--- product_id: 125306197 title: "When We Believed in Mermaids: A Novel" price: "2687 kr" currency: ISK in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.is/products/125306197-when-we-believed-in-mermaids-a-novel store_origin: IS region: Iceland --- # When We Believed in Mermaids: A Novel **Price:** 2687 kr **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** When We Believed in Mermaids: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** 2687 kr with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.is](https://www.desertcart.is/products/125306197-when-we-believed-in-mermaids-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description An desertcart Charts, Washington Post , Wall Street Journal , and USA Today bestseller. From the author of The Art of Inheriting Secrets comes an emotional new tale of two sisters, an ocean of lies, and a search for the truth. Her sister has been dead for fifteen years when she sees her on the TV news… Josie Bianci was killed years ago on a train during a terrorist attack. Gone forever. It’s what her sister, Kit, an ER doctor in Santa Cruz, has always believed. Yet all it takes is a few heart-wrenching seconds to upend Kit’s world. Live coverage of a club fire in Auckland has captured the image of a woman stumbling through the smoke and debris. Her resemblance to Josie is unbelievable. And unmistakable. With it comes a flood of emotions―grief, loss, and anger―that Kit finally has a chance to put to rest: by finding the sister who’s been living a lie. After arriving in New Zealand, Kit begins her journey with the memories of the past: of days spent on the beach with Josie. Of a lost teenage boy who’d become part of their family. And of a trauma that has haunted Kit and Josie their entire lives. Now, if two sisters are to reunite, it can only be by unearthing long-buried secrets and facing a devastating truth that has kept them apart far too long. To regain their relationship, they may have to lose everything. Review: It’s “women’s fiction” but... - 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. Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Beautifully Written Story of Family, Secrets, and Healing - 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. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #34,887 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #107 in Sisters Fiction #1,438 in Contemporary Women Fiction #1,517 in Women's Domestic Life Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 158,772 Reviews | ## Images ![When We Believed in Mermaids: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61FFhUpWPRL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It’s “women’s fiction” but... *by K***R on April 18, 2020* 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. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Beautifully Written Story of Family, Secrets, and Healing *by L***D on September 25, 2024* 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. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An emotional journey *by J***W on April 19, 2020* I wasn't expecting this book to be quite as dark as it became, although I'm really not sure why. An emotionally stable person doesn't fake their own death after all. The early glimpses we got of the sister's childhood, seemingly idyllic camps on the beach below their home, surfing and the presence of a beloved older sibling of course were not as they appeared on the surface and as the story develops we learn of neglect and abuse and suicide. As Kit travels to Auckland, chasing a glimpse of her sister's familiar face spotted on a TV newscast, we also meet Mari, living an idyllic suburban family life in NZ. Mari was Josie, Kit's sister once, long ago. I found the ease with which Kit tracked Josie down, once she had a city to work in, just a bit unbelievable. 1.5 million people live in Auckland, and asking around at surfing supply shops was not really feasible because surfing is big in the city. There are a lot of surfers in Auckland. As a New Zealander who grew up in Auckland I was very impressed with the lyrical description of the place. It made me a little homesick. I found the placing of the wonderful Sapphire House difficult. It's said to be in Mt Eden, and the views to the Waitakere ranges support that, but then it's on a cliff top above the sea and Mt Eden is not. But that's a minor quibble from a native. We learn that Mari's name is pronounced Mary, and as a Kiwi I just can't see it that way, especially in a NZ setting, the Maori pronunciation is automatic, and with the long A it should be Maarie. Again, a minor quibble from a local. There's two major subplots, one handled better than the other. One is a historical murder mystery related to the old house that Mari's husband has bought for her. I initially thought there would be parallels between that and the sister's story, but there wasn't and it didn't really go anywhere before being quickly wrapped up at the end. The other was Kit's romance with the unbelievably perfect flamenco singer Javier. It was a typical romance plotline and added a lot to showing how broken Kit was and I loved it, but it seemed a little unbelievable. Mari's husband Simon also seemed too good to be true. Of course, the whole book was leading to the reunion and it was as good and as bad as it could be. The fall out had the potential to be horrendous and I couldn't put the book down, reading late into the night to find out what happened, and thoroughly invested in the characters. The finale had me in tears with a solid emotional kick and a great HFN. This was my first book by this author, a great read and I'll be looking for more of her work. ## Frequently Bought Together - When We Believed in Mermaids: A Novel - The Housemaid: An absolutely addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist - Nightingale --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.is/products/125306197-when-we-believed-in-mermaids-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.is/products/125306197-when-we-believed-in-mermaids-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Iceland* *Store origin: IS* *Last updated: 2026-05-26*