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)

Great Book - Please no sound effects!

This was a very pleasant read, a good story with great character development. I did care about the protagonist, who was a multi-dimensional young woman. The narrator/reader was great, as measured by my tendency to forget I was hearing a reader (always the litmus test for me). However, they produced this book with sound effects, and it was annoying ( at best). I really do not like the idea that an audio book is much different than having someone read to you, so little musical (and non-musical) sound effects are unwelcome.

Felt like going home.

Would you listen to Gods in Alabama again? Why?

This was an extremely funny and heart wrenching book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Aunt Florence. She reminds me of almost every woman in my family.

Unexpected twists

I knew nothing and had no preconceived notions about this book. (I grabbed the only one I hadn't heard that was unabridged, and am so happy I did!) An enjoyable read, I was caught off guard by small twists and turns that inevitably add texture and weight to a "light" plot. The characters are carefully crafted slowly becoming more complex as the story goes on. In the same vein as "The Secret Life of Bees", by the second chapter I was totally captured and by the end longed for more by this author and this narrator.

Wonderful book

Both the author and the reader are unsurpassed. I rarely watch a movie twice, I never read books twice - but I am certain I will listen to this book again. Of course I will know the story and how it unfolds, but Joshilyn Jackson does more than just tell a story. Listening to it the first time, I loved that it was neither obvious (I really didn't figure it out ahead of time), nor was it far-fetched. That is a fine line to walk and in itself enough to keep a person interested. But what is more precious about this book is how she manages to breathe such life into her characters, and how amazing she is at shining a light on what may otherwise seem mundane. She has the same gift that many comedians have when they describe something completely ordinary, but in a way that is so observant, and through such a prism, that it makes it uproariously funny. And the reader absolutely nails it. I just didn't want it to end.

Great mystery

Interesting story, easy to listen to...readers Voice is soft and easy. Keeps you guessing!! Would recommend to anyone.

Solidly Entertaining

This was a good listen and deserving of 5 stars. I wasn't sure about the narrator at first but she turned out to be perfect! The author fashioned out an interesting story that wasn't too predictable. I liked that.

Excellent Southern Fiction

I loved this book. The characters and the story line are very well developed, and the author's southern accent makes for easy listening and causes the characters to come to life. Ms. Jackson very obviously knows about small town life in the deep south. I'm currently listening to her second novel, Between, Georgia, which I also highly recommend. Her future novels will be "must buys" for me.

Doesn't Disappoint

Any additional comments?

Joshilyn Jackson might just be my favorite "new" author. Lucky for me she is not new to writing so I have a few more of her books to read. The first novel of J. Jackson's that I read was A Grown Up Kind of Pretty, what a delight! Her ability to draw the reader into the lives of her often troubled, but definitely lovable, characters is nothing short of genius. Gods in Alabama was just what I was looking for from this author. I loved every moment of it and was sad when it ended as I wanted to stay with Arlene/Lena just a little while longer.
Get this book, it will not disappoint.

Shame on the publisher

I have heard many people say what an excellent book this is, and how audio is the best way to read it. I agree that the story is compelling, with many surprising elements, and the narrator is perfect. Unfortunately, the publisher seems to think it's necessary to insert music so that we don't get bored. That music turns up in odd places that make no sense, the type of music has nothing to do with what is going on when they insert it, and the volume is such that it competes with the narrator. It's unfortunate that they ruined such a near-perfect production with that nonsense. Enjoy this excellent book, but be prepared for the music to crash your experience.

Best book ever .

This book is a great book. It keeps you on toes with plot twists you don't see coming.