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Blue Hydrangeas
- Narrated by: Elinor Bell
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
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Publisher's summary
What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face, and couldn't remember your name?
The Impossible Promise
Memory care is everyone's solution for what to do about Sara, but her husband, Jack, can't bear to live without her. He's committed to saving his marriage, his wife, and their life together from the devastation of Alzheimer's disease.
They retired years ago to the house of their dreams and operated it as a Cape Cod bed and breakfast named Blue Hydrangeas. Jack has made an impossible promise: They will stay together in their beautiful home no matter what the disease brings.
A Heartbreaking Choice
However, after nine years of selfless caregiving, complicated by her progressing Alzheimer's and his own failing heart, Jack finally admits he can no longer care for his wife at home. With reluctance, he arranges to admit her to an assisted living facility.
But on the morning of admission, Sara is having one of her few good days, and he's unable to follow through.
Instead, he takes them on an impulsive journey to confront their past and reclaim their future.
In the end, he realizes that staying together at any cost is what truly matters.
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Preservationist Meri Hollis loves her latest project, restoring one of Newport's forgotten Gilded Age mansions. And with summer approaching, she'll be able to spend more time with her Gran on the Rhode Island shore. She has a great job, a loving family and she's pretty sure her boyfriend is going to propose on her thirtieth birthday. But everything Meri believes about family, happiness, truth, and love is shattered when her family's darkest secret is exposed.
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Wasted Potential
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In the idyllic small town of Tucker, Vermont, life flows at a rhythmic pace for pediatrician Paige Pfeiffer. But when Mara O'Neill, her best friend and medical partner, inexplicably kills herself, Paige's comfortable world is suddenly shattered. Temporarily caring for Mara's newly adopted baby daughter while she comes to grips with her grief, Paige clings to the hope that, in time, her orderly life will return.
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Parent guide! (not romance)
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After losing two loved ones in a devastating tornado and suffering a head injury, Tara Abbott flees to St. Simons Island, where her disorientation causes the lines between imagination and reality, past and present to blur. There she encounters island residents Julep Burnside, Luella Ward, Sue Beth Manning, and Dell Calhoun - The Glynn Girls - who have been friends since Bible camp, 40 years earlier. When Julep's son Gavin identifies a troubled soul in need of help, can the Glynn Girls guide Tara back to herself?
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enjoyed
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Manhattans and Murder
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Promoting her latest books brings best-selling mystery writer Jessica Fletcher to New York for Christmas. Her schedule includes book signings, chat-show appearances, department store shopping...and murder. But it all begins with a sidewalk Santa staring at Jessica with fear and recognition.
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A release of an older Donald Bain book in the series, thank goodness
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Olivia Limoges is the subject of constant gossip. Ever since her mysterious return to the small coastal town of Oyster Bay, North Carolina, Olivia has kept to herself, her dog, and her unfinished novel. With a little cajoling from charming writer Camden Ford, she agrees to join the Bayside Book Writers to break her writer's block and even make a few friends. But when townspeople start turning up dead with haiku poems left by the bodies, anyone with a flair for language is suddenly suspect.
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My new favorite Cozy Mystery Series!
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Not long after Isabel "Izzy" Chambers opens up a knitting shop in the sleepy fishing town of Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, a diverse group of women begins congregating each week to form the Seaside Knitters. Izzy raises some eyebrows when she rents the apartment above her shop to Angie Archer, whose reputation for loose behavior and a quick temper has made her unpopular with many locals. But could any of them have wanted her dead? Angie's body is discovered drowned in the harbor, her long red hair tangled like seaweed in a lobster trap.
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Great first book in a new series
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An engaging tale full of warmth and wisdom, The Quilter’s Apprentice is the first novel in best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini’s Elm Creek Quilts series. Sarah McClure takes a job helping elderly Sylvia Compson prepare her family estate for sale. Sylvia, a master quilter, agrees to share the tricks of the trade with Sarah. As the two women grow close, Sylvia shares her family’s tragic past, compelling Sarah to look at her own life more closely.
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I knew the 3rd book would be great!!!
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What listeners say about Blue Hydrangeas
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Eclectic
- 07-27-22
Amazing
If I could give this more than 5 stars in all three categories I would! This author told a tale that is ripped from everyday life for Alzheimer’s care givers/family members. She did it with such a tender outlook that it is a love story for the ages. The performance was outstanding. Highly recommend this book!
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- JaxJournalist
- 06-16-16
Powerful love story that resonates with emotion
What made the experience of listening to Blue Hydrangeas the most enjoyable?
Narrator Elinor Bell tells this story with a delicate balance of compassion, realism and objectivity that enables the listener to empathize with Jack and Sara without getting bogged down in the horrific devastation wrought on those faced with Alzheimer's. My father was diagnosed with AD in his early 50s and lived with the diagnosis for 18 years. Knowing firsthand how painful AD can be, I was almost reluctant to experience this story. While there are sharp emotional moments that triggered my own grief and loss, the narrator's gentle but honest style kept me moving forward with the story. Readers who have experienced AD will be reminded of the strength, hope and love that enables them (us) to cope with Alzheimer's.
What did you like best about this story?
Author Marrianne Sciucco's portrayal of Sara is true to life - The angry outbursts directed toward Jack, her fear, her confusion, the rare "good days". Sara is not depicted as good or bad or even a victim; she is just a person affected by a disease that impacts not only cognitive abilities, but emotions and behavior.
Any additional comments?
There are no easy answers when it comes to dealing with Alzheimer's. Different families have different needs and resources that result in different decisions for each. Blue Hydrangeas is a compassionate and honest portrayal of how AD impacts couples, families and friends. While there is no miracle cure or miraculous healing (although I found myself wishing something like this would happen for Jack and Sara), this story captures the power of real-life love, hope and courage.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com.
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- 1-Click Junkie
- 06-13-15
Incredible Book
Narration - Elinor Bell - REALLY GOOD! Really!
Wow...
This is such an incredible book.
I lost my mother in April 2014 to Alzheimers. This book does an exceptional job of portraying, not only what the caregivers go through with this stupid disease, but what the 'diagnosee' is going through as well. The confusion, the fear, the denial, the paranoia. The struggle for caregivers to try to keep the promises that they made to their loved one and the shame (maybe shame isn't the right word), but the desire to hide what's going on from everyone on the outside because you know your loved one would be horrified. The terror you see on their face when you know that they realize what's happening to them and there's nothing that can be done to stop it. The pain when that person no longer knows who you are. The relief when the disease progresses to the point where they no longer realize that they have Alzheimers - so at least you don't have to see that struggle and pain in their eyes and soul anymore.
This is the story of a elderly couple in love, that are bound and determined to stay in their home, stay together, kiss each other good night, wake up next to each other every morning, while they try to navigate this disease. We experience this disease through the eyes of Sara and her husband Jack, but also through the eyes of friends, neighbors, children and grandchildren.
This is a poignant story about the tragic disease called Alzheimers filled with love and loss and it is spot on!
Just fabulous!
That is all.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.
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- Voracious Reader
- 04-09-15
A tender, gentle love story
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face, and couldn’t remember your name? A nursing facility is everyone's solution for what to do about Sara, but her husband, Jack, can't bear to live without her. He is committed to saving his marriage, his wife, and their life together from the devastation of Alzheimer’s disease. He and Sara retired years ago to the house of their dreams, and operated it as a Cape Cod bed and breakfast named Blue Hydrangeas. Jack has made an impossible promise: He and Sara will stay together in their beautiful home no matter what the disease brings. However, after nine years of selfless caregiving, complicated by her progressing Alzheimer’s and his own failing heart, he finally admits he can no longer care for her at home. With reluctance, he arranges to admit her to an assisted living facility. But, on the day of admission, Sara is having one of her few good days, and he is unable to follow through. Instead, he takes them on an impulsive journey to confront their past and reclaim their future. In the end, he realizes that staying together at any cost is what truly matters.
MY TAKE
I'll rate this 4 1/2 and round it up to 5 stars.
This is a gentle, tender story of an elderly couple facing the monster that is Alzheimers. The book is filled with flashbacks that are interspersed with the current day story, when Jack is finally faced with the reality that he cannot continue to care for his beloved wife by himself--it's literally killing him.
Through those flashbacks, the reader is able to see the woman Sara had been and understand why Jack worked so hard to convince himself that he could cling to their old way of life. But Alzheimers is a terrible disease that steals away not just the memories of the loved one with it but the person they used to be, all while letting slip in little glimmers of that loved one. Just to enough to tease that she was really still in there. Somewhere.
It's a scary tale for me because my husband's father and several of his aunts and uncle have had Alzheimers. I could be in Jack's position some day. I learned a lot from the story, things I didn't know before, but the "education" I received helped me to understand the disease better. Now I can only pray I won't have to use it first hand.
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Profound Love Story
I received a complimentary copy of the audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
It was a lovely story of a man dedicated and loving his wife.
The story was very well written. It did a very good job of depicting the behaviors of both the person with dementia and a tired and frustrated caregiver that wants their loved one back the way they were.
The story and the telling of it pulled me in, and I listened from start to finish in one day! The narrator, Elinor Bell did a wonderful job with voices of the different characters, timing, and production.
I highly recommend this book.
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- Ann C
- 10-02-17
A Tender and Heartwarming Love Story
Marianne Sciucco has done a beautiful job of portraying the experience of Alzheimer's from many perspectives with characters who feel so real they could walk off the page. Blue Hydrangeas is a tender love story that reveals the complexities of aging and loss. An enjoyable and meaningful book!
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- Teresa
- 11-21-15
A Bittersweet Story and a Husband’s Undying Love
"Blue Hydrangeas" was a beautiful story about a horrible disease and undying love.
Sara had been having early signs of Alzheimer's and thought it was old age-itis. She knew she'd been forgetting things even before Jack knew what was happening to her. They were together their whole lives and he became her care-giver.
Although Jack's health was wavering, he still took care of Sara. She was the love of his life. The stress began to take a toll on him but he didn't want her in a care facility. Through the turmoil, they found a way to work things out so they could remain together forever but this audiobook brings up an important topic. Alzheimer's disease. This is an ugly thing that comes and steals your life away. I'm so glad this book was written. I love that Sara painted and the tie-in with the title of the blue hydrangeas. Just lovely.
I think there can never be enough discussion and research done on this. I thank Marianne Sciucco for writing this and I love her writing period. She's a wonderful author. This is a must listen for everyone in my opinion.
Elinor Bell did an awesome job narrating this book. Her voice was amazing with perfect inflections. You could hear the emotion in her tone as well. I know how heartfelt this book was and she really pulled that together. Wonderful book from author and narrator.
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-29-16
Blue hydrangeas
This is a wonderful book. I am just starting the journey with my husband and it will be very helpful as we travel this road together. Thank you. Barbara Caldwell
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- old tome
- 01-22-15
An Uplifting, Beautiful Story
What made the experience of listening to Blue Hydrangeas the most enjoyable?
Blue Hydrangeas is beautifully crafted. The setting was scenic, the pacing perfect, the story poignant. It perfectly describes the unfolding, discovery, and progression of the disease along with its myriad challenges and issues, yet leaves the reader with a sense of hope and a belief in the enduring power of love.
What other book might you compare Blue Hydrangeas to and why?
Still Time by Maria Hoagland and Still Alice by Lisa Genova
What about Elinor Bell’s performance did you like?
Her performance is heartfelt, but honestly, a little too slow. The good thing is that with Audible, we can set the speed at a pace perfect for each listener.
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- Sparky's Girl
- 06-05-15
Amazing!
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*
I was curious about this book since I have experience working with Alzhiemer’s patients. I was wondering how accurate the author would portray the disease and wondered how the story was going to go. When I started listening, I was not prepared for the emotions that this book was going to draw out of me. It was so heartwrenching and emotional that I was taken aback. This is such a beautiful love story that really shows what true love is all about. The unconditional, undying, and unrelenting type of love that everyone always dreams of is the type of love that this story has. It is so touching that I cried “ugly tears” several times during this book. I absolutely loved it! Ms. Sciucco portrayed the disease, the person afflicted, and the family of the afflicted so well that I felt like I truly knew these people. It was great. I don’t think that anyone can write a better book that shows what all a family goes through when someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The only thing that I wish was done in the book is if the narrator were to have shown emotion consistently. There were chunks of the book where the narrator showed so much emotion, I wondered if she were crying while reading. Then there were chunks where it was literally like she was sitting there reading the book aloud; no emotion, no variations, just sitting there and reading a book aloud. That alone is what made this a 4 STAR book for me, instead of a 5 star.
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2 people found this helpful