The Nature of Water and Air Audiobook By Regina McBride cover art

The Nature of Water and Air

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The Nature of Water and Air

By: Regina McBride
Narrated by: Terry Donnelly
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Award-winning poet Regina McBride enters the realm of fiction with her stunning coming-of-age novel, The Nature of Water and Air. Flowing with lyrical prose and Irish myth, this mesmerizing story is permeated by a beautiful, romantic sadness.

Young Clodagh Sheehy's life is surrounded by mysteries. Her mother Agatha is a tinker woman who had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to gain the affections of the affluent man who becomes Clodagh's father. After his death, mother and daughter are sent to an aging, sea-sprayed estate on the Western coast of Ireland. After her mother's suicide, orphaned Clodagh begins a harsh journey into womanhood. In time, she will discover the truth about her mother and be forced to make a vital decision.

When paired with narrator Terry Donnelly's captivating accents and thoughtful inflection, McBride's sensitive tale will resonate in listeners' minds long after its enchanting conclusion.

©2001 Regina McBride (P)2001 Recorded Books, LLC Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Sagas Women's Fiction Feel-Good

Critic reviews

"McBride writes in a shimmering and often hypnotic prose style....The Nature of Water and Air casts an undeniable spell." (The New York Times Book Review)
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I really enjoyed this. It is, I suppose "chick lit", but it's definitely in a league above the usual trite stories and simple language of much of the chick lit genre. A wonderful glimpse of Ireland, great author, perfectly narrated. Very worthwile.

Great narrator, well written, engaging story

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I read this as a much younger person and reread it now in my 40's. The author creates a complex story of human emotion and experience, and the cascading effects of trauma, and interweaves beautiful Irish folklore. The story is uncomfortable at times, and deals with some heavy taboo subject matter. I can understand why some people don't make it through the whole book, but I still love this book.

beautifully written, complex

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Beautifully written and narrated, this book is a must listen to anyone who enjoys Irish literature. A real winner!

Highly Recommended

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Powerful performance, entrancing tale Heartbreaking and mythical . A coming of age, with deep longing for finding your place in between worlds.

Folklore and humanity beautifully captured.

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Disappointing. Yes, the writing itself is fine, and yes, we get glimpses into Irish folklore and culture. I enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book, but then I started to find the main character really irritating, immature, and obsessive. Seems like the author was mingling two kinds of fantasy here, Irish mystical and sexual, and it didn't work for me.

Not what I expected

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I loved the first half of this bok, I'd say even the first 3/4. Then something gross happens...totally turned me off to this book. Consider yourself warned. NASTY.

Ughhh... A nice story takes a NASTY turn!

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If they had negative stars this would get it. This book was sooo boring. And when it got to one of the characters masturbating in a bathtub I turned it off. Waste of money and time. Do not buy this book. How stuff like this gets published is beyond me. I don't know how else to say it but please don't waste you money or credits.

Bad, Bad, Bad

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The narrator's every inhale was captured in this listen and definitely was one of the reasons I gave up after a couple of chapters. The story also wasn't my cup of tea, but the heavy breathing was something I couldn't get past. Maybe it was foreshadowing the bathtub scene (I didn't get that far into the book but another reviewer mentioned it)?

Heavy Breathing

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