• Four Hundred and Forty Steps to the Sea

  • By: Sara Alexander
  • Narrated by: Sara Alexander
  • Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,907 ratings)

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Four Hundred and Forty Steps to the Sea  By  cover art

Four Hundred and Forty Steps to the Sea

By: Sara Alexander
Narrated by: Sara Alexander
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Publisher's summary

In a richly romantic novel set in stunning Positano, Italy, Sara Alexander weaves a story of love, family loyalty, and sacrifice spanning five decades....

Nestled into the cliffs in southern Italy's Amalfi coast, Positano is an artist's vision, with rows of brightly hued houses perched above the sea and picturesque staircases meandering up and down the hillside. Santina, still a striking woman despite old age and the illness that saps her last strength, is spending her final days at her home, Villa San Vito. The magnificent 18th-century palazzo is very different from the tiny house in which she grew up. And as she decides its fate, she must confront the choices that led her here so long ago.

In 1949, Positano is as yet undiscovered by tourists, a beautiful, secluded village shaking off the dust of war. Hoping to escape poverty, young Santina takes domestic work in London, ultimately becoming a housekeeper to a distinguished British major and his creative, impulsive wife, Adeline. When they move to Positano, Santina returns with them, raising their daughter as Adeline's mental health declines. With each passing year, Santina becomes more deeply enmeshed within the family, trying to navigate her complicated feelings for a man who is much more than an employer - while hiding secrets that could shatter the only home she knows.

©2018 Sara Alexander (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Four Hundred and Forty Steps to the Sea

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I’m shook!

I just finished this beautiful book and I was stunned that the best female narrator I have ever heard was also the AUTHOR of this gorgeous sunlit tale! I’m not sure why I hadn’t noticed that from the beginning, maybe because it was a free book for me? This young woman had such a talent for accents and emotion and bringing the words to life… She amazed me! The book was in itself a beautiful story about romantic love, physical love, family ties and love of place. Italy and its food is as much a character in this novel as Santina and Henry are.
It was a gorgeous way to pass the time, and I’m straight away looking for more of her books!

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33 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Four Hundred and Forty Steps...

A wonderful story made better by a narrator whose voice sounds like honey. I enjoyed each chapter. The main characters were well built. Overall it is a sad tale. Between the sadness there is love. There are few love scenes which are erotic without one bit of raunchiness. I enjoyed the brief descriptions of cooking. The descriptions of Italy and living by the sea are vividly described. England is also as I know it to be. I enjoyed the authenticity of the differences between the Italians and the English people.

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17 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written but slow and lacking substance

The descriptions of the scenery were nice, but this did not detract from it feeling like a recipe book with every meal described in mind numbing detail. The characters had more potential than the author developed . I stuck with it as the whole thing felt like it was building up to something but it ended with as much energy as the rest of the book. The whole thing was slow and almost dull. I dislike giving a poor review as it takes courage and skill to write a good book and for some this may be a good book. This review is one person’s opinion.

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14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Rich and rewarding

A rich and complex love story. Romantic love, yes. But so much more. Love for a beautiful place, both in geography and in time. Love of the sea, of poetry and literature, and a beautifully made meal. We follow an extraordinary young woman through all the stages of her life; love, despair, grief, triumph. The story appropriately matures as does Santina. What started out as a familiar story of struggle out of poverty, turned into the struggle to find our place in this world and be true to ourselves. Well worth your time.

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10 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Worderful story telling

Dense story of one woman’s life in small-town Italy. Listening to the author read her novel was a treat. I will be thinking about the characters for awhile. Truly wonderful.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful Story

This is a beautifully told story full of very descriptive writing. I took a chance on this book and was definitely not disappointed. Don’t miss this lovely story that will transport you to a beautiful seaside village in southern Italy enriched by the lives of characters that will be hard to forget.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved this book

I will read any book written by Sara Alexander. I love her description of food flowers and gardens. The story was not predictable and very well written. Highly recommended

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Slow moving but enjoyable

But the thing I found really annoying after a while was his she likened every emotion to something else. It became very tedious and predictable.

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5 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Oppressive “Poetic” Writing

The author clearly has talent and skill with language. However, promise of the first chapters were unfulfilled in the subsequent chapters, with the overly sentimental turn of phrase degenerating into maudlin and meaningless.

High expectations and excitement quickly turned into “enough already.” The sentimental and flowery descriptions of the settings, behavior and feelings of each character were syrupy and overly sweet in constant repetition.

Though the plot was interesting, the author had trouble deciding on a focus. Was it a love story? Almost an homage to Italian cooking? A suspenseful mystery? A love affair with an Italian city? A tighter plot with more structure would be a considerable improvement.

I would read another book by this author in hopes that she grows and matures as a writer:

The narration was truly excellent - rare when an author reads their own book:

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful, lyrical writing

This is a beautiful love story as in reality, love is always fraught with challenges, transitions, at times tragedy, for sure comedy. This story has all of that and truly beautiful writing as well.

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4 people found this helpful