Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Echoes of Family
    Echoes of Family
    Echoes of Family
    Audiobook10 hours

    Echoes of Family

    Written by Barbara Claypole White

    Narrated by Coleen Marlo

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Sometimes the only way through darkness is to return to where it began.

    Marianne Stokes fled England at seventeen, spiraling into the manic depression that would become her shadow. She left behind secrets, memories, and tragedy: one teen dead, and her first love, Gabriel, badly injured. Three decades later she’s finally found peace in the North Carolina recording studio she runs with her husband, Darius, and her almost-daughter, Jade…until another fatality propels her back across the ocean to confront the long-buried past.

    In her picturesque childhood village, the first person she meets is the last person she wants to see again: Gabriel. Now the village vicar, he takes her in without question, and ripples of what if reverberate through both their hearts. As Marianne’s mind unravels, Jade and Darius track her down. Tempers clash when everyone tries to help, but only by finding the courage to face her illness can Marianne heal herself and her offbeat family.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 27, 2016
    ISBN9781531834890
    Echoes of Family
    Author

    Barbara Claypole White

    Barbara Claypole White writes love stories about damaged people. She grew up in rural England, studied history at York University, and worked in London fashion before marrying an American professor she met at JFK airport. Today they live in the forests of North Carolina with their award-winning poet son. Despite detours through journalism and marketing, Barbara chased her dream of becoming a novelist and was thrilled to find a publisher months before turning 50. Never give up is her motto!

    More audiobooks from Barbara Claypole White

    Related to Echoes of Family

    Related audiobooks

    Contemporary Women's For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Top 10 Books

      Jun 16, 2023

      Top 10 Books
      1 min read

    • Article

      Greedy Gold En Girls

      Mar 25, 2021

      Greedy Gold En Girls
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Sunrise Manor Routine

      Jun 1, 2019

      The Sunrise Manor Routine
      10 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Sep 15, 2021

      Of the 1000-plus books that have landed on my desk since the debut of this feature, not one has been as astonishing as this one. Brooks is Scientia Professor of Evolution at UNSW Sydney, where he founded and directs the Evolution and Ecology Research

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Ladies Book Club

      Apr 10, 2024

      “Our brains are shaped with the capability to care deeply but also to kill. This deep ambivalence is potentially problematic. A society filled with people who are inherently very compassionate and very violent might prove unstable.”1 1Emile Bruneau,

      25 min read

    • Article

      The Lives of Bryan

      Jun 1, 2023

      The Lives of Bryan
      19 min read

    • Article

      Dirty John: Terra

      Oct 9, 2017

      Dirty John: Terra
      9 min read

    • Article

      Dirty John: Terra

      Oct 9, 2017

      Dirty John: Terra
      9 min read

    • Article

      All Words Fly

      Aug 21, 2018

      All Words Fly
      10 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      May 25, 2022

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Hell Is A City in Texas

      Jun 14, 2021

      Hell Is A City in Texas
      10 min read

    • Article

      Courage And Grief In The Age Of Covid

      Oct 10, 2020

      COVID-19 hit home hard this week. There we were, two of the dogs and I, intertwined on the couch having a mid-Saturday zizz, when the phone rang. It was my sister, Janet, so distraught I couldn’t hear what she was saying. It finally penetrated. Her h

      2 min read

    • Article

      Grief And Astounding Courage In The Age Of Covid

      Oct 10, 2020

      COVID-19 hit home hard this week. There we were, two of the dogs and I, intertwined on the couch having a mid-Saturday zizz, when the phone rang. It was my sister, Janet, so distraught I couldn’t hear what she was saying. It finally penetrated. Her h

      2 min read

    • Article

      Grief And Astounding Courage In The Age Of Covid

      Oct 10, 2020

      COVID-19 hit home hard this week. There we were, two of the dogs and I, intertwined on the couch having a mid-Saturday zizz, when the phone rang. It was my sister, Janet, so distraught I couldn’t hear what she was saying. It finally penetrated. Her h

      2 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Mar 28, 2024

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Jul 20, 2022

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Hot Right Now!

      Aug 12, 2021

      Alice Gunnersley and Alfie Mack sleep just a few feet apart from one another. They talk for hours every day yet they’ve never seen each other face-to-face. After both being in terrible accidents, they share the same ward as long-term hospital residen

      2 min read

    • Article

      Longer on Moon

      Sep 22, 2022

      Longer on Moon
      19 min read

    • Article

      Sam Delaney Is At Home

      Aug 1, 2022

      My daughter wanted to have her mates over to celebrate her 15th birthday. Sure, I said. But there were some conditions (hers, not mine). She wanted her mum, her brother and me to fuck off out of it for the evening so they could have the house to them

      3 min read

    • Article

      Letter to My Son

      Jul 4, 2015

      Letter to My Son
      30 min read

    • Article

      Inside People

      Jan 18, 2022

      Inside People
      10 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Echoes of Family

    4/5

    26 ratings9 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This was a very powerful book. I can’t say that I have personal experience with mental illness and what it can do to a person and a family. I do know that from the very first page I was drawn into this tale of a woman with bipolar disorder that wants nothing more than to live her life without hurting other people but as the first pages turn we learn that she has not only hurt someone she has basically repeated an action that sent her running from her original home in England.Marianne was living in England and attempting to get her medications sorted for her bipolar when something horrible happens. I don’t want to spoil plot points but it sends her running to the US to get away from her action and her boyfriend. She ultimately settles in North Carolina with a man that loves her deeply and knows about her mental health challenges. They adopt a young woman and Marianne sets up a group to help troubled girls. Her life is going well and all seems under control but we all know that the minute we think we are in charge and all is fine that is when Life decides to teach us otherwise. Life does this in a big way for Marianne and it sends her back to her beginnings to try and find answers but sometimes there are just more questions.This is a very richly developed book with a profound story and strong group of well defined characters. It was very hard to put down and to be honest I just about read it in two long sittings. I found myself quite drawn into the lives of Marianne, Darius, Jade and Gabriel and didn’t want to leave their complex world. This is my second five star book in a row and that is just a delightful gift for a reader. This is another one I will keep for a second read when I have the time. I am sure there is much to be gleaned in a second, more paced reading.
    • 4/5
      A woman struggling with bipolar disorder journeys back to her roots in the English countryside, attempting to come to grips with current and past trauma. Along with mental illness, this book touches on guilt, forgiveness, jealousy, the bonds of first love, families forged through life experience, and healing. I thought the author did an excellent job of describing the nature of bipolar disorder, and how disruptive it can be. Characters were well-formed and interesting. I would have preferred a deeper look at the relationship between the main character and her husband, and thought the daughter acted much younger than a thirty-year-old, but found the book an informative example of families grappling with the chaos of bipolar disorder. Be aware that it contains content related to suicide. Recommended to readers interested in mental health and its impact on family dynamics.
    • 2/5
      Won this in a Goodreads Giveaway. There were times when it was a bit over dramatic. Also, the ending was a bit too perfect. The characters were well developed and had interesting stories; I especially liked Hugh, Gabriel's psychiatrist friend. Overall a good read and I'm happy to have read it.
    • 5/5
      This was a very powerful book. I can’t say that I have personal experience with mental illness and what it can do to a person and a family. I do know that from the very first page I was drawn into this tale of a woman with bipolar disorder that wants nothing more than to live her life without hurting other people but as the first pages turn we learn that she has not only hurt someone she has basically repeated an action that sent her running from her original home in England.Marianne was living in England and attempting to get her medications sorted for her bipolar when something horrible happens. I don’t want to spoil plot points but it sends her running to the US to get away from her action and her boyfriend. She ultimately settles in North Carolina with a man that loves her deeply and knows about her mental health challenges. They adopt a young woman and Marianne sets up a group to help troubled girls. Her life is going well and all seems under control but we all know that the minute we think we are in charge and all is fine that is when Life decides to teach us otherwise. Life does this in a big way for Marianne and it sends her back to her beginnings to try and find answers but sometimes there are just more questions.This is a very richly developed book with a profound story and strong group of well defined characters. It was very hard to put down and to be honest I just about read it in two long sittings. I found myself quite drawn into the lives of Marianne, Darius, Jade and Gabriel and didn’t want to leave their complex world. This is my second five star book in a row and that is just a delightful gift for a reader. This is another one I will keep for a second read when I have the time. I am sure there is much to be gleaned in a second, more paced reading.
    • 3/5
      Mental illness is a hard thing. We don't understand enough about it and so we fumble around (with good intentions) trying to support and stabilize people who face a darkness that those of us don't suffer can only guess at. As terrible as these disorders are for those who live with them, they are also terrible for those who love someone living with mental illness. It takes a toll on everyone. Barbara Claypole White shows the effects of bipolar disorder on one woman, the family who loves her, and an old friend she once betrayed in her newest novel, Echoes of Family.Marianne Stokes runs a successful recording studio in North Carolina with her husband Darius. She started a group called Girls in Motion to help runaway girls find a home in music although she's since passed control of the group to the daughter of her heart (and a former member of the program), Jade. Marianne is a creative and empathetic person. She is also bipolar. After she is involved in an accident that results in a stillbirth, she is driven to go back to the small village in England where she grew up to face the accident in her youth that left her lover and her unborn baby dead and seriously injured her best friend and first love. She tells no one that she is going, leaving Darius and Jade to handle the business and to worry about Marianne's well being and whereabouts.Initially unable to face the cemetery she feels drawn to visit, Marianne finds herself in the village church being awakened by her long lost best friend, Gabriel, who happens to be the village vicar. Although he hasn't forgiven Marianne for her long ago betrayal, he offers her a place to stay as she faces her demons. What he doesn't know is that Marianne has decided to go off of her meds and this will push his forbearance to the very limits. Meanwhile, Jade and Darius have tracked Marianne down and are trying to do what is best for her but also support Gabriel in his caretaking even as Darius in particular is fighting with his jealousy toward this man who has a long and complicated past with his wife.As Marianne spirals into a manic phase, the chapters centered on Marianne become more and more frenetic, mimicking the out of control disorder of her very thoughts. Other chapters center on Gabriel, Jade, and Darius and the struggles they face in their own lives and in caring for a Marianne in crisis. Obviously her disorder is a large part of Marianne but there are many other drawings of her personality as well. She wants to protect those she loves from herself and her demons and as a caretaker, she wants to save and nurture those struggling around her even as she needs to heal herself. She carries impossible loads of guilt for the accident so many years ago that cost Simon's life, her unborn baby's life, destroyed her friendship with Gabriel, and drove her to a psychotic break. Never having told all of the details from that night to anyone else, she has been unable to find forgiveness. She is not the only one who needs to finally face up to the truth of that terrible tragedy though. Gabriel too needs to find forgiveness and come to peace.Although Marianne is the central focus of the novel, the other major players, Gabriel, Jade, and Darius, are all the focus of chapters as well. This helps show the impact that loving someone who is mentally ill has on those around that person, the various different ways people react, and the depth to which they are affected. Marianne is a force of nature, both on and off her medication, and she inspires great loyalty from those around her. Gabriel is a little bit cliched: the attractive vicar who tends his flock (and Marianne) with only occasional apologies to God for not always thinking the best of people. Despite this, he is quite a likable character and towards the end once he starts to face his own demons from that long ago accident, he becomes a much more complete character. Given he is still devastated by Marianne choosing his brother Simon over him, it isn't entirely understandable why he takes Marianne in and wants to protect her after so many years though. Darius isn't all that well fleshed out beyond being a jealous and potentially volatile spouse. And Jade, the constant voice of reason, never quite connected for me. Perhaps, as Darius feared, the story was always the Marianne and Gabriel story for me and the others were rather incidental. This is clearly a sensitive, nuanced, and understanding look at mental illness, bipolar disorder in particular, but it is also about guilt and forgiveness, loss and understanding. It is about the ways that the past shapes all of us, the ways we carry it with us always, and the necessity of coming to peace within ourselves with all of it.
    • 5/5
      Title: Echoes Of FamilyAuthor: Barbara Claypole WhitePublisher: Lake Union Publishing Reviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"Echoes Of Family" by Barbara Claypole WhiteMy Thoughts....What a well written story that was so heartbreaking that dealt with bipolar disorder. The reader can tell that this author puts in much time with much research that was presented about this gripping disease. What will happen are a family is plunged into a crisis that involves mental illness. The main character Marianne was bipolar["a complex, successful woman who happens to be manic-depressive"], flawed and we find her having such a horrible time especially when she goes off of medication that caused her to sink into deep depression that lead to alcoholism and suicide attempts.This was quite a rollercoaster emotional ride for Marianne. Will she be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel?It seems that those who loved her may have received Marianne as 'unpredictable, volatile, violent, evasive and unbearably arrogant.'The author really gives the readers some well developed characters [Darius, Gabriel and Jade] that were presented being well developed, compelling, portrayed and believable giving us a a real 'true to life dialogue' definitely widening ones insight this disease. "Echoes of Family" will definitely keep your attention all the way through to the end. I was found being touched by this read that I would recommend to all to read. I will say this story is somewhat gritty, tragedy, resilience, heartbreaking but keep on reading to the end because the reader may see some family love too. Now, to see how well this author presents this to her readers you must pick up this good fiction read and see for yourself.I thought this was a very good read that helps one understand what it is like to have to live with this disease. It was really interesting seeing the love that was their for Marianne and seeing if her family will finally come to terms of with it. One thing is for sure we may know of someone who has this disease...and the burning question is will they be willing to get the help they need? I loved how this author brings out that "it can be controlled, and there is always hope at the end of the dark and desolate path to sanity." This will definitely be one of those read that you will remember long after the read.This ARC was given by the publisher and NetGallery in exchange for a honest and unbiased review.
    • 4/5
      I received this book from Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an honest review. I have not read any other books from Barbara Claypole White but will definitely looking for more of her books. This book was about family and the struggles one person goes through to keep her family together. Marianne, the main character, is manic-depressive and at the beginning of the story is spiraling out of control. She returns to England, where she grew up and to try and confront her past. The author writes about mental illness in a compassionate way that makes the reader understand what people with this disease have to cope with and their navigation through the mental health system.
    • 5/5
      There are no words to adequately express how I feel about this book, but I will do my best. Barbara Claypole-White has written a touching, authentic compassionate book about bipolar disorder. This book touched me on such a personal level, as I also deal with having this disorder. She has done her research. She has captured the very essence of this disease. She also made me understand how this disease affects all those around us, something that I never gave much thought to unfortunately. This is also part of the disease, we fail to see the impact that is has on our loved ones and others. She captured this with her gripping storytelling. Marianne is one of the main characters and she is bipolar. She has extreme episodes of mania especially when she goes off her meds. Then comes the crash and burn, as I call it, depression. There is also so much love in this book, for and from family and friends. There is also heartbreak, loss and healing. I loved the characters in this book. They were real to me, I loved them. I was a part of their world. I felt their love and their pain. There is such deep characterization that I lost myself in the characters. There is also true to life and snappy dialogue. This book grabs you from the beginning and never lets go. I was actually sad when it was over. This is a book that everyone needs to read. If you have bipolar disorder, know someone who does or just want a glimpse into our world, you must read this. Several quotes in this book really touched me, here are a few: "There is no reprieve when you have a broken mind; cease-fires are rare. Even on good days, you know everything could change on a dime. Fear is your constant shadow. Also, " You're never truly lost if someone cares enough to come find you. Lost is waiting to be found." Please, read this book, it will touch your heart and your soul, it did mine. I will never forget this book. Thank you, Barbara, for capturing this illness in such a profound way. You found me , and I will be forever grateful. Please, please, read this book, so that you can understand what is is like for those of us who have to deal with it every day. I would give this one thousand stars if I could.
    • 5/5
      "You're never truly lost if someone cares enough to come find you. Lost is waiting to be found."I have read all of Barbara Claypole White's novels and enjoyed them but this is the first book that I've read in a long time that I wanted to start reading again as soon as I read the last page. Trust me - it's that fantastic. Marianne, the main character, is manic depressive and at the start of the book is spiraling out of control and decides to return to England - where she grew up and where her past secrets are long buried. She feels that if she confronts her past, it may help her future. The first person that she meets in the small town she grew up in is Gabriel, her first love and now the minister at local church. She left her husband Darius and her 'daughter' Jade behind in North Carolina while she goes to find her demons. While in England she creates considerable chaos for Gabriel who thought that he wanted and needed to forget her. As her life spirals out of control, she ties to find answers in her past.Marianne is a wonderful and flawed character. She is well aware of her limitations and her past suicide attempts and her illness. One of my favorite scenes with her was at the rectory in England when she was at the height of her mania. It is so well written, that I found myself reading faster and faster to keep up with her. As in previous books, Barbara Claypole White writes about mental illness in a very open and direct manner. There is so much discrimination against people with mental illness and she tries, and succeeds, to make her characters very real and just like all of us - trying our best to have a happy life.Bottom line - this is a wonderful novel with fantastic characters that you won't soon forget. Read it - you'll be glad that you did.(Thanks to the author for a copy of this book for a fair and unbiased review.)