After the Fall cover art

After the Fall

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

After the Fall

By: Charity Norman
Narrated by: Nicolette McKenzie
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £14.03

Buy Now for £14.03

This Season's Biggest Deal | £0.99/mo for 3 months + £10 Audible bonus

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly
In the quiet of a New Zealand winter’s night, a rescue helicopter is sent to airlift a five-year-old boy with severe internal injuries. He’s fallen from the upstairs veranda of an isolated farmhouse, and his condition is critical. At first, Finn’s fall looks like a horrible accident; after all, he’s prone to sleepwalking. Only his frantic mother, Martha McNamara, knows how it happened. And she isn’t telling. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Tragedy isn’t what the McNamara family expected when they moved to New Zealand. For Martha, it was an escape. For her artist husband Kit, it was a dream. For their small twin boys, it was an adventure. For sixteen-year-old Sacha, it was the start of a nightmare.

They end up on the isolated east coast of the North Island, seemingly in the middle of a New Zealand tourism campaign. But their peaceful idyll is soon shattered as the choices Sacha makes lead the family down a path which threatens to destroy them all.

Martha finds herself facing a series of impossible decisions, each with devastating consequences for her family.

‘Original, wonderfully written and utterly gripping, this is a corker of a tale.’ The Sun

‘After The Fall is a gripping tale that would appeal to fans of Jodi Picoult and Joanna Trollope.’ Red Online©2012 Charity Norman (P)2012 W F Howes Ltd Coming of Age Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Fiction World Literature Heartfelt Inspiring Tear-jerking Thought-Provoking
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most relevant
A delightful read translated perfectly into a great listen. The story is thought provoking, well written and gripping. It's characters' flaws and strengths are beautifully drawn and bring them to life easily and sympathetically.
The different threads in the story will resonate in many readers' lives and certainly gave me pause for thought. I liked all the characters, cared about what happened to them and missed the book when I had completed it.
The audio version is extremely well read with good voice characterisation and a calm and soothing tone overall. Highly recommended.

Stunning book, very well narrated.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
disappointed with this story ending, was quite predictable and felt drawn out because of this

ok, but predicted the perpetrator from the off

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Initially, I was uncertain whether I would enjoy this story but towards the end I found it impossible to stop listening. Norman's description is powerful and entirely plausible. McKenzie narrated the tale with colour and characterisation that allowed listeners to follow along with ease and enjoyment.

Powerful Storytelling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am going to write this review carefully in order to avoid giving away plot developments but Norman offers some complex explorations of family life, including marital interactions and the corrosive effects of keeping secrets. The terrible vulnerability humans reveal when they love and form families is matched by the main character’s struggle to forgive and continue loving.
The portrayal of most of the main characters was multifaceted. The fights between the husband and wife were particularly good and not often reflected in novels. They say terrible, cruel things to each other but their forgiveness is also an important part of a successful marriage. The mother/daughter relationship was ayered and convincing. In addition, I was taken with the character of the social worker who was clearly the moral compass of the novel even though she receives no thanks nor does she prevail.
The ending was disappointing as in so many good novels but it doesn’t erase the remarkable aspects of this fine work.

Complex exploration of family life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really enjoyed this book. It takes you on a journey full of twists and turns, as you follow the series of events that lead the family to the tragic situation where they now find themselves.
The narration is excellent. Easy to listen to and full of character.
I did feel the ending was slightly predictable and lack lustre, but that didn't spoil it for me. I still couldn't switch it off in the last hour.

A Moving Story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews