When She Woke

By: Hillary Jordan

Narrated by: Heather Corrigan

Hannah Payne awakens to a nightmare. She is lying on a table in a bare room, covered only by a paper gown, with cameras broadcasting her every move to millions at home. She is now a convicted criminal, and her skin color has been genetically altered. Her crime, according to the State of Texas: the murder of her unborn child, whose father she refuses to name. Her color: red. The color of newly shed blood.

In Hannah's America, sometime in the future, faith, love, and sexuality have fallen prey to politics. Convicted felons are no longer imprisoned and rehabilitated, but "chromed", forced to appear in a new and sinister form of reality TV, and released back into the population. Stigmatized in a hostile world, they must survive the best they can.

Until her arrest, Hannah had devoted her life to church and family. In seeking a path to safety, she is forced to question the values she once held true and the righteousness of a country that politicizes the personal.

©2011 Original material ©2011 Hillary Jordan. Recorded by arrangement with Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc. Excerpt from Sharon Morris's "Not Just an Image" from False Spring, © 2007 Sharon Morris, Enitharmon Press, London, UK. Excerpted by permission of the author. (P)2011 (p) 2011 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Jordan blends hot-button issues such as the separation of church and state, abortion, and criminal justice with an utterly engrossing story, driven by a heroine as layered and magnetic as Hester Prynne herself." ( Booklist [HC starred review])

love, Love LOVE this book!

Would you consider the audio edition of When She Woke to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of When She Woke?

When she experienced her parents reactions.

Which scene was your favorite?

The second awakening.

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

It was compelling, but I enjoyed piece mealing it.

Pretty Good

Would you consider the audio edition of When She Woke to be better than the print version?

Yes, I think so.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would have liked to see her get spunky a little earlier in the story.

What does Heather Corrigan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'm not sure, but I enjoyed listening to her. She has a pleasant voice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, when she made the doll for her baby.

Meh X 2

While I think the premise was a good one, it could have been so much more than a woman growing into herself type book. I did finish it but barely as by the last hour or so, I didn't really care what happened to the main character. Maybe buy it if it gets to the 3.99 bin but don't waste a credit.

Solid dystopian fantasy

This was a solid dystopian book reflecting on religion and society. I didn’t care for the ending. But the rest was worth the listen.

Relevant and well written

This book was a great listen. The story was fantastic and the reading was good as well. There were a few instances where the narration was cut weirdly (the narrator going from relaxed to alarmed as if the recordings had been done on different days and with different emphasis).