• Of Foreign Build

  • From Corporate Girl to Sea-Gypsy Woman
  • By: Jackie Parry
  • Narrated by: Michelle Michaels
  • Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (43 ratings)

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Of Foreign Build  By  cover art

Of Foreign Build

By: Jackie Parry
Narrated by: Michelle Michaels
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Publisher's summary

After suffering an emotionally-brutal bereavement and against her counselor's advice, Jackie ran away. Suddenly within a new culture, with a new husband and no friends, she was living in the obscure world of cruising with zero knowledge of boats.

Crashing within the first 24 hours, Jackie realized life would never be the same again: a floating home with no fridge or hot water, and with a dinghy instead of a car. Suffering self-doubts, she became fearful of her new world.

The first off-shore voyage took Jackie into a ferocious storm, which battered her physically and mentally. Amid the raging seas, Jackie shed the fear she'd been harboring.

Soon she was blissfully voyaging around the world, but she still carried the mixed emotions of losing one man, while falling head over heels in love with another.

Not only did Jackie deal successfully with the challenges of her new existence, she also battled with the testosterone-fueled nautical world to become both a professional captain and a qualified maritime teacher.

Most importantly, Jackie found herself.

©2015 New Street Communications, LLC (P)2015 New Street Communications, LLC

Critic reviews

"[T]his book should appeal to anyone who enjoys a heart-warming adventure." ( Cruising Helmsman Magazine)

What listeners say about Of Foreign Build

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

great personal memoir and life adventure.

first if all I must say this is my first audio book experience. I love to read and was not sure I would like this model. I am very pleasantly surprised to find that I love being read to!
Jackie really can write a fascinating story which happens to be her own. She peels back the layers and tells her readers about her most vulnerable times. She is amazing how she leaped from the 9 to 5 corporate world and embraced and learned her new life style. Her descriptions of visiting foreign countries by Sea, encountering wildlife, making new friends, and growing to trust herself make this book a great read.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story, Beautifully Told

I am almost finished with this book and am sad that this journey is ending! Of Foreign Build has successfully taken my mind off of the frustration and boredom of Los Angeles traffic on my daily commute. I've been content to sit and listen while Jackie takes me on this great adventure. Jackie's writing style is very personal, honest and I have a sense of being on board with her and her husband Noel. It's packed with wonderful, heartfelt and often funny tales of their trips around the world. I highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy traveling. You will be inspired.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

From no nothing to a salty sailor, it's a fun ride

Story encouraged two amateurs like us to pursue our dream of sailing.
Great performance by narrator. Loved her British wit.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Worst narration I have ever had misfortune to purchase

I thought I would habituate to the tone and cadence of her voice, but nope, still just as awful. It is unfortunate because the story is interesting.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Narrator is female William Shatner on steroids

I want to start by saying that I'm only on chapter 5, but I'm really struggling here. I can tell that the author writes beautifully and tells her story in a humorous and frank way that would captivate me if I were reading a hard copy. The narrator though, is incredibly difficult to listen to. She breaks up her sentences in a way that puts Shatner to shame. Speeding up playback to 1.5 helps to ease the gaps, but it's still fairly awful. I have been fortunate enough to have purchased books narrated by tallented individuals, and took that good fortune for granted, as I should have listened to a sample before hitting that purchase button. I feel stuck with it now, so I'll do my best to finish. I hope to update later with better findings but I wouldn't hold your breath on that one...

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Extra drama performance unrelated to the story

Could have been a great global cruising story, but the real ocean sailing parts are practically missing, as if the boat was flying from one destination to the other. The performance is a hysterically speech full of drama regardless the actual scene at each chapter or case. This make it tiring to listen. At least to sailor-cruiser like me.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A good story, but the narration...

I greatly enjoyed the story and the narrator is clearly quite talented. She was just a bit much for a travel narrative. I felt like she was on the verge of tears the entire time, as if she had just witnessed an animal hit by a car. I yelled at my radio on numerous occasions to just stop. painful, but the story is worth it.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Narrator !

what may have been an otherwise really good story was kind of screwed up this narrator she alternate Lee made me want to cry and then commit suicide overdrew overly dramatic not a good reading. I couldn't wait for the story to end.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The narrative was great.

Very detailed, entertaining, and inspirational. I hated the narrator. She was always either whispy and meloncholy, or shirl and yelling. one of the worst narrators I've heard. It's a pity, because it nearly ruined a good book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story but WORST NARRATION

Story was amazing. The performance was so bad that I will check every audio book from here on to make sure it's not Michelle MICHAELs reading it. Seriously-- does anyone check production quality?

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