When We Believed in Mermaids Summary & Book Guide
Introduction
What if you saw your sister on the news—fifteen years after she was reported dead?
That is the startling premise that opens When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal.
Emergency room physician Kit Bianci has built a stable life in Santa Cruz, California.
Then a live broadcast from Auckland, New Zealand, shows a woman with her sister’s face.
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TL;DR: When We Believed in Mermaids
When We Believed in Mermaids is a contemporary women’s fiction novel told through alternating first-person perspectives.
Kit Bianci, a Santa Cruz ER doctor, discovers her sister Josie—presumed dead for fifteen years—is alive in New Zealand under a new identity.
The story follows Kit’s search for answers, the sisters’ emotional reunion, and the unraveling of long-buried family secrets involving childhood trauma, addiction, and loss.
- Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction / Family Drama
- Structure: 35 chapters and an epilogue, alternating between Kit and Mari
- Core Themes: Sisterhood, trauma, identity, forgiveness, the ocean as healing
- Setting: Santa Cruz, California, and Auckland, New Zealand
Book Snapshot
- Genre & Subgenre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction / Domestic & Family Drama
- Core Narrative Tropes: Long-Lost Sibling, Secret Identity / Faked Death, Dual Alternating Perspectives, Unresolved Childhood Trauma, Road to Redemption
- Tone & Atmosphere: Evocative, emotional, ocean-infused, introspective, and ultimately uplifting
- Primary Conflict: Josie’s fifteen-year deception and buried childhood trauma versus Kit’s grief, anger, and search for truth and reconciliation
- Pacing Style: Moderate, character-driven dual narrative moving chronologically through the present-day search in Auckland while weaving in detailed memories
- Structure: 35 Chapters and an Epilogue, alternating strictly between Kit and Mari’s first-person perspectives
- ISBN: 978-1542004527
- Pages: 352 pages
- Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
- Publication Date: July 16, 2019
When We Believed in Mermaids Summary
Spoiler Warning: This section reveals major plot points and the ending.
Kit Bianci is an emergency room physician in Santa Cruz, California.
One night, while watching television news coverage of a nightclub fire in Auckland, New Zealand, she sees a woman who looks exactly like her older sister Josie.
Josie was officially declared dead fifteen years earlier in a European train bombing. Kit contacts her mother Suzanne, who also saw the broadcast and urges Kit to travel to New Zealand to find out the truth.
In Auckland, Josie is living as Mari Sanders Edwards. She survived the train explosion, took the passport of a deceased victim named Amy, and detoxed on a long freighter voyage.
Now fifteen years sober, Mari is a successful house flipper.
She is married to Simon Edwards, a wealthy former athlete who owns the Phoenix Clubs gym chain.
They have two children: nine-year-old Leo and seven-year-old Sarah. Simon has recently purchased Sapphire House, a historic Art Deco mansion once owned by murdered film star Veronica Parker.
While searching Auckland’s Britomart area, Kit meets Javier Velez, a Spanish musician and former lifeguard.
They begin a romantic relationship. Using clues connected to Simon’s gym chain and local real estate media, Kit tracks Mari to the Devonport waterfront. The sisters have an emotional reunion on the promenade.
Mari introduces Kit to her family as a childhood friend. During a family dinner, Sarah and Leo notice that Kit and Mari share matching inner-arm mermaid scale tattoos and webbed toes.
Mari then confesses to Simon that Kit is her biological sister and that she faked her death. Simon is devastated by the deception and asks for space. Mari temporarily moves out to Sapphire House.
The next morning, Kit and Mari go surfing together at Piha Beach. Mari reveals she was sexually abused as a child by Billy Zondervan, a visiting actor at their family’s restaurant.
They FaceTime their mother Suzanne, leading to a tearful reunion. Mari then discloses that her teenage abortion was from a secret sexual encounter with Dylan—their surrogate brother—revealing that Dylan drowned himself out of guilt.
Horrified, Kit confronts Mari and leaves.
Mari goes to Sapphire House, where Simon joins her. She tells him her entire painful history.
Convinced of her genuine love and transformation, Simon forgives Mari, and they reconcile.
Meanwhile, Kit books an immediate flight back to Santa Cruz. Javier arrives at her apartment, and after a passionate farewell, he promises to write to her daily.
One month later in Santa Cruz, Kit is surfing at the cove when her mother, Mari, Simon, Sarah, Leo, and Javier surprise her at Suzanne’s home.
Javier expresses his love for Kit, and Mari reveals she solved the historic murder of Veronica Parker using old journals. Surrounded by her family, Kit finds peace.
The two sisters paddle out into the ocean waves together at their childhood cove, fully reconciled.
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Who Is When We Believed in Mermaids For?
When We Believed in Mermaids may appeal to readers who enjoy contemporary women’s fiction focused on family dynamics, sisterhood, and emotional healing.
The novel uses a dual first-person narrative structure with alternating perspectives between Kit and Mari, which may suit readers who appreciate character-driven storytelling with introspective pacing.
The book addresses themes of childhood trauma, addiction, and recovery.
Readers who prefer novels that explore the long-term effects of family secrets and the possibility of reinvention may find the narrative engaging.
The coastal settings of Santa Cruz and Auckland, along with the recurring imagery of surfing and the ocean, provide an atmospheric backdrop throughout the story.
Summary by Chapter (Spoilers Ahead)
This section provides a brief summary of each chapter for readers who want to explore what is inside the book.
The novel contains 35 chapters and an epilogue, alternating between Kit and Mari’s first-person perspectives.
Chapter One (Kit):
Kit Bianci works an ER shift in Santa Cruz and spots her sister Josie on television news covering an Auckland nightclub fire. She surfs at her childhood cove and visits her mother Suzanne, who urges her to fly to New Zealand.
Chapter Two (Mari):
In Auckland, Mari Sanders Edwards is driven by her husband Simon to see a surprise property. Simon reveals he bought Sapphire House, a historic Art Deco mansion once belonging to murdered film star Veronica Parker.
Chapter Three (Kit):
On her flight, Kit dreams of Dylan drowning. Arriving in Auckland, she visits the memorial outside the burnt nightclub and feels anger toward Josie for abandoning their family.
Chapter Four (Mari):
Mari meets with her daughter Sarah’s teacher about bullying. She explores Sapphire House alone, researching Veronica Parker’s history, and resolves that Josie Bianci must remain dead.
Chapter Five (Kit):
Kit explores Auckland and meets Javier Velez, a Spanish musician, at an Italian restaurant. They go to a club where he performs, but Kit slips away when she realizes he is a professional musician.
Chapter Six (Mari):
Mari helps Sarah dry dishes and cares for rescue dogs at Sapphire House. She researches Veronica Parker on YouTube, feeling a connection to Veronica’s reinvention and tragic downfall.
Chapter Seven (Kit):
Kit phones her mother about her cat Hobo and reminisces about Josie’s drug habits. She decides to systematically investigate upscale places around Britomart.
Chapter Eight (Mari):
A mild earthquake triggers Mari’s PTSD from the Loma Prieta quake. Simon comforts her. Later, her friend Gweneth mentions a news crew recorded them near the nightclub fire.
Chapter Nine (Kit):
Kit encounters Javier at her apartment pool during a minor earthquake. Javier offers to help search for her sister and takes her on a ferry tour. A restaurant worker recognizes Josie’s photo.
Chapter Ten (Mari):
Mari meets her house-flipping partner Rose at Sapphire House. She suffers a PTSD flashback but focuses on cataloging rooms and discovers files in the study.
Chapter Eleven (Kit):
Kit and Javier explore a coastal village. Kit finds a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that triggers memories of Dylan. On the ferry, Kit rescues a teenage boy who splits his head and kisses Javier.
Chapter Twelve (Mari):
Mari meets her lawyer friend Nan for dinner. They discuss Veronica Parker’s unsolved murder. Mari accidentally speaks about her real Sicilian father and spots a woman who looks like Kit.
Chapter Thirteen (Kit):
Kit and Javier share an intense night together. She tells him more about Josie’s past theft and disappearance. The next morning, she resolves to go surfing to clear her head.
Chapter Fourteen (Mari):
Unable to sleep, Mari stalks Kit’s life on Facebook. She remembers a childhood Christmas trip with Dylan. Later, a TVNZ news crew arrives at Sapphire House, heightening Mari’s terror of exposure.
Chapter Fifteen (Kit):
Kit remembers her first surfing lesson with Dylan. She hires a driver to Piha Beach and surfs six-foot waves. She reflects on her lonely teenage years in Salinas.
Chapter Sixteen (Mari):
Agitated by an impending cyclone, Mari reads articles about Veronica Parker. She cuts her thumb and reflects on living a fabricated identity. She remembers being sexually abused at age nine by Billy Zondervan.
Chapter Seventeen (Kit):
As the cyclone hits Auckland, Javier arrives at Kit’s apartment. They make love and share stories of their pasts. Later, they swim naked in the building’s indoor pool.
Chapter Eighteen (Mari):
Mari remembers the three items she salvaged after the earthquake: a spoon ring, Dylan’s guitar pick, and his T-shirt. She recalls a childhood bonfire night where Dylan comforted her.
Chapter Nineteen (Kit):
Javier mentions his friend recognized Josie, angering Kit. Kit FaceTime calls Suzanne and connects the clues to find Mari Sanders Edwards online, discovering her sister’s prominent life.
Chapter Twenty (Mari):
Mari visits Gweneth’s home to discuss Sapphire House. Gweneth mentions seeing Mari’s interview on TVNZ. Returning home, Mari rests with her dog and continues assembling files on Veronica Parker.
Chapter Twenty-One (Kit):
Overwhelmed, Kit takes the ferry to Devonport and spots Mari walking alone. They have an emotional, tearful embrace. Kit meets Sarah, Simon, and Leo, agreeing to exchange phone numbers.
Chapter Twenty-Two (Mari):
Mari reflects on her rebellious teenage years and remembers smoking weed with Dylan. In the present, she talks with Simon on the porch, feeling the weight of her hidden past.
Chapter Twenty-Three (Kit):
Javier comforts Kit when she breaks down crying. They dine at a restaurant where Kit shares the story of losing her father and home in the Loma Prieta earthquake.
Chapter Twenty-Four (Kit):
Kit meets Mari at a promenade, and Mari drives them to Sapphire House. Mari explains how she survived the train explosion and took a dead girl’s passport. Kit confronts Mari over the pain caused.
Chapter Twenty-Five (Mari):
Stuck in traffic, Mari plans a Sicilian meal for Kit’s visit. She remembers Dylan’s motorcycle accident and nursing him during his recovery. She worries about hosting Kit for dinner.
Chapter Twenty-Six (Kit):
Kit eats ice cream in a park and falls asleep against a tree. She meets Javier, and they walk to Mari’s house for dinner. Kit bonds with Sarah over science experiments.
Chapter Twenty-Seven (Mari):
During dinner, Leo notices the matching tattoos, and the family notices webbed toes. Mari confesses to Simon that Kit is her biological sister and that she faked her death. Simon asks her to leave.
Chapter Twenty-Eight (Kit):
Kit and Javier walk back from Mari’s house. They visit a Spanish restaurant where Javier serenades Kit. Back at the apartment, Javier confesses he is falling in love with her.
Chapter Twenty-Nine (Mari):
Mari stays alone at Sapphire House and reflects on her life choices. She remembers the day of the Loma Prieta earthquake and staggering to the ruined cliff of Eden.
Chapter Thirty (Kit):
Mari and Kit surf together. Mari reveals Billy Zondervan sexually abused her. They FaceTime Suzanne. Mari reveals her teenage abortion was Dylan’s baby, leaving Kit in anger.
Chapter Thirty-One (Mari):
Mari tells Simon her complete history. Although Simon initially mentions divorce, Mari fights for their marriage. Simon breaks down, forgives her, and asks her to return home.
Chapter Thirty-Two (Kit):
Kit returns to the high-rise in a panic and books a flight back to Santa Cruz. Javier knocks on her door, and they have an intense farewell. He promises to write to her.
Chapter Thirty-Three (Mari):
Mari returns home to Devonport to reconcile her household and prepare for Suzanne’s upcoming visit. She reflects on her sister’s departure and the path toward healing.
Chapter Thirty-Four (Kit):
Kit arrives back in Santa Cruz, feeling unmoored. She surfs daily while receiving emails from Javier in Madrid. She reflects on her memories of Dylan and Eden.
Chapter Thirty-Five (Kit):
One month later, Kit finds her mother, Mari, Simon, Sarah, Leo, and Javier waiting at Suzanne’s house. Javier declares his love, and Kit and Mari paddle out together, fully reconciled.
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Characters In This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Dr. Katherine “Kit” Bianci | Emergency room physician from Santa Cruz who travels to New Zealand to find her sister. |
| Josie Bianci / Mari Sanders Edwards | Kit’s older sister who faked her death and rebuilt her life in Auckland as a sober house flipper, wife, and mother. |
| Suzanne Bianci | Kit and Josie’s mother; former co-owner of Eden restaurant, now a hotel concierge in Santa Cruz. |
| Dylan | A runaway taken in by Suzanne at age thirteen who served as a surrogate brother to Kit and Josie. |
| Javier Matias Gutierrez Velez de Santos | A Spanish musician and former lifeguard visiting Auckland who becomes Kit’s romantic partner. |
| Simon Edwards | Mari’s wealthy New Zealand husband who owns the Phoenix Clubs gym chain. |
| Sarah Edwards | Mari and Simon’s seven-year-old daughter who shares Kit’s physical traits. |
| Leo Edwards | Mari and Simon’s nine-year-old son who excels at swimming. |
| Billy Zondervan | A visiting young television actor at Eden who sexually abused nine-year-old Josie. |
| Gweneth | Mari’s close friend in Auckland who is fascinated by Auckland history. |
| Nan | Mari’s longtime friend and former housemate from Raglan; a lawyer practicing in Auckland. |
| Rose | Mari’s house-flipping partner with expertise in New Zealand timbers and antiques. |
| Veronica Parker | A 1930s Hollywood film star who built Sapphire House and was mysteriously murdered. |
Beneath the Surface: The Novel’s Deeper Ideas
| Theme | How the book presents it |
|---|---|
| Sisterhood and Familial Bonds | Presented through Kit and Josie’s enduring connection, matching mermaid scale tattoos, shared ocean memories, and a painful journey toward emotional reconciliation. |
| Trauma, Memory, and Compartmentalization | Presented through the long-term psychological fallout of childhood sexual abuse, parental neglect, addiction, and natural disasters. |
| Identity, Reinvention, and Second Chances | Presented through Josie’s radical transformation into Mari, choosing to fake her death to escape addiction and create a stable family life. |
| Grief, Guilt, and Forgiveness | Presented through Suzanne’s long-term sobriety, Simon’s struggle to accept Mari’s hidden past, and Kit’s process of letting go of decades of resentment. |
| The Ocean as Sanctuary | Presented through surfing, sea lore, mermaids, and the physical ocean as a site for emotional healing, clarity, and peace. |
Books Like When We Believed in Mermaids
The Art of Inheriting Secrets by Barbara O’Neal: Another emotionally rich contemporary novel by the same author, focusing on hidden family legacies, food, emotional healing, and self-discovery.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: A sweeping novel exploring complex sisterhood, survival through severe trauma, and long-held life secrets.
The Lake House by Kate Morton: A multi-generational mystery involving family secrets, long-lost relatives, and an iconic historical estate.
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult: A compelling story exploring unexpected life redirections, deep personal transformation, and enduring family bonds.
The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian: A drama centered on trauma, addiction, secret identities, and uncovering long-buried truths.
Quotes from When We Believed in Mermaids
“My sister has been dead for nearly fifteen years when I see her on the TV news.”
“When I fled France on a stolen passport, I knew only that I had to change my life. I didn’t stop to consider that I’d be lying forever, that I would be the only person who would know my secrets.”
“In the whisper of the waves, I hear your name / In the caress of the sunlight, I feel your lips / In the hands of the wind, I feel your touch / Everywhere, in everything, there you are / I will not forget you, sweet love.”
“Don’t you see, Kit, that I had to kill her? I had to start over.”
“This is not some depressing Victorian novel where a woman who makes bad choices inevitably dies a terrible death. I’m not Veronica Parker, paying for the sin of having the life she wanted. This is me and you.”
“We wanted you to know,” my sister says, “that you aren’t alone anymore.”
