I'll Be Your Blue Sky

A Novel

By: Marisa de los Santos

Narrated by: Angela Dawe, Erin Bennett

Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times best-selling author revisits the characters from her beloved novels Love Walked In and Belong to Me in this captivating, beautifully written drama involving family, friendship, secrets, sacrifice, courage, and true love, for fans of Jojo Moyes, Elin Hilderbrand, and Nancy Thayer.

On the weekend of her wedding, Clare Hobbes meets an elderly woman named Edith Herron. During the course of a single conversation, Edith gives Clare the courage to do what she should have done months earlier: break off her engagement to her charming - yet overly possessive - fiancé.

Three weeks later Clare learns that Edith has died - and has given her another gift. Nestled in crepe myrtle and hydrangea and perched at the marshy edge of a bay in a small seaside town in Delaware, Blue Sky House now belongs to Clare. Though the former guesthouse has been empty for years, Clare feels a deep connection to Edith inside its walls, which are decorated with old photographs taken by Edith and her beloved husband, Joseph.

Exploring the house, Clare finds two mysterious ledgers hidden beneath the kitchen sink. Edith, it seems, was no ordinary woman - and Blue Sky House no ordinary place. With the help of her mother, Viviana, her surrogate mother, Cornelia Brown, and her former boyfriend and best friend, Dev Tremain, Clare begins to piece together the story of Blue Sky House - a decades-old mystery more complex and tangled than she could have imagined. As she peels back the layers of Edith's life, Clare discovers a story of dark secrets, passionate love, heartbreaking sacrifice, and incredible courage. She also makes startling discoveries about herself: where she's come from, where she's going, and what - and who - she loves.

Shifting between the 1950s and the present and told in the alternating voices of Edith and Clare, I'll Be Your Blue Sky is vintage Marisa de los Santos - an emotionally evocative novel that probes the deepest recesses of the human heart and illuminates the tender connections that bind our lives.

©2018 Marisa de los Santos (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

A Well-Built Novel with an Inspiring Heroine

What made the experience of listening to I'll Be Your Blue Sky the most enjoyable?

While I truly loved this novel, I think perhaps it would have been better read on paper rather than listened to. De los Santos has a very descriptive writing style that I think would have been beautiful to read on paper. As a result of that, many sentences seemed to have dragged on and I would need to replay others to "get" what was being said.

Normally, I never have an issue with audiobooks and find them easy to follow along with. But with this novel, there were some tricky moments. Especially in the case of the ledgers which featured shorthand, the narration of them got so repetitive, I found myself utterly lost in the nonsensical words. I'm sure when being read, though, it made much more sense.

But again, don't let that dissuade you from listening to this audiobook. It's worth the listen! If possible, I think it would be great to own a hard copy or ebook version I'll Be Your Blue Sky to read along with the audio simultaneously.

What was one of the most memorable moments of I'll Be Your Blue Sky?

The way the story came together, to me, was the most memorable aspect of the novel. I really wasn't sure what to expect with this story but it ended up being far more impactful than I had anticipated. The story is so beautiful and has a powerful message. It really made me want to give back in some way like Edith did throughout her life.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration in this story, unfortunately, was not my favorite. I did prefer the narrator of Clare as opposed to that of Edith's because she read with more enthusiasm and spoke in a way that helped keep me engrossed. While I did appreciate Edith's narrator infusing the character in her voice, it was a little too calming and therefore, made me feel a bit drowsy when listening.

If you could take any character from I'll Be Your Blue Sky out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would most certainly take Edith to dinner out of all the characters in I'll Be Your Blue Sky because I would love to hear her story firsthand. Her character is so selfless and giving to others, I would really appreciate getting more insight into what made her that way.

Any additional comments?

I really did love this story overall! It's slow to start but well worth the read. Even though the audio version is not perhaps ideal, it doesn't take away from the story. I will definitely be recommending this book to others and will hopefully re-listen at some point.

Excellent.

I couldn’t stop listening to this book. This is the first one of this author that I have read, and I’m a fan! :)

Kept me captivated

Two voices enhanced the story and kept me engaged. Beautiful story.
I’m sure to recommend and reread.

How I found out about her grandparents

I love this book I listen to it twice I love the way everything connected at the end it was so enjoyable 

Wonderful story from one of my favorite authors!

I was hooked from the very beginning of this story and thoroughly enjoyed the audio version. Warm, sometimes funny, poignant and tense at times- an intriguing and sad look at domestic abuse at a time when there were few options for women. The story weaves between present day and the mid 1950s.

Abuse Awareness

It was an important subject and will help educate people as to the suffering abused families face.

It was predictable yet at times confusing with all of the characters.

Intriguing story

Loved this “stacked” story. Well narrated. I loved unpeeling the layers of the characters in the story.

Dev

Couldn’t put it down. Spent most of the two days listening. Nice to have two voices.

Wonderful Story with a Twist

I enjoyed this story immensely. The book is gentle, in the sense that it doesn't hook you with immediate dramatics. But the storyline is so good! I love the mystery that comes along, and I didn't see the ending coming. I would suggest that you read one of her other books, Love Walked In, first. It introduces you to some of the characters, who are so endearing. My only regret was that the book wasn't longer, because I could have easily listened to another 10 hours!!

Truly amazing

This is a gripping story, so well told. It kept me guessing and wondering. It touches your heart, makes you angry and makes you joyous. The characters are vivid and engaging. I’ll be seeking out more by this author.