When We Believed in Mermaids: A Novel

When We Believed in Mermaids is a story that digs deep into trauma and how people react to it. This is not an easy topic to explore, however it is necessary because of all of the traumatic events that occur in society. Some of the reactions in this story deal with alcoholism, drug abuse, and starting a new life by completely destroying an old one. This story is well written, and has come out during the MeToo movement, which makes it all the more essential reading. Trauma effects people in different ways, and can even effect the same person in different ways. The characters in this story are two sisters who are living their own separate lives after one has faked her own death. These two characters are flawed, however they are relatable in that they have their own separate personalities, and were able to overcome triald and tribulations to start their own lives. There are supporting characters in the story who are likable but flawed as well, and this is true to life. No one is perfect, and everyone has certain flaws that they have that makes them who they are, however this book digs deep as to why these characters are the way that they are. This story almost feels like nonfiction at times because of how realistic the caharcters are. The setting is beautiful as the charcters are surfers so there is a lot of ocean and waves in the story. I chose a 5 star rating for this because I have always been fascinated by character study and psychology, and this story is all about character psychoanalysis. It shows why people do what they do, and why they become who they become. I recommend this story to anyone who is interested in psychology and enjoys layers of depth from their characters. This is a highly enjoyable book that is a real oage turner.

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal is an emotional and immersive novel that explores the complexities of family relationships, long-buried secrets, and personal healing. From the very first page, I was drawn in by O’Neal’s lyrical writing and the depth of the characters. The story follows two sisters whose lives have taken very different paths, and the mystery of a long-lost sibling brings them together in unexpected ways. O’Neal does an excellent job of balancing the past and present, slowly unraveling the secrets that have shaped the characters’ lives. The way the author handles the themes of grief, forgiveness, and reconnection makes the novel resonate on an emotional level. One of the highlights of this book is its vivid settings—whether in the sun-soaked beaches of New Zealand or the flashbacks to California, O’Neal’s descriptions are lush and transportive, adding to the overall atmosphere of the story. The plot moves at a steady pace, allowing the characters’ development to take center stage, which made their journeys feel authentic and relatable. For readers who enjoy stories about family dynamics, emotional growth, and a touch of mystery, When We Believed in Mermaids is a wonderful choice. It’s a poignant, heartwarming novel that leaves a lasting impression.

Well, I didn’t find out until the bio at the end that Barbara O’Neal writes “women’s fiction”. If I had, I might not have read this. If the description had referred to it as a “romance”, I would have thought of those awful paperbacks that many women devour like chocolate candies, but which I can’t get past one paragraph of. I’m a man, and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from start to finish. I’m always interested in learning about the mysterious operations of the female mind, and this book, thoroughly feminine in approach and style, contributed to my learning. Its greatest strengths are the explorations of life as never being black and white as much as our minds want to put everything into one or the other category, its use of switching POV back and forth between the two very different – and so much alike – sisters, its beautifully poetic and sense-involving descriptions. The sense of smell, so underused in fiction, is evoked and given the importance it deserves. The physical expression of emotions in the body is also well done. The surfing descriptions are , however, of the “you had to be there and have done this” nature. The story creates suspense and eagerness to go forward to find out how things are going to turn out. The weaknesses are only two, and I have encountered both before in fiction by women: 1) Descriptions of events from long ago - an adult narrator recalling their childhood and early teen years - described in intimate, specific detail as if they had just occurred moments ago. Describing an event from 20 years ago and referring to the slight movement of a shadow on someone’s face, or a drop of dew on a grass blade, or the movement of the sun behind a wispy cloud, and the exact clothes the people were wearing... I suppose some of that would be recallable if it were directly related to the event being described, like how many buttons it took to get off their shirt, but most is just tiny physical, environmental details that would not likely be remembered after so long. While they are nice to read, it is a flaw in believability. Slight SPOILER, you may want to skip this paragraph: The second weakness is a certain predictability about the main character and in this type of novel. She is so strongly bent in one direction that there’s no surprise in where she’s going to go. None at all. Along with that, while, thank God, not all women’s fiction involves romance, the ones that do can only have one ending. I haven’t written a book review in a long time, though I have been reading voraciously. This was excellent enough to talk about, and to let men know it isn’t only just for women. That said, if you’re looking for espionage thrillers, you wouldn’t be reading a review of a book called “When We Believed In Mermaids” anyway. Original, beautifully written and highly recommended.

Loved it! We'll written characters, good pace and unexpected twists.

I read this book in a day! I just couldn't put it down, I wanted to know more and more about the characters and was hoping all the time for the story to come good in the end. The way the places are described the ocean the smells of weather of food, I found myself totally absorbed in this incredible story. This book would make a fantastic holiday read, as it drags you in very quickly.

Love Barbara’s books, couldn’t put this down, she knows how to create good characters you believe in, the stories are different each time. Her descriptions of places bring them to life.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the tale of the two sisters, the introduction of the brother, the erratic relationship between their parents and the underlying essence of love. I read it cover to cover, and immersed myself in the story. Now that I have finished the book, I feel a sense of loss. The characters were believable and authentic, and like a true love story, it all comes together in the end 💝

Barbara in her unique poetic style reaches into our heart and soul with this extraordinary story of hurt, loss, love and redemption. Great !