We Run the Tides audiobook

I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS NOVEL!!!...LONG .....BUT NO SPOILERS: Dedicating this review to Lisi, Renee, and Barbara.....( best friends since Junior High School). My friends will understand the dedication. ***Nostalgia***....is felt.....I took a trip down memory lane in “We Run The Tides”.For many women around my age (I’m 68)....this will be a VERY ENJOYABLE PERSONAL GUT LOVING BOOK CHOICE!!!!IT’s DREAMY—wonderful, heart-warming- page turning addictive, sad, ( I want to cry and I don’t ‘fully’ know why)....It’s one of my favorite ‘coming-of-age’ stories about young girls....private elite school, Sea Cliff and the streets of San Francisco that I’ve read. There is suspense & mystery too.....with a MUST KNOW MORE TALE inside these pages—-but ( sh#T).... I’ll never fully find the words to describe the feelings that’s running through every cell of my body at the moment.... I SIMPLY LOVE THIS BOOK! Memories of youth - of the 80’s - of innocence - loss innocence- adventures- betrayal- desires to fit in - humor - chaos - its all here in “We Run The Tides”. Tap into.....Memories of 8th grade- friendships - SF Bay Area memories: ( the small art house theaters, the beaches, skateboards, public bus rides transportation, Ponds moisturizer cold cream, Virginia Slims cigarettes, Dresses with shoulder pads, The Zodiac killer, Lanz nightgowns, penny loafers, tie-dye T-shirts, bell bottoms, Chinese grocer corner shops,hippies, school uniforms ( those awful white middy see-through blouses), the Fillmore, ( strong cannabis aromas), the Sony Walkman,books read, ( JD Salinger, Homer, etc.) music ( Psychedelic Furs, Jerry Garcia, etc ) movies (My Beautiful Laundrette) boys (Keith and Alex, etc. ) jealousy, assumptions, family, thrift shopping on Haight Street, Polo Shirts, teacher influences, and the emotional roller coaster of hurts, confusion, and aspirations into adulthood. Having read other books by Vida, “The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty”, “Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name”, and “The Lovers”, .....I can honestly say...”We Run The Tides” is my all-time favorite!!!The main character- *Eulabee* was the epitome of a shining example of a quiet champion— she wasn’t without flaws-not a big shot- not particularly an influential kibitzer — but her character traits were honorable—discerning, authentic, trustworthy when it counted most, humble, stood for justice, wise, resilient, and my gosh....ADORABLE & LIKABLE. Eulabee’s best friend from Kindergarten: (until 8th grade).....a falling out left a lifetime mark on Eulabee. *Maria Fabiola*- was oldest of three children— The youngest ones are twin boys. She moved to Sea Cliff when Eulabee was in kindergarten. Nobody knew much about her family. Sometimes Maria Fabiola said she’s part Italian. Other times she said she wasn’t. Other times she said her grandfather was a prime minister of Italy. There were dozens of photos in her home with she and her cousins sitting on top horses, or on the edge of swimming pool’s surrounded by grass. The photos were taken by professionals and displayed in identical silver frames”. Maria was physically beautiful and boys noticed her. Her character- left room to be desired. A little drama.....Maria Fabiola was missing.....Eulabee: “I ride my bike to the beach. It’s getting dark and the waves are choppy, their crashes a loud staccato. What if Maria Fabiola really is missing? I decided to climb up and over the bluff. I get to the top and as I’m about to descend to Baker Beach, I look down. From this high-up perspective, I see a figure hunched over, making itself into an oval. Maria Fabiola! I yell. The waves crash loudly in response”. Maria Fabiola was still missing.....( my lips are sealed: no spoilers)....as to all that follows. The 1980’s was a great decade for San Francisco.....especially for teenagers.Life seemed a lot less complicated before the explosion of the Internet and mobile phones. Going through a flooded email inbox wasn’t part of your daily routine and life wasn’t repeatedly interrupted by text messages. Social media didn’t even exist. Kids owned the streets—racing through the suburbs on bikes with banana seats—Sweatshirts with the Esprit logo was a popular fashion clothing. (I still remember taking our daughters shopping at the Esprit factory - located in S.F).Huey Lewis was playing on the radio.....and it was the era the Sony Walkman—A popular TV shows was ‘Punky Brewster’. Films: E.T., the Extra Terrestrial, Poltergeist, and The Goonies. Sea Cliff is a neighborhood in Northwestern San Francisco that is known for its large houses of ocean views. Many of the homes offer great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin County, a small public beach called China Beach and the national park Land’s End are located in the neighborhood. Sea Cliff contains the residences for the consul generals of Switzerland,South Korea, and The Netherlands. While growing up as a kid in Oakland/Berkeley....my aunt, uncle, and cousins lived on the top floor of the largest high rise on Sacramento Street- in Pacific Heights- in the incredible ‘two’- pent-houses connected together giving off the most spectacular view of the entire city. I enjoyed the storytelling & writing from Vendela Vida very much....and was enamored with my own memories —Soooo.....this book was a perfect delightful fit.Other excerpts: “I run past palm trees and I run past gardeners with their trucks and loud leaf blowers and grating rakes. My body is sweating and cold by the fog as I approach China Beach. My feet make a galloping sound as they race down the ninety-three steps. The beach is empty this gloomy morning. On the sand, I hastily remove my shoes and socks. I run to the waters edge and the cold ocean licks my toes. Without touching my face I can feel that it’s wet with fog and tears and sweat. I stand there, on the cusp of the ocean and listen to it loud inhale. And then it recedes and takes everything from my childhood with it—the porcelain dolls, the tap-dancing shoes, the concert ticket stubs, the tiny trophies, and the long, long swing”. 2019.....“We are almost 50 years old and the streets of Sea Cliff are no longer ours”.......The venture capitalists have taken over Pacific Heights. The young tech workers have claimed Hayes Valley, Mission Bay, and Portola Hill— neighbors close to the freeway so they have an easier commute to Silicon Valley. But the CEOs and the names behind the companies live in Sea Cliff where there is privacy and unobstructed views of the Golden gate. Seacliff is for solitude, for when you want to protect yourself from people. Of course, everything is extra fortified now— there are more gates, more cameras”. As to Eulabee, Maria Fabiola, Julia and Faith ( two other friends from school) .....we learn about the girls lives in 2019. Whip Smart...easy & elegant prose....and a little bit of spunky-moxie.Thank you Ecco, Netgalley, and Vendela Vida.This book will be released in February 2021

Book blurb: We Run the Tides is about young teenage girls in 1984…Me: Outta my way!There’s really no faster way to sell me on a novel than to tell me its set in the ‘80s, unless you also mention the protagonists are of my generation (Gen-X, represent!). That basically means there was no way I wasn’t going to read Vendala Vida’s latest book, even if early reviews have been somewhat mixed.The thing about We Run the Tides though is that it is perhaps so accurate in its depiction of being a 13-year-old girl that it is awkward, uncomfortable, and cringe-worthy. Girls are mean, and natural-yet-kinda-gross things are happening to their bodies. What’s your gut reaction when you hear the word “puberty?” That might be a good indication of how you’ll feel reading this book. The audiobook benefits from narration by the always-stellar Marin Ireland. She’s a nice fit for the first-person voice of main character Eulabee. I could really relate to her struggles being ostracized by the popular girls, particularly the pathological liar leader of the pack. I’m just not sure all readers will… or will want to. 3.5 starsI received a complimentary review copy of the audiobook from W.F. Howes LTD via NetGalley. We Run the Tides is now available. Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/IG: @confettibookshelf

"We Run the Tides" by Vendela Vida was an amazing Coming-of-age story!'We are thirteen, almost fourteen, and these streets of Sea Cliff are our own.'Eulabee and her friend Maria Fabiola have been BFF's since kindergarten. Their four person clique also includes Julia & Faith. They all live in the wealthy Sea Cliff neighborhood in San Francisco, California, high above China Beach, overlooking the ocean, with perfect views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin County.They attend an upscale all-girls school and it seems to be a condition of their friendships to walk to school together every day. They are good girls when alone, but they become bold, brash and unapologetic in their behavior when together. It's the 1984-1985 school year of 8th Grade and something big is about to happen on the way to school. Their friendships are based on having each other's backs, unquestionable loyalty, even when untruths are told. When a question is asked by one of them to the other three girls, one girl boldly disagrees. That's when everything changes!Eulabee is the protagonist in this story. She is bright, observant, articulate and now she's been ostracized by her three closest friends. She's shocked by this sudden change and crushed that Maria Fabiola, her BFF, is the one directing the harsh treatment toward her. Although now alone, Eulabee remains focused and strong but lonely and sad. She continues to make choices through the years. Some choices are good, some are not so good. But, she embraces her future and carries on. How do you cope when something like this happens to you? Do you always remember how it felt? What do you say if you cross paths with one of these 'friends' many years later? A little dark, occasionally humorous, sometimes a bit weird and yet this was a very engaging read! I don't believe I've ever read a book quite like this one! It brought back memories of my teenage years and how tenuous some friendships were, while others were unyielding and substantial and remain so to this day. Truly one of life's greatest gifts is the gift of unconditional friendship!My favorite characters were Eulabee and Maria Fabiola. The author did an amazing job pairing off BFF's so dissimilar, with contrasts in personalities that created so much drama to this story. The development of both characters was deep and spoke to the fickleness of their age with boy craziness and constantly pushing boundaries. I loved how the author's writing nailed the dialog of the 13 year-old characters during their conversations and this is also true of Eulabee's first person narrative. There were a few laugh-out-loud scenarios for me while reading Eulabee's POV and I had to stop to savor each one! Oh, how I enjoyed those moments! I am rating this book 4.5 stars and bumping it up to 5 stars because I loved this story and the fond memories it stirred in me of growing up in the SF Bay Area. I highly recommend this book to those who love Coming-of-age stories or just enjoy a really good book.___________________________Thank you to NetGalley, Ecco and Vendela Vida for a free ARC copy of this book. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I absolutely adore the voice of Marin Ireland when she reads stories about apathetic women. If you have heard her narration of “Nothing to See Here” and “Anxious People”, you will know what I’m talking about. She narrates “We Run the Tides” by Vendela Vida, giving voice to thirteen year-old Eulabee. Eulabee narrates the story of her middle school friendship with her best friend, Maria Fabiola. That is how she is called, by her full name, Maria Fabiola. Ireland does a stellar job getting the almost flat voice of Eulabee. Anyone who has spent time around eighth-grade girls knows that Ireland’s performance is perfect. In fact, if I had read this instead of listening to Ireland, I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much.This is a coming-of-age story about teen/middle school girls. And that is the worst age/stage of girls. It’s the cruelest age where girls can ostracize a girl at the drop of a hat. All it takes is one mean Queen Bee, and the world of a girl can be destroyed. Sadly, this happens to Eulabee when she refuses to agree with Maria Fabiola when Ms. Fabiola spreads a fictious story about a man in a white car exposing himself to the girls as they walk to school. Author Vendela Vida creates a reality fiction story of that critical time in a girl’s life where one second you are confident and hopeful, and in the next instant a social pariah all on the whim of one girl.And Vida takes it further when a boy spreads rumors about a sexual encounter that he made up regarding Eulabee. Yes, eighth-grade is a time when one’s social standing determines your emotional health. A boy can make up a rumor, with nary proof, and the character assassination begins. But what Vida does, is create a Eulabee who is strong enough to withstand the pressure. And in fact, Eulabee’s inner musings are clever and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. This story takes you back to that cruel time, with the intensity of emotions and the confusion that follows. Maria Fabiola is that girl with a huge imagination, bordering on sociopathic. She doesn’t just stop at lying about the man in the white car. She ups her lies as the story progresses. The drama of that age group is immense, and Vida writes it perfectly.This part of Eulabee’s life is pivotable. Even as a married woman in her fifties, she still hasn’t processed that period in her life. As adults, some of us still have pieces of our history that remain enigmas. Growing up is hard to do.This is a fantastic audio book and I highly recommend it.

A high 4 starsThere was something mesmerizing and addictive about We Run the Tides. The story is set in San Francisco in the 1980s, told from the perspective of 13 year old Eulabee. Eulabee is both so so smart and so so deluded as only 13 year old girls can be. She goes to an elite private school, feels on top of the world, in awe her best friend Maria Fabiola. In no time, everything turns upside down. I loved how Vida managed to convey the melodramatic headspace of a thirteen year old girl without telling a melodramatic story. I loved the last chapter when we catch up with Eulabee at age 50. Vida is an original story teller and her writing is smooth as silk. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Vendela Vida writes like no one else. She writes in a distinct style with an ability to get far under the skin of her characters. Most of this book is a memory piece of growing up in privileged circumstances in the early 1980's San Francisco in the community of Sea Cliff where everything "... is about the view of the Bridge." What truly sets Eulabee and her friends apart is that they don't see their situation as being anything but normal, that the exclusivity of their lives only becomes apparent when a possible kidnapping takes place and they are made aware of how they are perceived by the outside world. Although Eulabee has been friends with these girls since kindergarten, a disagreement causes her to be ostracized, most notably by her charismatic best friend, Maria Fabiola who has a laugh that "makes you laugh because you don't want her to laugh alone." Eulabee is cleareyed about herself, however, honest about her "sinister side," but also quite innocent in earthly matters. A coda set in 2019 brings the story to a satisfactory conclusion, concluding Eulabee's history and those of her friends as well as the well known transformation of the City by the Bay and its current status as Silicon Valley's exclusive bedroom community.