An Exaltation of Larks

Venery, Book 1

De: Suanne Laqueur

Narrado por: Darren Eliker, Vanessa DeSilvio

Grand Prize in the 2017 Writer's Digest Awards

First Place in the 2019 North Street Book Prize

September 11, 1973: Eleven-year-old Alejandro Penda watches from his apartment window as Santiago, Chile falls to a military coup, destroying his family and his childhood. Arriving alone in America, he’s taken in by the Larks: a prominent family in the town of Guelisten. Though burdened by unresolved grief for his disappeared parents, he becomes fiercely loyal to the Larks, eventually marrying one of their daughters, Valerie.

September 11, 2001: Javier Landes watches from his apartment window as New York City falls to terrorism. As one of Manhattan’s top-paid male escorts, this professional lover has never lacked for company and is loyal only to himself. But in the wake of 9/11, Jav is named guardian for an orphaned nephew in Guelisten and must open his carefully-guarded heart to pain he's long suppressed.

Alex, Valerie and Jav meet first in their twenties, with a sudden attraction each finds strange and compelling. When they meet again in their forties, they discover not only is their bond still strong, but their life experiences are strangely similar. All have been shaped by separate 9/11's, and their unfinished business from the past will change everything they know about love, loyalty and friendship.

Across three decades and two continents, Suanne Laqueur's award-winning novel explores the unpredictability of sexual attraction, how family ties are forged, torn and mended, and how love's downfall can turn to exaltation.

©2016 Suanne Laqueur (P)2023 Suanne Laqueur

Phenomenal Storytelling

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. I cannot get over what a powerhouse of a novel that Suanne has written. Brutally beautiful is the phrase that comes to mind when I think of how to describe it. Some scenes are hard to process because of the intense nature of the story, but once you get through them, it's so worth it. The characters come to life so vividly, I feel as if they are real. The authenticity of them made the fiction seem real. That to me is the highest compliment to an author. Javier (Jav) Landes is probably one of my most favorite book characters that I have ever read. My heart broke for him so many times, I lost count. I cannot wait to go on to read book 2 in the series. Bravo, Suanne, Bravo. I highly recommend this on audio. The narrartors are so fantastic that it was hard to stop listening and get anything done.

My best Audible purchase!

I went in knowing the story—this is by one of my favorite authors, after all—but to hear it performed by such talented voice actors as opposed to simply reading it? I lived in this story for a week. It was more than an audio book, it was an experience.
I’m now off to find everything else Darren Eliker and Vanessa DeSilvio have recorded.

One of my all time favorites

This book is one I absolutely love and revisit often. The writing, the characters and the story have a permanent place in my heart. The narrators have done an excellent job and I couldn’t be happier!

Loved it!

I read the book when it first came out and was blown away. When I saw it release in audiobook I didn't hesitate. Well worth the credit. This is a wonderful, intelligent, heartwarming and layered story ooozing with heart. Unforgettable characters brought to life by the excellent narrators. I hope the second book is already in the works. Highly recommend the entire series.

Worth Every Second

First…I am not an avid Audible fan. I am a reader and can do so for hours on end given a good story. This is an excellent story which I devoured a few years ago.

I have had several projects I needed to finish and decided to listen to this, one of my favorite books. It captured my attention from the minute I started listening and I found myself listening every chance I got. I even found myself listening while sitting still, my face turned towards the sun and smiling in wonder. That is something I could never do with any Audible book until now. Suanne, your writing is as familiar and exciting as a new friend I cannot wait to learn more about. The narration was perfect. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️