All the Secrets of the World

A Novel

By: Steve Almond

Narrated by: Roxanne Hernandez

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

It's 1981 in Sacramento, and thirteen-year-old Lorena Saenz has just been paired with Jenny Stallworth for the science fair by a teacher hoping to unite two girls from starkly different worlds. Lorena begins to spend time at the Stallworth residence and finds herself seduced, not just by Jenny but her parents: Rosemary, her glamorous, needy mother, and Marcus, a scorpiologist who recognizes Lorena’s passion for learning and her confused desires.

When Lorena’s troubled older brother, Tony, picks her up at the Stallworth mansion late one night, he and Marcus exchange tense words—an encounter that draws the Saenz family into the dark heart of America’s criminal justice system. To uncover the truth, Lorena must embark on an unforgiving odyssey into the desert and through the gates of a religious cult in Mexico. As she stalks a fate guided by forces beyond her reckoning, shocking secrets explode into view.

Filled with pathos, humor, and a dash of the zodiac, All the Secrets of the World is a shape-shifting social novel that offers an unflinching vision of the powerful and powerless colliding. This long-awaited book is a propulsive tour de force—the sheer scope, moral complexities, and piercing insights mark a writer at the height of his powers.

©2022 Steve Almond (P)2022 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Didn’t Want it to end

This book was so lovingly crafted and so true that at times it was painful. I truly delayed finishing it because I so enjoyed the listen. Highly recommend

80s America thriller - a wild rise

The hero of this book is a teenage girl which is refreshing - her journey is a rollercoaster. I could not stop listening.

Very engaging mystery and social commentary

I've been a public defender since the late '70's and Steve Almond captured the reality of America's criminal justice and immigration systems both in the 1980's and, unfortunately, still today. Highly recommend.

Outstanding

Heady stuff, well written and I would recommend it to anyone.

Buy the ticket. Take the ride.

All over the place! But in a good way

The story weaves and brings together so many disparate events and ideas- religion, science, politics…I couldn’t wait to see where it would go. Sobering. But also positive. Highly recommend!

Excellent Story

A friend of mine turned me on and to this author and I’m delighted that she did! The performer of this story brought all of the characters to life incredibly well. She and Steve Almond’s great writing made it very hard to stop listening!

SO GOOD.

I’ve been waiting for this book to come out for months, and it absolutely did not disappoint. The prose is excellent and completely in line with some of the best classic literature I’ve ever read (only more clever).
The story itself was riveting, and whatever the word for page turner in audio form is, this is it. Almond developed the characters so beautifully and told a genuine, riveting story that was well researched, fascinating, and worth every second. My only lament is that it’s over.

All the secrets of the world review

I haven't listened to very many audible books yet but this one strikes me as being one of the best one could possibly find. Steve Almond has written a work of great literature read and it is performed here by an incredibly gifted masterful narrator, Roxanne Hernandez. I was completely riveted by the story, the characters and how they came alive by her voice each distinctive and gripping. I'm grateful to have had this intense experience.

a tale of justice and equity in America

Justice and privilege collide in a earlier decade of American culture. A early tale of migrant family struggles, dreamers and middle class families dreams.

Disappointed

The writer tries to write from a teenage girl’s perspective, but he really missed the mark. Also, the story seemed to wander a lot and seemed to go on and on at the end.