Strange Piece of Paradise

By: Terri Jentz

Narrated by: Margaret Colin

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

In the summer of 1977, Terri Jentz and her Yale roommate, Shayna Weiss, make a cross-country bike trip. They pitch a tent in the desert of central Oregon. As they are sleeping, a man in a pickup truck deliberately runs over the tent. He then attacks them with an ax. The horrific crime is reported in newspapers across the country. No one is ever arrested. Both women survive, but Shayna suffers from amnesia, while Terri is left alone with memories of the attack. Their friendship is shattered.

Fifteen years later, Terri returns to the small town where she was nearly murdered, on the first of many visits she will make "to solve the crime that would solve me". And she makes an extraordinary discovery: the violence of that night is as present for the community as it is for her. Slowly, her extensive interviews with the townspeople yield a terrifying revelation: many say they know who did it, and he is living freely in their midst. Terri then sets out to discover the truth about the crime and its aftermath, and to come to terms with the wounds that broke her life into a before and an after. Ultimately she finds herself face-to-face with the alleged axman.

Powerful, eloquent, and paced like the most riveting of thrillers, Strange Piece of Paradise is the electrifying account of Terri's investigation into the mystery of her near murder. A startling profile of a psychopath, a sweeping reflection on violence and the myth of American individualism, and a moving record of a brave inner journey from violence to hope, this searing, unforgettable work is certain to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

©2006 Terri Jentz (P)2006 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

"Her story is chilling and will enthrall true crime readers." (Publishers Weekly)

"This powerful memoir...moves with great skill back between the year of the attack and the years of her investigation." (Los Angeles Times)

Gruesome and captivating real life account

At 1st I was not in love with the narrators voice, but I grew to like it and accept her as the true story teller. This was a great book if you've been into podcasts like "Serial," or "Up and Vanished." Real life search for a man that ran over her with a truck and chopped her with a hatchet. Recommend.

Great story marred by slow, corny narrator

The first-person protagonist is a Yale graduate from Chicago, but the Audible narrator uses a country drawl that sometimes lapses into southern. She over dramatizes every sentence and doesn't much distinguish between the protagonist's words and the other characters' dialogue. Audible, please think before you hire! Someone assigned this book without having read Chapter 1.

Facing your deamons

I love true crime and this book did not disappoint. Terri does a great job of remembering small details that make the book even more interesting. I especially loved that the townspeople she meets when she returns to Oregon to investigate the crime, take her in so lovingly.
I agree with the other reviews that the narrater has a lisp or other speech impediment but it adds to the charm of the book and makes it seem more real.

Great book, not so great narrator

Great introspective book by an amazingly strong woman. The narrator/ voice actor who reads it was very distracting. For some reason, she kept giving the people of these somewhat rural Oregon towns a weird sort of Southern accent.

Haunting and captivating

I am a big crime thriller enthusiast and this story captivated me. Not only does it take you on a journey as the author investigates her own attempted murder years before, but she describes the deep, complicated emotions she felt and continues to feel throughout the book which are haunting in and of themselves. Horrifying tale, told well. Narrator’s voice was unique and full of character. Recommend.

Excellent.

This was one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to yet. Beautiful writing, inspiring story and the narrator was perfect!

In the middle.

I normally love true crime and this one just didn’t sit with me. It was really just way too drawn out. Could have been much shorter. It got my interest in the first few chapters and then the longer it went to more I was dying for it to be over.

An interesting Book

I lived in Oregon at the time of this story. I remember the hot summer, the events taking place. Meanwhile these young women fought for their lives a few hundred miles away. Kay Turner, who is referenced, was my high school English Teacher. My daughter was abducted and raped at 18.
So I could relate to the frustration of overworked, apathetic law enforcement.
The performance was poor. The strange accents the reader used were like nothing I have heard. In Oregon or elsewhere. The mutilation of Willamette was to be expected. All in all a terrific story that needed telling. The author reclaimed her life against an incredible psychopath.

Very good story, well read

Well written and read. Even though I already knew the outcome I had to keep listening. Without giving the story away, I just can't believe the system is so bad, incredible. I love Oregon and plan on a camping trip in this same area this summer. I will definately be keeping my ear to the wall.

Wonderful

At first it was hard to get into. Not because of the story. There was just something about it that was off putting. Maybe it was the horrible attack that was being told. As the story goes on I continue to become more and more enthralled with this story. This one is truly amazing.