Gods in Alabama

By: Joshilyn Jackson

Narrated by: Catherine Taber

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

When Arlene Fleet heads up north for college, she makes three promises to God: She will stop fornicating with every boy who crosses her path; never tell another lie; and never, ever go back to the "fourth rack of hell", her hometown of Possett, Alabama. All she wants from Him is one little miracle: make sure the body is never found.

Ten years later, God has broken His end of the deal. Alabama has landed on Arlene's Chicago doorstep in the form of her high school archenemy, a young woman who wants to find the golden-haired football hero who disappeared during their senior year.

To make matters worse, Arlene's African-American boyfriend, Burr, has given her an ultimatum; introduce him to her lily-white family or he's gone. Arlene would rather burn up in a fire than let him meet her steel magnolia Aunt Florence; her eccentric, half-mad Mama; her sweet-as-pecan-pie Cousin Clarice; and all the rest of her deeply racist kith and kin.

But the fickle finger of fate is pointing her south. All too soon she and Burr are on their way to confront Arlene's redneck roots, the secret she ran from, and the crime that stole her peace of mind. Back in the small town of her girlhood, Arlene's demons are closing in, and after a decade of running away, Arlene must face them all. Yet while the truth threatens to destroy the life she has built for herself, it just may open her eyes to a love powerful enough to revise her past and alter her future.

Crackling with humor, defiantly endearing characters, and plot twists that will astonish even the most jaded reader, Gods in Alabama will send you careening from tears to laughter and back. Most of all, it brings a unique, rough-around-the-edges heroine to life and makes her a permanent part of your own.

©2005 Joshilyn Jackson (P)2005 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"Cleverly disguised as a leisurely paced southern novel, this debut rockets to the end, even as the plot turns back on itself, surprising characters and readers alike. Book clubs will enjoy this saucy tale, as will fans of southern fiction with a twist." (Booklist)

I loved it.

I loved the characters , the story line , the narrator. So sit back and prepare to get tangled up in to a family.

4 Stars Overall

So what did I like? The sauciness of Arlene's interactions with her Aunt Florence and her intellectual games with Burr. The authenticity of warped memories. The genuine Southern phrases! The Southern accent of the narrator. And let's not forget, the reality of people staying away from "home" for reasons so personal. So filled with pain or fear or...........whatever their reason, totally legit. And I also liked the genuinely sisterhood between the cousins Clarice and Arlene. Real, Southern family connectedness, protection, acceptance- bringing Arlene and her mom to live with loved ones and going to bat for Arlene with the school. Then there's the family and/or community perception of Arlene's relationship with Burr. YEP! True, subjective reactions. I liked Burr. A lot. I'm not sure if I'll read another Joshilyn Jackson book using Audible though; mainly because the dramatic music that was distracting and annoying. A good narrator can create the atmosphere with their voice between what's said and not said, what's emphasized, tone and intonation as well as connotation and I think numerous opportunities to showcase this narrator's talent were concealed by the music. Don't do that.

Just an old fashioned life......

I really enjoyed this book but I think it had a great deal to do with my life. Of course, I never killed anyone but everything else kind of lines up. I thought this was an easy book to get through but it kept me engaged the entire time. I really could not stop. I love to read but with life I don't get to read the way I would like to. This book made me finish and quickly.

Good Story!

I downloaded this on a whim and was so glad I did. I loved the Southern characters, the story, as well as the narration. After I finished it I had to wait a day or so before starting another book because the story kept replaying in my mind. It's not classic literature but it's a great read for summer vacation.

A Joy

This was definitey a delight to listen to. There is a certain amount of work to be done in the beginning to figure out what is happenng. Crazy family members and prejudice are put right out there at the start. Then there are scenes that flashback in time. As all the major characters are introduced, imperfection in each are revealed. And therein lies the wonder of this book. No family is perfect, no person goes through life without some regrets. Yet this one ultiately survives the truth and reality of it all. But you don't find that out until the surprising, bitter end of the book. I couldn't wait to get there and then was very sad when I did. There is a wonderful love story, a murder mystery, and the quirks of family (this one happens to be southern) all rolled into one book. Get it. Listen. And sit back to enjoy one hell of a roller coaster ride!!

Good book bad music

I enjoyed this unexpected story. It was very well performed. My only complaint is the odd insertion of random bits of sound and music. It was distracting and totally unnecessary.

good but the potty mouth should have been left out

Since the description of the book didn't give the impression there would be potty mouth and because the title of the book indicated same - I was shocked when some words were used. It was a good book, good story and my only criticism would be the potty mouth occasionally.

Fun Listen

Listened to it after Backseat Saints. I like it a lot but it was not as good as backseat Saints.

another great book by joshilyn jackson

Would you consider the audio edition of Gods in Alabama to be better than the print version?

i never read the print version but i LOVED the audio version for sure.

Who was your favorite character and why?

burr. he was so level headed and he loved arlene so much.

Which character – as performed by Catherine Taber – was your favorite?

either burr or arlene.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes. i read it within 24 hours.

Any additional comments?

the books seems like something is missing but in the end it all comes together. i liked the way the book ended too.

Enjoyed except for wretched music all the time

I enjoyed this story, loved the voices of the narrator she did a fine job.

However there should be a warning before buying that there is music stuffed into the story in many places and over the narrators voice making it difficult to hear what was being read. This really spoilt it for me, particularly as I listen to the books as I am going to sleep. At one stage (I live on a road that has a few truck travelling past at speed) there was a screeching sound in the music just like a big rig breaking as I thought the truck was coming off the road and was waiting for the crash.

I am looking forward to listening to my next Joshilyn Jackson book.