nice story about friends but I wanted it to end a bit differently. My Mom told me the movie ended differently so maybe I'll rent it! "
— Richelle, 1/7/2014 -
" Loved this book, the story, the characters, and how the setting is another character in the book. "
— Cathy, 12/26/2013 -
" Tooooooo Long and boring. I finished it, but it was more out of obligation than enjoyment! "
— Richelle, 12/13/2013 -
" Read this a long time ago. "
— Karen, 11/18/2013
About Maeve Binchy
Maeve Binchy (1940–2012) was the author of numerous bestselling books, including Minding Frankie, Heart and Soul, Whitethorn Woods, and Circle of Friends, as well as Tara Road, which was an Oprah’s Book Club selection. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Book Awards in 1999 and the Irish PEN/A.T. Cross Award in 2007. In 2010 she was presented with the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bord Gáis Irish Book Awards by the then President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. She contributed to Gourmet; O, The Oprah Magazine; Modern Maturity; and Good Housekeeping, among other publications.