Between Will and Surrender

Enter the Between, Book 1

De: Margaret Duarte

Narrado por: Kristen Simoes

A mute child, a fire opal, and an antique mirror meld to lay a path to self-discovery

Silicon Valley resident Marjorie Veil has been conditioned to ignore her own truth, to give away her power, to subjugate in relationships with others, and to settle for the path of least resistance. But she has many surprises in store, for there are synchronistic forces at work in her life that, if she listens, will lead her to her authentic heart and happiness.

The seemingly impossible happens in the wilds of the Los Padres National Forest where Marjorie goes on retreat to make sense of her life when she believes she is going insane.

The innocence of the Native American orphan Marjorie befriends, as well as more mystery and adventure than she bargained for, show her how love can heal in what turns out to be a transformative spiritual quest.

Between Will and Surrender, book one of the “Enter the Between” Visionary Fiction series, takes you on a spiritual adventure into the wilds of the Los Padres National Forest, home of the Esselen, one of the smallest Native American populations in California nearly exterminated as a result of the Spanish Missions.

First place in the Northern California Publishers and Authors Awards

First place in the California Indie Author Project

Laced with a symbolic dose of physics and the mystical, Between Will and Surrender is the result of the author’s 20-year fascination with the remarkable parallels between science and spirituality.

This visionary novel deals with the empowerment that results from standing up for one’s own beliefs and respecting the beliefs of others.

©2015 Margaret Mary Duarte (P)2020 Margaret Mary Duarte

Simply beautiful!

Marjorie Veil is facing a personal crisis, of sorts. Her fiance's self-absorbed need for control is increasing and she doesn't even like him anymore, let alone love him. Her mother has always tried to tell her what to do and how to do it, and it doesn't appear as if she's going to stop her need for control any time soon. Both of them are taking away her ability to make choices for herself and she feels like she's losing a little bit of herself each time she deals with them. Making a snap decision, she goes to see a psychologist, Dr. Tony Mendez, to help settle her uneasiness and to discuss the voices she's been hearing. This is a wonderful journey of discovery, enlightenment, love, heartbreak and understanding. The world, through which Ms. Duarte leads us, is vividly painted with references to literature, art, religion, architecture and so much more. It's a feast to the imagination and I didn't want to see Marjorie leave this world to continue on her journey. But, continue she must, if she wants to be able to come back to the man she loves and the orphan boy who means the world to her with a clear understanding of her place in the world. The narration was beautifully done by Kristin Semoes with a clear and dynamic voice that poured life into each of the characters, giving them a personality all their own. I particularly enjoyed the Word from My Protagonist where Marjorie very cleverly explains her relationship to the author in a voice that keeps that knowledge "just between us." I'm anxious to join Marjorie as she continues her journey to self-enlightenment. 

A great story

This was different from my usual story but I am so glad I read it. A story full of hope, control and trust. The characters were very interesting & I loved the cat, he was a riot. Marjorie Veil has always just done what others wanted her to just to make things easier. But one day she realized she wasn't happy with her relationship or life in general. When she Bagan hearing things she went to therapy. That sent her on a journey to not only help herself but a mute boy as well. While on her trip she found out there were secrets from her past that would change her life forever. A great read and Again loved the cat Gabriel.

Just amazing

This is such a fantastic blend of Christian and native beliefs and how they can blend together and how everyone has their own spiritual journey and no two people go on the same journey and the narrator does this story perfectly

This should be nominated for an AUDIE Award!!!

Since 1978 I have purchased well over 600 audiobooks. I love all types of stories, Western, Mystery, Romance, Military, Young Adult, True Crime, even some self-help. There are a number of narrators that I especially enjoy listening to such as; Edward Herrmann, Barbara Rosenblat, Fannie Flagg, Peter Coyote, and now Kristen Simoes. A lower timbre, and the ability to differentiate characters with voice inflection is what is important to my listening experience. I especially enjoy books that are part of a series. I am absorbed in getting to know the characters throughly and going along on their journey. I consider it an added bonus if I learn something along the way. For example, Faye Kellerman’s books have taught me about the Jewish Religion, from John Grisham I have learned about the law, courtrooms, and lawyers, and Jennifer Chiaverini books are all about the world of quilting. I can now add Margaret Duarte’s first book of the Enter the Between series “Between Will and Surrender” to my favorites list. It has a great narrator, a compelling storyline with suspense, mystery & romantic tension, AND I learned more about the Native Americans who help build the Missions in the area around Carmel, California. Can’t wait to find out what’s in store for Marjorie in the next book “Between Darkness and Dawn”.

Different

This book explores the dynamic marriage between Catholicism and Native beliefs and spiritual practices. The main character goes on vacation to find herself only to learn about Native history and how it impacts her life. The more she learns she discovers and unravels a mystery. She hears voices from the past helping to guide her. My Catholicism allowed me to benefit from the author's message of embracing spirituality. I am not sure if this book would interest someone with little to no understanding of faith.
Narrator Kristen Simoes did a great job voicing the characters.