The Peach Keeper

A Novel

By: Sarah Addison Allen

Narrated by: Karen White

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Chased the Moon welcomes you to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the town’s famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be. It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots. But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it. For the bones—those of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water seventy-five years ago—are not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town. Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied the grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living. Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds that—in good times and bad, from one generation to the next—endure forever.

©2011 Sarah Addison Allen (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

"Allen juggles smalltown history and mystical thriller, character development and eerie magical realism in a fine Southern gothic drama. The underlying tension will please and unnerve readers, as well as leave them eager for Allen's next." (Publisher's Weekly)

Listen at 1.5x speed

Lovely story, like all of SAA's books. A little less whimsy and more mystery which I actually enjoyed a lot. The narration is awful but if you listen at 1.5 speed it makes the halting, weird reading much more bearable.

Good Read

Fun, whimsical and entertaining, made five hours of weeding something to look forward to. Looking forward to Sarah's next book.

Magical ways

Would you consider the audio edition of The Peach Keeper to be better than the print version?

Different pleasures.

Any additional comments?

I look forward each of her books, each has the right mix of magic, love, south, friendship, families, and a wide range of human emotions, and delicious as the juice of a yummy peach.

One of my favorites

I love Sarah Addison Allen's books. They're like comfort food for my soul. A few people have complained about the narrator, but I love her voice and I found it perfect for this book.

Brilliant

Sarah Addison Allen is a subtle and powerful author. The reading is the same. Well done.

Friendship and Purpose with a Touch of Magic

Addison Allen delivers a story about friends and friendship; about conforming and taking risks; and about finding ourselves. And add in a light sprinkling of magic. For those of us who loved Garden Spells, Audible Chapter 11 has Claire Waverly as caterer for the luncheon.
Again, SAA’s writing is not overly emotional or maudlin; and you’re left with a happy feeling at the end.
White has the perfect voice for a young adult society woman, and does a great job of expressing emotions.
Recommend.

WORST NARRATION I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED

I've been an Audible member since 2001 and have over 320 books in my Library. I can honestly say that the narration of this book is the WORST I've ever experienced! So much so, that I nearly gave up on the book 20 minutes into it as I found myself focusing on the annoying narration style rather than the book. The narrator's voice would frequently swing from breathy to scratchy (as if she were pulling the last bit of air from the bottom of her lungs) several times within a sentence. Her cadence was completely off, rising and falling inappropriately, as if she were doing a newscast (and not a very good one) rather than narrating a book.

This is a shame because I find Sarah Addison Allen's books to be charming. I am frequently amazed at how in tune she is with the senses (particularly the sense of smell), nature, and the relationships between women--all the while weaving in a little magic. While Sarah's books likely won't win any awards, they are a pleasure to read and I find the content refreshing.

I gave this particular book 3 stars assuming that 3 stars is an "average" rating. I reserve 5 stars for hands-down outstanding books such as Stieg Larsson's books and "The Peach Keeper" isn't Sarah Addison Allen's best work. Don't let this deter you from reading the book though--just be sure to do it in print!

I love this Author!

If you could sum up The Peach Keeper in three words, what would they be?

Great Story

What did you like best about this story?

I like the characters and how you aren't hearing from only one character but from all

Have you listened to any of Karen White’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, Great

Any additional comments?

All 4 books I have listened to have been great, they keep you wanting more. Which usually means I am in my garage for another hour trying to hear more of the story :) Great books, not mushy :)

Another Allen hit!

Where does The Peach Keeper rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In my "really like it" list.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of them. Each had a valuable place in the overall story.

Which character – as performed by Karen White – was your favorite?

She did well with all of them. Good narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, just couldnt stop listening!

Any additional comments?

Sarah Addison Allen does it again, produces a "can't put it down" book.

enjoyed it

loved it, not sexual just comfortable and a little magic. definitely recommend it. good reading