Backseat Saints

By: Joshilyn Jackson

Narrated by: Joshilyn Jackson

Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Rose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee", she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy - one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.

Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, Texas, back to her hometown of Fruiton, Alabama, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate---death by marriage---and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.

Backseat Saints will dazzle listeners with a fresh and heartwrenching portrayal of the lengths a mother will go to right the wrongs she's created, and how far a daughter will go to escape the demands of forgiveness. With the seed of a minor character from her popular best-seller Gods in Alabama, Jackson has built a whole new story full of her trademark sly wit, endearingly off-kilter characters, and utterly riveting plot twists.

©2010 Joshilyn Jackson (P)2010 Hachette

LOVE LOVE it connects to Gods in Alabama!

After reading Backseat Saints and Gods in Alabama...I LOVE that Jackson wrote the chapters with Rosemay and Arlene Fleet/Alabama connection from two different perspectives. It adds massive depth to both plot lines. I can see how these characters mirror one another. Both books need each other to be extraordinary. They are great on their own...extraordinary together.

Love her books and her Narration

Her voice has such character and it flows to the characters in the book. I enjoyed it so much, I have now listened to every thing she has out or has narrated.

Awesome listening experience

This was a fantastic listen. The author is perfect as the narrator, the sassy southern accent is spot on. The story was engaging and I didn't want to stop listening. This book was suspenseful, funny, touching and was over too soon cause I didnt want to leave Rose Mae. Highly recommended. This is definitely not a predictable book.

Couldn't stop listening

I really enjoy this author 's books. Another great one. Lots of suspense. This goes deeply into the effects of domestic violence on the girls character.

not what I expected

Not at all what I expected: it is a million times better!!! This story will amaze you

Backseat Saints

Fantastic,wonderfully suspenseful to the last word. Characters I will never forget. Only my second book of hers, I'm hooked!

Enjoyed every word

This book held my interest through to the very end. I loved the writing, and Joshilyn narrates it so well, I will listen to it again. Worth every penny !!

Music distraction

Story good. Narrative good. Background music is distracting and irrelevant. Considered not finishing book due to music

Throughly enjoyed it!

What did you love best about Backseat Saints?

I love the juxtaposition of the many aspects of Rose May.

What other book might you compare Backseat Saints to and why?

I don't want to compare it to another book -- it is a good work all on its own.

What about Joshilyn Jackson’s performance did you like?

I LOVE her accent. It is so appropriate to her characters. I think sometimes that the author does the best job narrating their own work because they truly understand the story like nobody else -- and in Jackson's case this is very true. I can't image anyone else narrating.

If you could rename Backseat Saints, what would you call it?

This is a silly question ...

Any additional comments?

I became a fan of Joshilyn Jackson from this book. I found the story wonderfully involving -- I found Rose May/Roe a fascinating character and her story compelling. I would recommend this book without reservation. I loved Jackson's narration -- it added a rich flavor to the story I don't think would have gotten from just reading the book (hence, I'm glad I opted for the audio version). As to the writing, Jackson's prose is fresh and fun with just enough Southern twist to truly bring you right into the story without overwhelming you. She is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.

A page turner if it were hard copy!

Kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed every word. I agree with the person who said that the music is a distraction, but it’s a small distraction. It annoyed me most because it extended the time until she started reading again.