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)

It will keep you listening!

I could not stop listening, nor could I do anything else while I listened. I'm not complaining, but I did have things to do today but I guess they'll just have to wait until tomorrow :)

Jackson can really tell a story.

Joshilyn Jackson writes books that are hard and human. She just keeps getting better too. I recommend this highly.

My favorite book of all time probably

I put this gem of a novel on my top list every time I make it. I listen to it or read it at least once a year. She also has "Between Georgia" and the also amazing "A grown up kind of pretty". She is an amazing writer and I enjoy all of her books.

Loved it. Immediately ordered 2 more of her books

Where does Gods in Alabama rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the better ones.

What did you like best about this story?

The unique Southern language. The humor in the author's perspective toward the hypocritical people of her world

Have you listened to any of Catherine Taber’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. I like this one best. Right up there with A Grown Up Kind of Pretty

If you could rename Gods in Alabama, what would you call it?

Loved the title

Narrator is the best

This is a great story. Catherine Taber gives the perfect narration of an Alabama girl.

Wonderful

Boy, does Joshilyn Jackson have great "voice." Like other reviewers, I had a difficult time turning this one off. The main character is funny, irreverant, self-deprecating, sensitive, wounded and aware. In retrospect, the plot is a little thin, and some of the characters are more caricature than developed characters. But because of Jackson's considerable talent with dialog, description, setting and pacing, I tended to overlook these minor flaws in an otherwise delightful book.

Stellar story

What made the experience of listening to Gods in Alabama the most enjoyable?

I absolutely love Jackson's voice and it even shined through on this audio version of her book. She has this unique way of creating characters that you can just envision and sometimes even embrace. Arlene is a girl that had a mother who was never really present and who viewed herself as worthless most of her teen years. She flees to Chicago hoping to leave everything behind, even the ones who love her, until one day her past catches up to her!! Jackson takes the reader on a journey inside Arlene's mind and heart. She's finally brave enough to face her demons and ends up with more than she ever dreamed possible!

Recommend? I really enjoyed listening to this one on audio. The narrator had a terrific voice and it literally oozed southern charm to me. The narrator kept me very engaged in the story and I couldn't wait to get back into the car so that I could listen to what was going to happen next in Arlene's crazy life! The only drawback to the audio was the music that they interjected throughout the story. I hated it and thought it was silly. It really didn't help to heighten the suspense.

Source: Purchased from audible.com
Narrator: Catherine Taber
Length of audio: 8 hours and 6 minutes

Bookish Thoughts #49
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Great story and performance

I love the narrator. In fact she’s the reason I checked out this story! However, the music was a little odd. I could have done without it.

It was OK

It was ok. Based on the reviews it received, I was disappointed. It was fairly predictable. I probably won't purchase another from this author unless it is on sale.

Most enjoyable

An interesting book with a great female lead character. She is doing what she swore she would never do - going back to the small Southern town where she went to high school. She has secrets to share with her family and secrets she wants hidden. I was entertained by this book and the performance of Catherine Taber.