The Agreement

By: John Isaac Jones

Narrated by: Susan Marlowe

Length: 1 hr and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

"Follow love and it will flee; flee love and it will follow thee." (Old Chinese proverb)

When Alma Dawson, a middle-aged, hard-working single mother, sets out to get the tuition money for her daughter's last year of college, she never dreamed her entire world would be turned upside down. A poignant, inspiring story, this novelette is a testimony to a devoted mother's love!

©2012 John I. Jones (P)2017 John I. Jones

A Mother's Love

There is so much that a mother will do for their children,and this story will bring out just how much. During a time when employment for women was limited, Alma Dawson is faced with a choice to help her daughter out that may ruin her reputation and cost her her self worth. After listening to this book, it made me stop and think about how difficult decisions are made all the time in the name of love, and situations cannot always be judged from the surface. John I. Jones is able to pack quite a few issues in this well written novella, from morality to love. It's a book that will make you think and appreciate the true depth of a parent's love and how love can stem from all kinds of circumstances. With narration by Susan Marlowe, the story is brought to life with decision and emotion. Her storytelling is touching.

Realistic, thought provoking.

This was a well written and realistic feeling story that left me with mixed feelings. ***Spoiler Alert*** While I'm not sure I could ever reconcile or get past someone taking advantage of my desperation get me to do something I am completely against, it does happen every day to many people. I think the fact that Bill acknowledges that it probably wasn't the best way to start a relationship with someone he claimed to love was good. And, I never got the impression that he was uncaring. I had issues with the daughter treating her mother as if because she was older no one would want her. Clearly that wasn't true. Bill wanted her, and no doubt others would too. I felt her daughter fed her mother's insecurities, wasn't very supportive, and expected way too much.

That said, this book is very relatable and makes you think. I'm surprised how much John Issac Jones fit into such a short period of time. There were things that I wish were maybe made clearer so we the reader wouldn't have to speculate and would know the characters a little better. But, overall it was a thought provoking read.

The narrator, Susan Marlowe, also did a great job. She's very easy to listen to and her characterizations and southern feel made listening enjoyable.

boring and uninspired

Luckily a very short book, I was very happy when it was over. It wasn't clear to me what the author intended to tell: The fact that mothers really do everything for the welfare of their child has been much better staged numerous times.
The narration was annoying: I have rarely had to struggle through such a bored performance.

Fantastic!

This was a really well written short story! Wonderful narration! I highly recommend this authors short stories - they are really fantastic!


I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. The fact that I was gifted this book had no influence over my opinion of it.

Great Quick Read

The Agreement by John Isaac Jones was a good read. Alma was just looking to get tuition money for her daughter's last year of college. What she didnt expect was to completely change everything that she's ever known. I enjoyed reading this and cant wait to read more by John Isaac Jones.

Love Comes in Mysterious Ways

I enjoyed this short listen. It is about a struggling religious widow (Alma) who is trying to finishing pay for daughter’s education. She tried everything to get the money then has to resort to the unthinkable and this changes her life forever. It is about how far a mother will go for her child. I was given this audiobook by author and have voluntarily left this review. Also recommend his book Boone. Thank you!

The power of a mother's love

Alma is a single mom who has successfully provided for her daughter and herself up until her daughter's last year in college. Extra college expenses for her daughter mean that Alma needs to come up with more money. She exhausts every option she can think of with no luck, until an acquaintance at the bank makes an offer that she can't refuse. The college expenses are paid now, but her agreement with the banker changes her life in ways she never foresaw.

Narrator Susan Marlowe is the perfect fit for this book. She gives appropriate voices to characters and tells the story so beautifully that you have no choice but to be drawn into Alma's world. John Jones is a master storyteller, giving us a glimpse into Alma's mind as she works with determination to meet expenses and then as she decides to accept the suggestion from the banker and the changes that means in her life.

Something I appreciated following in the story was the time Alma spent canning. When she was struggling to get by, canning was an important part of her life. Once a better job came along we read that vegetables were left rotting on the counter, but she didn't care. People change and priorities change. One thing that didn't change in this book was the love Alma had for her daughter.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This review is my honest opinion.

What Would You Do? Thought-provoking…

Alma Dawson is a strapped for cash, a single mother trying to find a way to finance her daughters senior year of college.

She makes an agreement with a man – suddenly her way of thinking about things changes in almost every aspect of her life.

I didn't think that I would like THE AGREEMENT but I stuck with it and I am so glad that I did. It is a wonderful, short book full of thoughtful scenarios and evolving relationship rules.

Susan Marlowe's delivery was a bit slow, but after speeding it up it became perfect.

John Isaac Jones is an eclectic, talented writer. I do not know what genre to put him in because he writes short stories that really cannot be put into one category. I have enjoyed listening to ALL his work.

More from me-

I enjoy leaving reviews, because I read the reviews of others before I purchase a book. If you found my review helpful in your decision about this book, would you please select "helpful" directly below this review? Thank you so much.

Please consider 'following me on Audible. I purchase a lot of books by well-known authors and authors that I am faithful to. I also have the opportunity to review books in all genres, many that I would not pick up on my own. THE AGREEMENT was given to me in exchange for my unbiased review. I have been pleasantly surprised by new authors and narrators.

Authors and narrators, feel free to share my review on any other media you would like. It's all yours!

The Agreement

A mother will do anything for her child. When Alma enters into an unorthodox agreement to get the money for her daughters college tuition, she views it strictly as a business arrangement. Little did she know how much her life would change.

John Isaac Jones is a master storyteller!

Enjoyable Listen

When Alma enters into an agreement to pay for her daughter's education, the last thing that she expects to find is her own happiness. Considering that the time period is the 60's, this probably would have been viewed as an even more scandalous arrangement than in today's society. Alma's decision took courage and she was determined to honor the choice she made. Her love for Darlene gave her the strength to endure the gossip and lose friends because nothing was more important than her daughter.

The novella was well written and gives the listener a lot to think about. It is a powerful story of love, sacrifice and strength. I was pleasantly surprised that a story of this length would be so enjoyable. It didn't feel chopped or incomplete. I just loved Susan Marlowe's southern accent and the way that she brought the characters and story to life. I would recommend The Agreement.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This review is my honest opinion.

The things we do for love.

I actually listened to this a couple of years ago but forgot to review it, so I just listened again and decided to upgrade my star rating to 3.5 stars. This is the third of John I. Jones's short stories/novellas that I've listened to and I'm getting to recognise his style of writing. He has a sharp eye for characterisations and people's interactions and reactions to each other.

In The Agreement, Alma finds herself unable to pay for her daughter's last year at college and has to find a way to raise the funds. I couldn't help but sympathise with her as she rummages through her belongings to find anything of value and pays repeated visits to the bank manager in search of a loan.

I enjoyed the narration by Susan Marlowe, although I notice that she is not the narrator for the other two books I listened to.