Testimony

A Novel

By: Anita Shreve

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff, Eve Bianco, Ellen Archer

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices - those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal - that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in Testimony a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

Read by a full cast.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2008 Anita Shreve (P)2008 Anita Shreve

Least favorite Shreve novel

It was so confusing with the back and forth and so many characters...I also wondered why in the hell the attitude toward CNN, not once but twice...totally obvious and unnecessary...not the use of the name but the slam at specific journalists. It was far from a satisfying read. I only finished because i wanted to know who filmed the act and why. Thought it was going to startle.

Required Reading

Regardless of some of the book's flaws, this should be required reading for High Schoolers. If anything, it illustrates how just ONE stupid action (no matter how stellar your life so far) can come with disastrous consequences and impact you and your family's life FOREVER, which as we all know is a very long time. I personally found the ending uplifting, as at least one character found wisdom and salvation. I think it is a book meant to be read and discussed, and if it only saved one teenager from doing something stupid,well what more could you ask for?

Riveting!

If you like Anita Shreve, (and I do), you'll love this book. Very thought provoking, and has you finding sympathy with unlikely characters. I was really torn about my reactions to this book...Highly recommend it!

Powerful story told by skilled narrators

This is one of those books I am so glad I listened to instead of read. The cast of narrators really brings a differentiation and personality to each character, as if you were really listening to different people tell their version of the same story.

This is a story of misconceptions, flawed choices, overreactions, and assumptions, all told through the testimony of witnesses. Not only does Shreve skillfully display how each person's interpretation of an event can be subtly or even substantially different, but the different voices provide complexity for the listener to sort through.

Very well done, and worth the listen.

Amazing as always

This book was amazing. I love Anita Shreve books, but the narrator for Anne sounded like a robot. Like no emotion whatsoever and it kinda bugged me.

Excellent!

Excellent Performance...Check
Realistic characters and writing... Check
Engaging storyline...Check
Overall, 5 stars for listening pleasure.

So beautifully performed. This a must have audio!

I fell in love with Anita Shreve years ago, in college. I read "All He Ever Wanted" and "The Last Time They Met". However, I never was able to get into Bodysurfing, and although I own all of her books on my shelf, it's been a long time since I finished her novels.

I downloaded this novel and started listening. It is an incredibly delicate story, written by an author whose novels are classy and poignant, even when dealing with sensational or taboo subjects. The narrators are the best of the best. They bring this story to life. Some books are even better an audio and this is one of them. This performance reminds me of why I love the delicate but heartbreaking writing of Anita Shreve!

A Little Predictable

I think the concept of the book was good, with the same story re-told from different perspectives with different narrators. However, I was able to predict the ending about 2/3 of the way through, so it wasn't the shock that I think the author was trying to get. Also, having the different stories and different voices narrated by different people was really annoying to me. I prefer one reader, and I don't even care if they do different voices for different characters. If you like this "theater" type of reading, you may like this more than I did.

Engaging

Although it felt slow at the start I was engrossed just in time to realize that there was more going on in this novel than meets the readers' eye at the outset. Anita Shreve rarely disappoints, and this book is no exception. The episodic style of the narrative is well managed -- I enjoyed it.

Book of lessons

A good book that teaches about how a poor decision can effect so many people