Strange Piece of Paradise

De: Terri Jentz

Narrado por: Margaret Colin

In the summer of 1977, Terri Jentz and her Yale roommate, Shayna Weiss, make a cross-country bike trip. They pitch a tent in the desert of central Oregon. As they are sleeping, a man in a pickup truck deliberately runs over the tent. He then attacks them with an ax. The horrific crime is reported in newspapers across the country. No one is ever arrested. Both women survive, but Shayna suffers from amnesia, while Terri is left alone with memories of the attack. Their friendship is shattered.

Fifteen years later, Terri returns to the small town where she was nearly murdered, on the first of many visits she will make "to solve the crime that would solve me". And she makes an extraordinary discovery: the violence of that night is as present for the community as it is for her. Slowly, her extensive interviews with the townspeople yield a terrifying revelation: many say they know who did it, and he is living freely in their midst. Terri then sets out to discover the truth about the crime and its aftermath, and to come to terms with the wounds that broke her life into a before and an after. Ultimately she finds herself face-to-face with the alleged axman.

Powerful, eloquent, and paced like the most riveting of thrillers, Strange Piece of Paradise is the electrifying account of Terri's investigation into the mystery of her near murder. A startling profile of a psychopath, a sweeping reflection on violence and the myth of American individualism, and a moving record of a brave inner journey from violence to hope, this searing, unforgettable work is certain to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

©2006 Terri Jentz (P)2006 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Her story is chilling and will enthrall true crime readers." (Publishers Weekly)

"This powerful memoir...moves with great skill back between the year of the attack and the years of her investigation." (Los Angeles Times)

Gruesome and captivating real life account

At 1st I was not in love with the narrators voice, but I grew to like it and accept her as the true story teller. This was a great book if you've been into podcasts like "Serial," or "Up and Vanished." Real life search for a man that ran over her with a truck and chopped her with a hatchet. Recommend.

beautifully written!

I wish she would write more! incredible story written so well! poetic! wonderful! I will definitely listen to the book more than once!

Great book, not so great narrator

Great introspective book by an amazingly strong woman. The narrator/ voice actor who reads it was very distracting. For some reason, she kept giving the people of these somewhat rural Oregon towns a weird sort of Southern accent.

Haunting and captivating

I am a big crime thriller enthusiast and this story captivated me. Not only does it take you on a journey as the author investigates her own attempted murder years before, but she describes the deep, complicated emotions she felt and continues to feel throughout the book which are haunting in and of themselves. Horrifying tale, told well. Narrator’s voice was unique and full of character. Recommend.

Great story marred by slow, corny narrator

The first-person protagonist is a Yale graduate from Chicago, but the Audible narrator uses a country drawl that sometimes lapses into southern. She over dramatizes every sentence and doesn't much distinguish between the protagonist's words and the other characters' dialogue. Audible, please think before you hire! Someone assigned this book without having read Chapter 1.

Representation I wish I never found but always needed

As someone who went through similar I was dumbstruck when I could find so little to aid and cater to those who survived a near murder. They have resources, books, groups, etc for surviving loved ones of someone who was murdered or someone who killed. But I had never found someone like me who brushed so close with death in such a graphic and horrible way by another. I wish she didnt relate. But she does. And for this story and its publishing I am so very thankful. I found so much love, hope and comfort from a book many others may read and end up nauseated at the graphic descriptions that it includes.

Nothing about this seems like romanticization, minimization, fetishization, or shit like that. It feels raw and real and personal. And like it was meant just for me and others like us. And like a tearful hug from a friend who gets it.

I highly reccomend this book to those who know someone who dealt with similar, who dealt with similar or even adjacent traumas. She manages to depict systemic injustices, social biases and possible corruption very well. And in a way that doesnt shy away, that considers alternatives, and that acknowledges how deep the roots run for it without simply falling into jaded hopelessness. She talks of her own activism and others. And marks a path of change growth and accountability that is a breath of fresh air.

I highly reccomend to all. And if she reads this(I highly doubt it) Thank you very kindly for writing this

Excellent.

This was one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to yet. Beautiful writing, inspiring story and the narrator was perfect!

In the middle.

I normally love true crime and this one just didn’t sit with me. It was really just way too drawn out. Could have been much shorter. It got my interest in the first few chapters and then the longer it went to more I was dying for it to be over.

Facing your deamons

I love true crime and this book did not disappoint. Terri does a great job of remembering small details that make the book even more interesting. I especially loved that the townspeople she meets when she returns to Oregon to investigate the crime, take her in so lovingly.
I agree with the other reviews that the narrater has a lisp or other speech impediment but it adds to the charm of the book and makes it seem more real.

Injustice System

Wow. I had spent time in the area and had heard the story of the Cline Falls murder. (Attempted but things changed over time) This was a riveting investigation by the author and victim herself. It’s unbelievable the criminal was not held accountable.