Dakota Blues

By: Lynne Spreen

Narrated by: Caroline Miller

Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

While visiting her Midwestern hometown after many years, workaholic Karen Grace risks a few extra days away from the office, to get reacquainted with her extended family and childhood friends. She visits the crumbling homesteads of her prairie ancestors, and rediscovers their immigrant dreams and sacrifices. When her tyrannical boss fires her, she's 1,500 miles from home, just one more middle-aged worker out of a job in a tough economy. To make matters worse, her husband just left her for his pregnant girlfriend.

At a crossroads, Karen must find the courage to change. Needing time to think, she agrees to take an elderly neighbor on one last road trip, but on a deserted highway in Wyoming, Karen is forced to make a lethal and life-changing decision.

I wrote Dakota Blues because I'm fascinated by the idea that the second half of our lives could be more powerful than we've ever imagined, but there's a problem: Our culture teaches us that our youth is the good half, and once that's over, forget it. In Dakota Blues, I try to show a woman who breaks free at midlife and struggles to win her freedom.

©2012 Lynne M. Spreen (P)2014 Lynne M. Spreen

A touching story of the challenges of lifechanges

I liked this book about Karen, who when life changes a lot, learn to know herself again and also get new friends. The narration was good too.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE!

I love how the main character who is a workaholic is changed on a visit home due to her mothers' passing. I love how you can go home again and learn all that you've forgot. Sometimes you just need to slow down and enjoy life. This books is so much fun and truly a road trip with in a book.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Great audiobook

Any additional comments?

This audiobook will surely touch women who have faced strife and have come out the other side changed and renewed, or those who are wanting to do so. The characters are real and flawed. The situations are current and believable. The author brought the listeners into a part of the world I didn't know and made me feel like I do know it. Dakota Blues is a lot like real life in that everything doesn't always get resolved in a neat package even if we want it to.

Life after middle age

My Review

This is the story of a middle aged woman who has been thrust headlong into the strange and unfamiliar world of the discarded. Karen has been rejected by both her husband and her employer and in consequence, her ego has suffered a massive blow. She had thought herself well loved by her husband and also had believed she was irreplaceable at work. She was neither.
The author, Lynne Spreens, had reached midlife before finding the freedom to pursue her own lifelong dream of being a writer, this book though, her debut novel, is not about a middle aged dream chaser but, as Lynne herself puts it:
"older people who think they have the world figured out, but then something happens and they're forced to refashion a life out of the rubble that remains"

Karen had taken a few days leave to attend the funeral of her mother, and it is here in her hometown that she learns she has lost her job. Already made vulnerable by the loss of her mother, Karen had been attempting to come to terms with the loss of her old life as she new it - her own home, a loving husband and an important and all consuming job.
Not as important in the eyes of others as she once thought herself to be, Karen has huge life adjustments before her. It seemed to me that maybe Karen had developed a somewhat condescending attitude to her Midwestern family and friends, that she had pegged them as simple folk lacking the will to "improve" themselves. Yet, in a twist of fate, circumstances had forced her to lay herself bare, no high powered job or city lifestyle to hide behind she became about as vulnerable as a woman could be. Here she was though, surrounded by those she had left far behind in more ways than one, gradually rediscovering how truly strong these women are, Karen rediscovers her own true strengths.
This book has some enjoyable characters, Freida, the old lady determined to get her own way, made the road trip a little more interesting. The story, however, had some issues for me, I don't know why it was necessary to include a certain episode of, let's say involving scary men, I'm not sure what the odd couple added, if anything, and I don't know why Friedas' daughter had to be such an unlikeable and unreasonable idiot. I think the story was good enough on its own, didn't need the dramatising.

Narrator
I have read that there is to be a sequel and I look forward to it, Caroline Miller is easy to listen to, has a nice, easy pace and is able to change character easily and distinctly.

This audiobook was gifted to me in return for this, my honest opinion

A Lovely Story of A Woman's Reality

This novel was so not my norm, but the reality rang true in the story of an aging woman in corporate America. Too many times in today's economy older experienced workers are shunted aside for the younger cheaper model. A really heart warming set of characters and the realization of what is important in life.

fantastic book for women

I was gifted this Audio ARC for a honest and unbiased review from the author/narrator.

This is one of those stories that will not appeal to everyone although I believe 90% of women will enjoy it. It's about learning to let go, coming to terms with your life and finding your own happiness.This story feels "real" and has some really good parts but at the same time there were periods where the story dragged for abit. It's a mid-life coming of age story. Many of the issues Karen deals with in the story are ordinary things many of us have dealt with or will have to deal with at some point in our lives. When Karen's comfortable life suddenly turns upside down on several areas in her life.
Caroline Miller did a really good job with the narration. This is the first time I have listened to a book she has narrated. Very easy to listen to for long periods of time. She was able to bring the characters and story life. extremely enjoyable.

Good Book

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book about a middle aged woman who's life goes through many changes, seemingly at the same time, which makes her to learn about herself all over again. The narrator did a great job.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Dakota Blues

The story of a 50's year old woman who has put her all into her career discovers that, that doesn't always matter and definitely is not the best choice to make in like.

Karen goes back home for her mother's funeral only to be terminated from her job for taking time off. Her husband has left her for his younger pregnant girlfriend. With nothing to loose she begins her travel from South Dakota to California via Colorado with her mother's 90 year old neighbor. She learns the importance of being who she wants to be not how the world thinks you should be.

While it is a work of fiction it is an eye opening story about how people in the 40's and 50's perceived in our world force.

Caroline Miller did a great job. She has a great tone for audio books and makes it easy to differentiate between characters.

Dakota Blues

Great story. A woman is let go from her job after attending her mother's funeral. Her husband has left her for a younger (& pregnant) woman. She now has to decide what to do with her life. Although a good portion of the beginning of the book is kind of a back story to her life, its something that you need to follow through & understand & see the changes & obstacles that she must face. It makes you re-evaluate your own life & makes you wonder if you are living your life for you or are you living your life for someone else?

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

Dakota Blues

Any additional comments?

This is one of those stories that will not appeal to everyone. It's about learning to let go, coming to terms with your life and finding your own happiness. While it is an overall interesting and entertaining story it's not a fast paced exciting action packed tale. It is a story that feels "real" and has some really good parts but at the same time there were periods where the story dragged for me.

It's a mid-life coming of age story. Many of the issues Karen deals with in the story are ordinary things many of us have dealt with or will have to deal with at some point in our lives. It's a story of personal discovery for Karen after the death of her mother, the connection/history we all have to a place, it's people, the memories, the things we've forgotten vs. the path our lives have taken.

When Karen's comfortable familiar life is suddenly turned upside down on several fronts and she is basically cast aside she has the chance to re-evaluate what she wants and the direction she wants her life to go.

Really enjoyed Karen's relationship with Frieda. We all need a Frieda at some point in our lives. The older people in our lives have a wisdom gained through a lifetime of experiences to share, if you just listen.

Loved F**k It list, I think I have one those just didn't call it that. It's more of a I'm too old for this sh*t list.

Caroline Miller did a really good job with the narration. This is the first time I have listened to a book she has narrated. Pleasant voice. Very easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. Good character voices. She was able to bring the characters and story life. Very enjoyable

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily provided this review.