Loved the story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved this story and would not hesitate to recommend it. The characters were interesting and well developed. I also learned some things that I didn't know about Armenian history which was an added bonus.

7 people found this helpful

Beautiful Story

What did you love best about The Sandcastle Girls?

The exotic location for the story was so phenomenal and interesting, I loved the multi-generational aspect as well.

What does Cassandra Campbell and Alison Fraser bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It was great to have two narrators with distinct voices record this story, clever.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction about places you don't usually read about.

6 people found this helpful

A Lesson in History, Love and More

What did you love best about The Sandcastle Girls?

That it is both a love story and a history of an area of the world that I knew very little about.

What other book might you compare The Sandcastle Girls to and why?

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, because it also tells a story of another time, the love between two people of different nationalities, and the oppression and pain of war.

Which character – as performed by Cassandra Campbell and Alison Fraser – was your favorite?

Elizabeth

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, it opened my eyes to a whole world that I never knew of . . .a time and place that I was unaware of . . . and it helped me to put things into perspective regarding that area of the world today . . .

Any additional comments?

One of the best audio books I have listened to. I think that men and women both would like this book.

5 people found this helpful

Excellent Historical Story-Fantastic Audio

“The Sandcastle Girls” is the first book I have read by author Christ Bohjalian. This book stunned me in such a way that I can’t get it out of my head. One striking point to make about this book is that it is not a happy story to read. I am glad that I listened to this book as an audible instead of reading it myself. The different readers help separate the past from the present and the change in voice helped me get through the terrible details. I cried quite a bit while listening and would have to stop the audio and walk away to compose myself. The Armenian genocide of 1915 is a part of history that I knew nothing about. This fact shamed me as I love history and thought that I knew a great deal about the historical world that surrounded World War One. This genocide was never in anything I have read. I actually stopped the audio at one point and went on-line to do a little research and study some historical maps of the areas the book describes. What I found absolutely horrified me and broke my heart to read about – once again – humans treating other humans as if they were nothing.
The characters in “The Sandcastle Girls” were so well developed for the reader that one seems to actually know them. The modern story of a woman seeking and finding out about her grandparents past was alive with childhood memories that made me smile. The story of Laura’s grandmother, Elizabeth, broke my heart but also filled me with admiration for her courage and selflessness in a world so foreign to what she was accustomed.
I am giving “The Sandcastle Girls” five stars because I believe that the writing was “beyond” excellent along with the research to be historically accurate. The character creation was just about perfect. I recommend that people read this fictionalized version to open their minds to a real part of history that they may have missed while learning in school. Also, for those us audio books, the production of this book was the best I have listened to thus far. I am going to pick up some other books written by Chris Bohjalian because I am a now a fan of this excellent author.

5 people found this helpful

Fabulous Book

A moving story. Two narrators worked very well. Bohjalian captures the broader picture of the extermination or Armenians in the early 20th Century while building a very personal story line. The brutality of governments toward innocent civilians plays out again and again, century after century. The author captures the futility of well meaning foreigner volunteers trying to make a difference. They do, but in small ways, which of course count. I highly recommend the book for the story and an education about the period.

2 people found this helpful

Storytime Treat you will Love

Profoundly moving book about family history and the Armenian genocide of 1915. I can't quit thinking about it. The book taught me things I didn't know, took me places I haven't been, and just felt very personal. I have a new author to add to my list (he isn't new, I just haven't read his books). There is one image that the author uses over and over to express the anguish of a little girl's soul that deeply moved me, and -from a literary sense- it was just perfect in its devastating simplicity. Also liked his note at the end, and the author interview. It sealed the deal on him for me when he mentioned that he was highly anticipating Toni Morrison's book Home that was published after his interview. I love the true melting pot vastness of American writers.

2 people found this helpful

Fast, Moving, Descriptive & Informative!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Sandcastle Girls to be better than the print version?

I couldn't say never read print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Elizabeth-She is so brave and bold.

What about Cassandra Campbell and Alison Fraser ’s performance did you like?

They truly seemed to personify the chractors.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, when Elizabeth discovers Armen's Wife dying in the hospital.

Any additional comments?

Did not like the ending.

4 people found this helpful

Excellent

I am embarrassed to admit that I knew very little of the Armenian Genocide of WWI. Because of Chris Bohjalian’s novel that is no longer the case. This is not always an easy book by any means. I do think the two narratives helped give me a reprieve from the tale of individuals during the horrific mass murders of 1.5 million Armenians. The book is well written with well developed characters. I am so glad I read it.

1 person found this helpful

Enjoyed the story; not so much the performance...

If you could sum up The Sandcastle Girls in three words, what would they be?

Tragic, beautiful, informative

What other book might you compare The Sandcastle Girls to and why?

The last book I listened to was Chris Bohjalian's "The Light in the Ruins". Like "The Sandcastle Girls", it was wonderful to listen to as well as shedding light on a period of history about which I suspect not many people are aware.

What three words best describe Cassandra Campbell and Alison Fraser ’s voice?

Cassandra Campbell: wonderful (5 stars)
Alison Fraser: Reading the part of a middle-aged woman but sounding like a giddy teenager (1 star)

Who was the most memorable character of The Sandcastle Girls and why?

I think Hatoun is sad, brave, faithful, strong and deeply intelligent.

Any additional comments?

This beautifully constructed book is filled with fascinating characters and a compelling storyline. I must admit I knew virtually nothing about the Armenian genocide, and am grateful that Chris Bohjalian has written this wonderful historical novel.

1 person found this helpful

Bohjalian is Better Than This...

I tried to read this, tried to like it, but it is too large a canvas for my taste. I am not interested in reading about wars, ethnic cleansing, the pointless suffering of innocents - and all the pain that goes along with that, if there is no character development. I can google all about any of those topics without buying a novel or an audiobook. Certainly, I am capable of enjoying a book with a background of war - example: "Sarah's Key" - but only if the individual characters engage. This book offered nothing for the reader in the way of character bonding.

I should have listened to my heart when I read the publisher's summary. When an author whose work I love decides to go in a "different direction", I, too, should go in a "different direction" and walk away.

I like Cassandra Campbell and I thought, "well, with Chris Bohjalian and Cassandra Campbell, what's not to like?". Wrong!!! Alison Fraser, the other narrator and I guess the granddaughter character but I didn't get that far, had an annoying voice that ran too fast, too cheery - you could hear her smiling all the time and for what reason? who knows? - and had a flat accent that was either just too precious and cute (why? is her Armenian heritage "cute"?) or spilling out words at breakneck speed and I just could not tolerate it.

I am interested in varied ethnicities, but does a writer have to make an entire book out of his own heritage? Really? Is Bohjalian not capable of thinking up anything else as a basis for a novel? Can't believe that, and I'll stick to his usual story lines, which are far from clichéd or overdone. Will the writer formerly known as Chris Bohjalian please come back!!!

I am annoyed to the hilt and sad that I have to wait another year or so for the "real" Bohjalian, the writer that I know and love reading, returns.

18 people found this helpful