You Are One of Them

By: Elliott Holt

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Sarah Zuckerman and Jennifer Jones are best friends in an upscale part of Washington, DC, in the politically charged 1980s. Sarah is the shy, wary product of an unhappy home: her father abandoned the family to return to his native England; her agoraphobic mother is obsessed with fears of nuclear war. Jenny is an all-American girl who has seemingly perfect parents. With Cold War rhetoric reaching a fever pitch in 1982, the 10-year-old girls write letters to Soviet premier Yuri Andropov asking for peace. But only Jenny's letter receives a response, and Sarah is left behind when her friend accepts the Kremlin's invitation to visit the USSR and becomes an international media sensation. The girls' icy relationship still hasn’t thawed when Jenny and her parents die tragically in a plane crash in 1985.

10 years later, Sarah is about to graduate from college when she receives a mysterious letter from Moscow suggesting that Jenny's death might have been a hoax. She sets off to the former Soviet Union in search of the truth, but the more she delves into her personal Cold War history, the harder it is to separate fact from propaganda.

You Are One of Them is a taut, moving debut about the ways in which we define ourselves against others and the secrets we keep from those who are closest to us. In this insightful forensic of a mourned friendship, Holt illuminates the long-lasting sting of abandonment and the measures we take to bring back those we have lost.

©2013 Elliott Holt (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Scam or truth?

Just the right balance of detail, flashbacks, insights to develop the characters and the questions...

Not something I would recommend

The main character is a pathetic, not well defined character that flip flops in her values (and not intentionally written to be that way). Underwhelming ending that seems to be completely opposite in tone from the rest of the book. From an incomprehensible obsession of a friend from 20 years ago to indifference. The main character is a pathetic underdeveloped woman with unnatural thoughts and feelings, making it hard to sympathize with her and, therefore, be enveloped by the story.

it's okay

not what I expected. the details about Russian local life is interesting, but the story is so vague I lost interest before the ending and truth is revealed.

Marvelous!

Well written amazing story! Superbly performed, too!

Very interesting take on the perception of a very interesting young woman and her devotion to her friend and her need to know more about, of all things, the USSR and later, modern day Russia. There is much to be learned from this book.

Great background book

Always looking for something to listen to when I'm doing house work or computer work. This book is engaging and kept my attention. Bought it in a daily deal and it was worth it!

Excellent Book

I loved this book even more than I thought I would! The narrator was magnificent. I know I will listen to it again, plus I put it on my Kindle for when I want to actually read.

Great story

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the heartfelt performance. It's memorable in its depiction of the 80!s.

Good one!

Very intriguing story from the beginning. Easy Listen. The narrator was great too! This book is definitely worth your time.

Easily Overlooked

I have listened to this book many times and what I feel several listeners failed to understand is that there are clues hidden in Sarah's past that give hints to what she will find in Russia. For example, Jenny was planning on naming her future son Troy after the Trojan Horse epic, a tactical ruse to gain entry. Additionally, this is a debut novel from a male writer who is describing the intricacies of female friendships forged in youth. It is subtly written yet beautifully executed.

I could not put it down

Where does You Are One of Them rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It ranks at the top third of the books I've read the last few months.

Which character – as performed by Cassandra Campbell – was your favorite?

Sarah, the heroine.

If you could rename You Are One of Them, what would you call it?

The title didn't give me any clue as to the plot and that's a good thing as not to give it away. I think it was well named.

Any additional comments?

It was a very captivating story line. Cassandra is an excellent narrator; especially given the accents that are integral to the story line. It was one of the greatest advantages of listening to the book.