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Narrow Margins
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities
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Summary
Narrow Margins is the true story of one family's journey from the financial crash of the Rover car company to an alternative and better lifestyle. Faced with the loss of everything - the house, the cars, and more importantly, their rather lazy and indolent lifestyle - Marie Browne and her family took on the challenge of a whole new way of life.
Strapped for cash, the family buy a decrepit 70ft barge called Happy Go Lucky which had been run as a floating hotel. Outdated and in need of a complete refurbishment, Happy becomes their floating home. First they need to learn the ropes and many pitfalls beset their adventures. As they come to terms with living on a narrow boat, listeners gain a fascinating insight into life in the slow lane.
Marie Browne is a gently harassed mother of three who, for the past 15 years, has been desperately trying to escape the Customer Service Industry. Apart from her husband and kids, the best things in her life are real ale; barbecues; ugly mad dogs that nobody else wants and cream-covered designer coffees. She also has an obsession with shoes, but her husband is threatening to get her help for that.
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What listeners say about Narrow Margins
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 22-07-18
Entertaining
I enjoyed listening to this story, but during the course of listening found it to be a little repetitive at times, as well as a little predictable (presumably for comic effect).
1 person found this helpful
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- Kevin
- 19-11-14
Please don't GRIN anymore
What would have made Narrow Margins better?
To have not used the words grin; grins; grinned; grinning repetitively but for the writer to have used a thesaurus to choose suitable alternatives such as "smile"
What could Marie Browne have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Not constantly repeat the word grin and it's associates
Would you be willing to try another one of Lucy Scott’s performances?
I always choose readings by Lucy Scott as she makes a story come alive
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Narrow Margins?
How long have you got? Probably most of the book!
Any additional comments?
Spare me from the word "grin" and all words beginning with grin
1 person found this helpful
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- springerlady
- 14-03-21
not ideal as audio book
Lucy scott is absolutely brilliant reading making of a marchioness.. I feel she wasn't able to do much with this book.. it's autobiographical and not ideal for audible in my view
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- ella wilder
- 08-09-20
Possibly the best book
This tale is fantastic. It is read with breathtaking brilliance by Lucy Scott and is without a doubt the best book I have come across. I think it helps if you have been on a narrow boat holiday. I totally recommend the easy flowing style and insightful humour. Lucy Scott is very expressive and judges the text really well. I look forward to hearing more from her. Well done to author and narrator.
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- Amazon Customer
- 30-09-18
beautifully written and read
makes you want to be on a narrow boat.
well worth a listen. really enjoyed it
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- Mrs. Linda Hall
- 22-06-18
Makes you wonder
Quite a good story. Although there are times you can be frustrated at the whole family.
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- Linda S.
- 12-06-18
Thoughraly Enjoyable
Great story that takes you on their journey with them. Having previously enjoyed two long boat holidays, I could relate to some of their experiences, which made the story all the more lifelike to listen to. Great narration too.
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- Well pleased
- 23-03-18
Easy listening
I thought the narrator was very good, brought the book to life. Good easy listening.
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- A.B.
- 02-07-17
Loved it!
If you could sum up Narrow Margins in three words, what would they be?
Captivating funny, colourful.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Narrow Margins?
Getting stuck on the mud banks!
What about Lucy Scott’s performance did you like?
Easy going , interesting.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Immerse yourself in the journey, follow the ups and downs of a fascinating family life.
Any additional comments?
I just loved this book, having had many holidays on the canals and waterways with family and animals, I felt every moment, it brought back many happy memories and I understood every emotion they went through . More please!!
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- Mrs D. Worthington
- 08-04-17
fabulous
I loved every minute of this heartwarming, funny and honest account of life afloat. Me and my husband are considering living on a narrowboat, this wonderful book has done nothing to dampen our spirits or change our minds!
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- John S.
- 12-02-13
I can't say I enjoyed this book
though there was nothing "wrong" with it either - just sort of ... there. Her family and friends never really came alive to me, so the tales of school and custody, etc. didn't mean much, while the more slapstick elements of mishaps onboard sometimes struck me as "guess you had to be there" being highly visual (or olfactory in the case of the septic troubles). The story was well written, and filled time, but I doubt I'd be interested in the planned sequel about their new boat. Narration was good, so probably better heard than read.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Jessica
- 19-01-16
lazy day boat book
Rather uninteresting, yet endearing. Excellent narration, the story itself is rather un-spicy. The book gets better late middle through the end, and ends abruptly. The narration goes overboard with uninteresting boating foibles, and unfortunately the protagonist is presented as a incompetent ninny for much of the book. (Surprising due to the author being female.)