• God's Nobodies

  • Misguided Faith and Murder in the Life of One American Family
  • By: Mark Obbie
  • Narrated by: Scott Aiello
  • Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (218 ratings)

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God's Nobodies

By: Mark Obbie
Narrated by: Scott Aiello
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Editorial reviews

Crime reporter Mark Obbie chronicles the true story of the improbable murder of Pam Ginochetti by her meek, frail son Tim. Flipping the script of most tragic tales of young gay men, Tim expresses his violence not towards himself but to his greatest bully: his overbearing mother. Scott Aiello's dynamic performance enhances Obbie's in-depth research of the circumstances surrounding the Ginochetti saga, including the fervent religious community that clashes with Tim's inner turmoil, and the brave but lonely support that Tim's grandmother gives him. God's Nobodies is a fascinating and heartbreaking true-crime narrative.

Publisher's summary

Four years after his father died a hero's death fighting a fire, Tim Ginocchetti was behind bars for killing his mother. How one tragedy led to another is a true story that puts a horrifying twist on the familiar one of bullied gay teens. In this case, the bully was the teen's own mother, and instead of harming himself he killed her in a momentary but irreversible explosion of rage.

God’s Nobodies, written by veteran crime reporter Mark Obbie, exposes the destruction of a meek young man whose only refuge was a childlike fantasy world of his own imagination. His family's blind obedience to their minister compounded the losses, first by turning Pam Ginocchetti against her son, and then by turning the rest of Tim's family against his loving grandmother - the one person brave enough to take a stand for forgiveness and truth after Pam's death.

Through a searing and heartbreaking true-crime narrative, God’s Nobodies teaches profound lessons about tolerance and the human spirit's yearning for independence.

©2012 Mark Obbie (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about God's Nobodies

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Well worth it!

This was an excellent listen! It details the tragic case of a young man continually bullied by his religious mother for not being "manly" enough. Later she was to question his sexuality (he was attracted to men, but never really identified as gay till after the murder). She relentlessly berated and ridiculed him for being too soft and effeminate. She and her fundamentalist cult-like church condemned him even before they even knew what to condemn him for (he was just a boy with a high voice). Eventually he snapped and killed his mother. Although this was a terribly brutal crime, it was not without provocation. He was held accountable for the murder, and rightly so, but one cannot help feeling sorry for the tragic life the perpetrator had to lead.

I was a little put off by the length of this audiobook because I have been burned by short true crimes "audiobooks" before. However I would assuage anyone's doubts by saying that this is just as good as any full-length true crime, both in the quality of writing and in the production values. One hopes that the author can get more audiobooks produced in the future whether they be short or novel sized. I would highly recommend this for true crime fans, or anyone interested in religion and sexuality.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great except “silver lining” ch.7

Really enjoyed this true crime story with fascinating, detailed and complex narrative from original sources. Epilogue/chapter seven seems like an artificial attempt to tie up the loose ends into a sentimental silver lining that doesn’t quite ring true.

Grandma Esther was forcefully made by the author into a lifetime movie style heroine even though she participated willingly helping bring innocent children into a sadistic cult under guise of Christianity never objecting to the abuse until after the tragedy.

I resent the author’s thinly veiled attempt to let the Christian church as whole off the hook by stating essentially that religious abuse happens but real Christianity is about redemption and forgiveness. I feel he should have let the reader form their own conclusions without inserting a hallmark “feel good” spin to the end.

As a gay person who has endured similar religious “spiritual” abuse I can truly say the only innocent victims in this story or hero’s are those firefighters. Tim was over 21 and though a child abuse victim, yes, he could have run away like most people do not murder his mother.

The pastor is not so much an evil mind control monster as much as a typical, in my opinion, conniving narcissist who preys on the low IQ, vast inner emptiness as well as spiritual and moral laziness of most of rural white middle America.

Sad that anyone sat in that church past age 16-18 when they couldn’t be forced by a parent or guardian. Everyone in that “church” gets the Darwin Award sorry not sympathetic. Well told ask good narration but skip the epilogue.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A must

This is a very powerful book so worth the time to listen to. So glad I took the time.

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The Cost of Love

This short listen has stuck with me and haunted me for days, so much so that I had to contact the author to see if I could find out what had happened to Tim Ginocchetti and if he had been released in 2019, and if he had been reunited with his grandmother, Esther, the only one who stuck by him. Let me say that I am a committed Christian, believing in biblical principles and values, the literal translation of the Bible, and I attend a conservative, evangelical church. The subject discussed in God's Nobodies is one of the most difficult facing church denominations today, but no matter where you fall in that discussion, as Christians, we are called first and foremost to LOVE. There is no excuse for a church or pastor to ridicule or rule over individuals and families as is the case with the church the Ginocchettis attended, and there is no biblical precedence for it. We are called to FORGIVE, not once, or twice, but as Jesus told his disciples, when they asked him: SEVENTY times SEVEN, in other words, over and over, with the same grace that Jesus forgave the woman at the well and the prostitute which was about to be stoned. That church is just as much a cult as the one that Jim Jones ran and led and incited almost a thousand people to commit mass suicide. When a church does not rely on the truth of God's word, but on that of a man, such as Brother Frank, the pastor, and squashes healthy discussion of Bible passages as they apply to daily life, there is danger of a cult mentality developing. That is the sin of PRIDE, and it is deadly. The young Tim Ginocchetti was dealt a hard blow in the loss of his firefighter father. Who knows how his life may have turned out if his father had not been killed in the line of duty . . . the boy's emotional hammering and continual fault finding by his mother was devastating for him. I am not excusing what he did . . . and I truly don't think he or his grandmother ever wanted that. But someone, somewhere SHOULD HAVE HEARD HIM . . . SEEN that he was in dire straights, instead of leaving him in a pressure cooker with his mentally unbalanced mother, who was being fed by a sick, minister who thought himself to be god (little g). I applaud this author for a well balanced report. I don't know where he stands on faith or God, but I'm thankful he took up the mantle for Tim Ginocchetti. And I am thankful that Tim was released in 2019 and is able to live a simple, low-key life with his grandmother, Esther who is now in her 80s. I'm thankful that throughout this entire ordeal, Esther never lost her faith, even though she lost the love of her life, a fifty year marriage, and is now alienated from the rest of her family. She held on to truth, choosing forgiveness, choosing what is right, and choosing to be there for her grandson who needed and loves her beyond measure.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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True Crime Truly

One of the things that seems to me to be wrong in the USA is the inability of many of our citizens to see the variety of Creation and notice all the shades of gray in life. Unfortunately, conservative Christians are often drawn to leaders who will tell them the world is only black and white. (I am not talking about racial issues.) I am saddened by right-wing preachers who encourage their congregations to follow blindly, to not use the heads God gave them. Of course, there probably are good, conservative preachers who aren’t prideful and controlling. (I intend to acknowledge shades of gray even here.)

This book offers a different kind of true crime book, if you will. The crime is certainly devastating, but the reaction of the church is the real crime. Christians say they seek to follow Jesus. There is something dreadfully sinful when they are following a mean-spirited preacher, instead.

Yes, the book stirred me up; it also showed me that despite everything there were some who showed Christian love. That brought tears to my eyes.

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sweet and trahic

excellent read about spiritual abuse and the charlatans that perpetuate it. Great story telling and narration. quick listen

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2 people found this helpful

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heartbreaking story

This is a sympathetic recounting of a bright and promising young man's struggle, his mother's misguided attempts to do the best for him, and a controlling (or out-of-control) church. The sad story unfolds to its almost inevitable tragic end where everyone loses - heartbreaking, but well worth reading.

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Save us from the arrogant

May the forces of kindness and humility save us from the arrogance of those who pretend to have a hotline to the almighty. And bless Tim’s Grandma Esther.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

mediocre

please don't have the reader do voices. just read it straight. Trying to do female or aged voices ruins it. felt the end of this true story ended abruptly.

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Church or Freedom?

Incredible Story! Love Scott Aiello!

Unfortunately, there are so many sad and horrific stories of abuse by the Church. This story is tops them all.

If you had to choose......the Church or Your Freedom?

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