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The Mountain and the Sea
- Narrated by: Paula-Anne Jones
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Esther, a painter living in Jamaica and recovering from the death of her husband, comes across a man on a mountain road with no memory of his past. As a hurricane rushes towards the island, she shelters the handsome stranger, names him “Monty”, and tries to uncover the mystery of his missing memory. She soon finds herself falling in love with a man she barely knows, and who doesn’t even know himself.
The Mountain and the Sea is a romantic tale about letting go of the past and embracing the present. Set on the lush Jamaican coast, the poetic prose brings to life the warmth of the sands, the spice in the foods, and the passion of a Caribbean love affair. This is a story for listeners who long for an escape to a faraway place, and for a journey inside the secrets of the human heart. It’s a story that explores the question: How can we leave the pain of our old relationships behind and give ourselves a new chance at love?
Kwame Dawes’ poetic prose is brought to life by the enticing and lyrical performance of Jamaican narrator Paula-Anne Jones.
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Our favorite moments from The Mountain and the Sea
It’s never too late for a new beginning
In The Mountain and the Sea, esteemed Ghanaian poet Kwame Dawes lays bare a compelling and raw short story, told through the eyes of a middle-aged Jamaican woman named Esther, who for the past couple of years has been reckoning with the complicated relationship she had with her deceased husband. One day, as a hurricane approaches, she happens upon a naked man standing on a mountain road leading into Kingston. He has amnesia, so Esther decides to shelter him on her private island, where she’s able to reignite a passion for art with the unwitting help of her new friend-turned-muse. Jamaican narrator Paula-Anne Jones brings vibrancy and authenticity to a woman who learns to throw caution to the wind and open her mind and body. It’s a stirring listen with a strong sense of place that made me laugh, kept me in suspense, and soothed my soul.

About the Creator
Kwame Dawes is the author of numerous books of poetry, fiction, criticism, and essays and the winner of many awards. He is Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner, and teaches at the University of Nebraska and the Pacific MFA Program. He is Director of the African Poetry Book Fund and Artistic Director of the Calabash International Literary Festival.
Photo Credit, El Secretario

About the Performer
Paula-Anne Porter Jones has been a broadcaster for more than thirty years. She describes her job as a morning show announcer as, "telling scores of stories of different lengths and types to different people—each morning is different and you never know what half of the stories will be or how they will end." A mother of four from Kingston, Jamaica, she has been voice-over talent for hundreds of short projects across the Caribbean and North America. She also works as a communication consultant, and when she is not telling stories to her on-air audiences, she is either lecturing in communication, or participating in her other loves—reading, playing sports, bird watching, scuba diving, or riding her motorcycle. Kwame Dawes’ The Mountain and the Sea is her first Audible project.
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What listeners say about The Mountain and the Sea
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Performance
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- Randall
- 04-04-20
Pornography
All of a sudden story is about overt sex and the language is too descriptive Not a love story
119 people found this helpful
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- Norma Lindahl
- 04-03-20
Truly horrible!
Badly written. Badly read. could not get past chapter 1. do not waste your time.
58 people found this helpful
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- JD
- 04-06-20
Story For Older Women
This story is very targeted towards older women whose sex lives have gone dry. It's about an older widowed woman who finds a man stark naked on the side of the road in the middle of a storm. Need I say more? The performance is good and the story is well written. You dont need to wonder if the story is good, you just need to decide if it's your type of story before getting.
52 people found this helpful
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Performance
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- Tiffany Toland-Scott
- 04-16-20
Yikes
There were aspects of this that I really did like, but a lot of it was really awful. I kept waiting for the main character to tie Monty to a bed and hobble him. If the main character were a man, people would boycott this book. A lot of the behavior is disturbing and not romantic.
35 people found this helpful
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- She
- 04-06-20
!!!
Wow Reader beware,is all I can say about this book. You just never know what’s going to be in a book!
25 people found this helpful
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- fastforward194
- 04-12-20
Honest & Deliciously Sensual
Feelings every adult can identify with are explained in a masterfully intimate, yet somehow proper way. A man and a woman each experience an unplanned and magical, but temporary escape from reality. This is a lesson in trusting when you don't understand, and giving of yourself when there are no guarantees. The narration of this compelling story is perfectly delightful.
23 people found this helpful
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- Ofentse
- 04-06-20
Cute romance well narrated
This was an easy listen to me as I did some cooking and cleaning around the house. I felt transported to Jamaica and I really enjoyed the pace and performance of the story. So magical.
15 people found this helpful
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- MO
- 04-11-20
I'M GETTING AN ISLAND!!!!
Esther is a joy!!! Monty is a dream! Simplicity Is Elegance! Thank you for this!!!
13 people found this helpful
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- Vermillion
- 04-18-20
Unable to connect
The narrator was spirited and did a wonderful job. Yet in spite of this I could not connect emotionally with the main character. Her behavior felt unnatural, like something in her constitution is not completely formed. So even though we are privy to her thoughts, I just don’t get her.
12 people found this helpful
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- Missena Bolt
- 04-04-20
Pretty good read. Keeps you interested.
Overall it was good romance story. Didn't really like how it ended. But life isn't always a happy ending.
12 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-26-20
I can't say i enjoyed this. poor narration
I thought the story was a bit weak, and narration off putting, laughed too much