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)

There are gods in every southern town.

What a great book! It was relatable and totally unexpected. I recommend this book to everyone.

One of my favorite audio books!

What a surprise! This book was humorous, had such well-developed characters, a thought provoking plot and really gave me a feel for life in the South. I disagree with reviewers who said the narrator didn't have a strong enough southern accent, as the main character had lived in Chicago for nine years before returning to Alabama. I thought the narrator was perfectly suited for the book. This book is a definite "MUST LISTEN!"

Great Book!

I absolutely love this book! Great story, great writing, and a great reader! My only issue, like a few others have said, Is the music. It starts and stops at random times, and it seems to have nothing to do with the story. It is very irritating. Luckily, it was only for 20 seconds or so at about 10 spots in the book.

I almost returned it….

But I decided to hang in there and glad I did. Some of the meanderings into the past were hard to follow and went on too long but I stuck with it.

Loved this book!

I really love Joshilyn Jackson's books. They capture the sount so very well. Her characters are full of life and the plot entertaining. I'd highly recommend her books.

what a pleasant surprise

I bought this one on a whim. I had never heard of it or read anything by the author. What a great find! The book was well written, had lots of humor and great plot twists. I just couldn't put it down!

Very engaging, easy listening

I've read "Between Georgia" and really liked Joshilyn Jackson, so I wanted to give this a try. What a great book! It is written in first person and the main character, Lena, takes you between the present and 10 years prior, before she left Alabama. One of the best parts of this book, just when you think you've got her "secret" figured out, the book gives you new information that changes your original theory. I definitely recommend this.

Only in the South

If you could sum up Gods in Alabama in three words, what would they be?

Bless your heart

Who was your favorite character and why?

Burr - because he was the voice of reason and always kept his cool even when confronted by the craziness of his girlfriend's relatives and their convictions.

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

I believe I have heard her before. She did a great job in this book with the accents. Really enjoyed it.

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

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I could see this happening in real life. This poor girl carried this around with her for all those years. Poor silly teenager.

OK read

Would you listen to Gods in Alabama again? Why?

This was a one-time read, on recommendation for book club. I wouldn't have picked it out, but I might tell my high school students that they might enjoy it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Arlene was my favorite character, because she endured the most grief, seemingly. I learned to like Aunt Florence, and admired Burr.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed the phone conversation between Arlene and her aunt.

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

no.

Music is incredibly distracting!

I rated the performance two stars, which I'm not sure is entirely fair, it's really the production choices that I'm rating low rather than the narrator. The music is infuriatingly distracting and I have a hard time listening to the narration over it, it's so bad that there are times I have to hit the repeat button several times to get what she's saying. Overall the story is ok but not my favorite. It gets a little repetitive and slow at times and the description really oversells the "humor". "Tears of laughter" in the description is extreme overreach. This is a really a serious and dramatic serious and I thought it was going to be a lot more lighthearted.