The Other Valley

A Novel

De: Scott Alexander Howard

Narrado por: Cindy Kay

*Soon to be a TV series*
Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club Top Four Pick and a PBS Book Club Pick

For fans of Kazuo Ishiguro and Emily St. John Mandel, this “mind-bending take on time travel” (The New York Times) is about an isolated town neighbored by its own past and future, and a young girl who spots two elderly visitors from across the border: the grieving parents of the boy she loves.

Sixteen-year-old Odile vies for a coveted seat on the Conseil. If she earns the position, she’ll decide who may cross her town’s heavily guarded borders. To the east, the town is twenty years ahead in time. To the west, it’s twenty years behind. The towns repeat in an endless sequence across the wilderness.

When Odile recognizes two visitors she wasn’t supposed to see, she realizes that the parents of her friend Edme have been escorted across the border from the future, on a mourning tour, to view their son while he’s still alive in Odile’s present.

Edme—who is brilliant, funny, and the only person to truly know Odile—is going to die. Sworn to secrecy to preserve the timeline, Odile now becomes the Conseil’s top candidate. Yet she finds herself drawing closer to the doomed boy, jeopardizing her entire future.

The Other Valley is “thought-provoking exploration of ethics, power, love, and time travel” (Kirkus Reviews).

©2024 Scott Alexander Howard (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Interesting and thought provoking!

A thought provoking story about physical time travel. This was an interesting and ultimately a satisfying read.

time traveler loop of the year

awesome read, considering the first book by a philosophy professor, I loved the plot, ending and all the characters a lot. enjoyed every bit of it.
the narrator's voice is too raspy and at some point I feel like clearing my own throat 😕 strange, I know!

Not my cup of tea.

Creative premise but by halfway through it just wasn’t getting my attention. The narrator was a whisperer which annoys me. I had to turn the volume on high and could barely hear in the car. I wish she would use a stage voice over acting like she was trying not to be overheard.

A very interesting and captivating plot

Great plot and great narration throughout the complete novel. The story creates a wonder land of imagined possibilities

Great story

Narration was a bit on the sadder side but I still enjoyed it! Gives it a nostalgic feel.

Loved this book! Immediately read it again!

Suspenseful. Thought provoking. Relatable characters.
Imagine the possibilities and consequences of a world where you could just take a peek forward or backward in time with a good enough reason.
This book had me asking myself all kinds of hypothetical questions and dissecting the details of infinite scenarios of how things might change.
Is it worth the risk?

A lovely complex story

I enjoyed the story and the characters. It was worth the read. The time travel was interesting.

The unique premise, philosophical themes, and compelling storytelling.

Fans of speculative fiction will be enthralled by this captivating tale set in this French-influenced lake town nestled between two versions of itself, one 20 years in the past and the other 20 years in the future.

In the story, you are only able to visit the past for bereavement purposes. This raises thought-provoking philosophical questions about the consequences of altering the past and its impact on the future. Through the eyes of a 16-year-old female protagonist, the story delves into complex moral dilemmas when she encounters visitors from the future on a bereavement visit. The beautiful and poetic writing style adds depth to the narrative as the protagonist grapples with whether to intervene or stay silent.

Part 2 of the book ramped up the tension, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The surprising yet satisfying ending ties up the story in a way that makes the stressful journey worthwhile.

I highly recommend this book for its unique premise, philosophical themes, and compelling storytelling.

Wonderfully Beautiful

Wow! What a debut! Thoroughly enthralling piece of work. Had me mesmerized from the very beginning to the very end.

Great Debut Novel!

no spoilers- This book really offers a lot. the concept is very unique but is presented in a way that feels realistic and accepted in this world. there is a good balance of information given with some questions and conclusions to be drawn by the reader. I did feel a lot of emotion and connection to the characters. the middle was a little hard to get through at times (not a complaint just rooting for the characters).
I seriously appreciate how good the ending is. there are so many books where the last 20% brings down the novel and gives me a slightly disappointed feeling at the end, which is not the case with this book. it's a risk to write such a unique story, so i felt impressed at how satisfied I was with how everything ties together. this book will also be interesting on a second listen! definitely looking forward to see what else this author releases.

I will say I did not love the performance. this book is already pretty serious, but the whispering an overall tone made it feel more drab than it needed to be, so I would consider getting a written version