Burying the Honeysuckle Girls

By: Emily Carpenter

Narrated by: Kate Orsini

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

Althea Bell is still heartbroken by her mother's tragic, premature death - and tormented by the last, frantic words she whispered into young Althea's ear: Wait for her. For the honeysuckle girl. She'll find you, I think, but if she doesn't, you find her.

Adrift ever since, Althea is now fresh out of rehab and returning to her family home in Mobile, Alabama, determined to reconnect with her estranged, ailing father. While Althea doesn't expect him, or her politically ambitious brother, to welcome her with open arms, she's not prepared for the chilling revelation of a grim, long-buried family secret. Fragile and desperate, Althea escapes with an old flame to uncover the truth about her lineage. Drawn deeper into her ancestors' lives, Althea begins to unearth their disturbing history...and the part she's meant to play in it.

Gripping and visceral, this unforgettable debut delves straight into the heart of dark family secrets and into one woman's emotional journey to save herself from a sinister inheritance.

©2016 Emily Carpenter (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

over-dramatic & awful

If I could give this zero stars, I would. This should have been about a 5 hour book max. The main character is an unlikable mishmash of every negative femaloe stereotype (overly emotional, always needs a man, always impulsive, not the least bit self-sufficient & nary a worry about birth control) & if you took a shot of vodka every time she yammers on about red ravens & her cigar box, you'd die of alcohol poisoning well before the end of the book. She has a serious anger management problem, in the least interesting/most annoying ways possible. The remaining characters are one-dimensional & their actions make zero sense. The heroine never simply walks, instead she flails, she flees, she races, she charges, she sprints, she rushes headlong, it's exhausting & I only finished the listening because I hoped someone would finally finish her off. The ending is predictable, far-fetched & unsatisfactory.

I didn't like it.

149 of 158 people found this review helpful

I want to bottle Kate Orsini's voice . . .

. . .and put it in the pantry between the honey and the molasses. The story kept moving and changing, one memorable scene after another all beautifully painted and believably, sadly, all too Southern.

23 of 24 people found this review helpful

the performance was perfect. the story was great.

the story was believable. the characters
were real. itt is a major life moment when the past is exposed. and the sad thing is,that it means so much to the newer generations to know the story not the myth to help find their way.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Worth More Than 5 Stars!!

I couldn't stop listening to this. This story is full of mystery, tragedy, sadness, and visions into how things were back in the days when so many things were taboo, hush hush, and swept under the proverbial rug. The lead character, Althea is a mess, but saucy with a determined, spunky personality. She is one to be reckoned with. The narrator, Kate Orsini was the perfect choice for this story. She brought every character to life brilliantly. She is a powerful voice for a powerful story. Emily Carpenter is a very seasoned and talented writer. She makes you feel like you are in the middle of the story experiencing all of it. She is one of those writer's that describes each scene perfectly, where you can actually see it in your mind's eye. This would make an Oscar worthy movie, especially if Kate stars as Althea. This is definitely worth your time and point/$. Give it a try. Wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

27 of 30 people found this review helpful

Mixed Feelings

Enjoyed story but did not like how it ended. Felt a bit disjointed, and certain parts just did not seem to make sense. However, the narration was super good!

16 of 18 people found this review helpful

Really? In2012?

Aside from not liking the frequent use of profanities and blasphemy, I thought the story was a bit weak. The part about the grandmother was believable. To have two other women. In the family meet misfortune on their 30th birthday was implausible, and asking us to believe it will happen a fourth time - in 2012- is where I jumped ship. The narrator was very natural. I liked how she sounded as if she were actually recounting her own story.

65 of 76 people found this review helpful

Modern women will find this hard to believe

very well written; good, suspenseful story about a subject modern women will have a hard time believing: women were institutionalized for non-conformity, not following their husband's instructions, or just being difficult. good read/listen.

24 of 28 people found this review helpful

Wonderful and sad story

Very well written. Loved the narrator in this book! As a southerner I get so disappointed with a lot of the narrators "southern accent" when reading a book but this woman was spot on. Would recommend and is definitely worth a credit.

18 of 21 people found this review helpful

Pretty Awesome Listen

Where does Burying the Honeysuckle Girls rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10

What was one of the most memorable moments of Burying the Honeysuckle Girls?

Jinn's Dad showing up at the water when Jinn was with Dove. The chapter ended there and came back to the present..I almost skipped ahead!

What about Kate Orsini’s performance did you like?

Oh..that was my favorite part! Her accent is amazing..the inflection, her tone, the excitement really shone through and I felt like she WAS the actual character speaking. Best narration to date for me of any of my audible selections.

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

The unfairness of it all...way back when. How people, women and African Americans were treated and institutionalized. The message throughout the story was moving.

Any additional comments?

I didn't love Wynn's demise however his vain secret was quite vividly portrayed and I actually laughed out loud!

10 of 12 people found this review helpful

Great book with superb narration

What did you love best about Burying the Honeysuckle Girls?

The book didn't fit into one particular category. There was some romance, drama, mystery, and literary fiction.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I would probably have to say Gin. Without spoilers, I can say that for the times she was living in, she did what she could under the circumstances, instead of just completely bowing down to the men in her life.

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

While I enjoyed the story itself, Kate Orsini's narration made it all come alive for me. I've listened to over 500 books, and she's one of my favorite voices so far. I could hear the smile in her voice in some parts. She was very expressive, and each character was very distinct.

Any additional comments?

I don't usually review books, but this one grabbed me from the beginning. I listen exclusively at work, and the day went by quickly because I was so engrossed. This doesn't happen very often, so I wanted to take the time to review it. I would definitely recommend this book.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Sad but beautiful.

Beautifully told story, that will enchant you from start to finnish. A must listen to.