Magdalena

By: Candi Sary

Narrated by: Jennifer Pickens

"Beautifully written and satisfyingly creepy, this is one of the most poignant and original ghost stories I've ever read."—Mark Haskell Smith, author of Blown

In a small, secluded town that thrives on gossip and superstition, Dottie offers plenty of both when the scandal breaks about a missing girl, a ghost, and the affair that started it all. Having suffered a history of miscarriages, reclusive Dottie develops a strange motherly interest in her fifteen-year-old neighbor, Magdalena. Somewhere between fantasy and reality, Dottie finds new life in her relationship with the mysterious girl. But Dottie's entanglements with Magdalena, a curious centenarian, a compelling stranger, an ex-mobster, and a murder of crows thrusts this once cloistered woman into a frenzy of public scrutiny. To quell the rumors, Dottie puts pen to paper and discovers something as frightening as it is liberating—her voice.

©2023 Candi Sary (P)2023 Tantor

captivating story/awesome reader

We listened to Magdalena on a drive to and from Las Vegas. The reader was great and the story kept us guessing with plenty of twists and turns.

Fabulous

Jennifer Pickens is absolutely fabulous! She does an amazing job bringing Dottie’s story to life!

INCREDIBLE story and excellent performance!!!

I cannot recommend Magdalena highly enough. It's the best thing I've read in ages! The characters are beautifully written, fully-realized people; the setting is unique and odd, but also believable; the plot is engaging, well-paced, and satisfying. Jennifer Pickens is a phenomenal reader, as well, and really brings the story to life.
If you are looking for a ghost story unlike other ghost stories, a book about unconventional mother figures, or a spot-on look at what it's like to be different in a place that doesn't at all appreciate differences, this is the book for you. I would recommend Magdalena to anyone who loved We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.
Thank you for writing, Candi Sary!

Loved it!

Beautifully written ..love, loss and what it means to be a Mother. It kept me engaged and questioning to the end.

Magdalena, the free spirit, the survivor

I wholeheartedly recommend this story about not just Magdalena but several women and their struggle and triumphs surviving in a small community, in various stages of life. Wonderful, surprising twists. Kudos to this imaginative author.