This novel by Barbara O'Neal is an excellent book about family, relationships, mending rifts among sisters etc. After reading this book I went on to read 3 other Barbara O'Neal books because of her writing style, characters and themes. Kit a young Dr. in Santa Cruz works hard and loves to surf when she has time. One day while watching the news she suddenly sees her missing sister Josie in a report in New Zealand. Kit takes time off to fly to NZ and look for her sister. Along the way she meets a charismatic man on the plane who she later has a relationship with. Suspense comes in the form of Kit looking for Josie (Now Mari) and Mari trying to hide out after realizing she was on tv. When the two finally find each other Mari tries to explain why she disappeared. Long lost memories come to light and relationships are strained. The book is very well written and goes back and forth between the viewpoint of Kit and Josie(Mari).

Mysterious and tragic and beautiful and hopeful - all of these adjectives describe the wonderful book that is WHEN WE BELIEVED IN MERMAIDS. It is the story of Kit and Josie (aka Mari), how they lost each other and how they found each other again. Kit's sister Josie died in a train accident - or so she thought. But when she sees someone who looks like her sister in a news program about a nightclub fire in Auckland, Kit goes in search of Josie. Josie, now Mari, is living her best life in Auckland, but it is lonely having a secrets. Her husband and friends have no idea that she faked her own death and lives under an assumed name. Josie wants to tell them the truth, but is terrified that they will reject her. But when Kit comes looking, Mari's carefully constructed reality begins to unravel. Barbara O'Neal is a master with this plot, slowly revealing the girls' childhood and allowing the reader to put together the parts of Mari's story that led her to the woman she has become. WHEN WE BELIEVED IN MERMAIDS is well-written and so engrossing that I just wanted to read it straight through but real life got in the way.

When We Believed in Mermaids is the story of two sisters, Josie and Kit, who grew up as close as only sisters can. Years after Josie dies in a horrific terrorist attack, Kit catches a glimpse of her on a breaking news story and so starts her journey to find her sister- and all the secrets and demons of the past that led her to run away from the family and life she always knew.

I devoured this book. I fell in love with the sisters during their childhood. I was heartbroken as every layer of their past was revealed. I was so impatiently waiting for Kit to find Josie. Waiting for them to let go of the tragedies that had been weighing them down for so many years. I couldn't put it down.


The only thing stopping me from giving this that 5th star, is there are a few bits of unnecessary filler with Kits relationship with Javier. We get it, they have sex. This wasn't the type of book that I find the details added to the scene. It took away from the depth I was really wanting to feel throughout.

Even with that - I know I am going to read this book again and again.

Heart-rending and beautiful. But this is no easy ride.

The sisters' problems are real and crushing, and about halfway through I was far from convinced that they would resolve them, or their relationships. The men in this story are villains or heroes, or both, and I found Dylan the most poignant, while Javier was the one I want to take home with me.

But none of the men are able to step in and save the day. The sisters must do it for themselves, and fight through very difficult histories to get there.

If you're up for a lovely visit to New Zealand and a story you're going to want stay up all night to finish, I recommend When We Believed in Mermaids.