Beneath a Golden Veil

By: Melanie Dobson

Narrated by: Carly Robins

As elegant as the Sacramento residence she operates, Isabelle Labrie keeps her past concealed, like the treasure she hides under the Golden Hotel. It's 1853, the heyday of the California Gold Rush. Isabelle is full of hope, staking her claim on the city's refined clientele and her future on a sweetheart's promise to marry her when he returns from the gold fields. Then, unexpected guests - fugitive slaves seeking safe passage to the North - force her to confront her past and reconsider her path.

While Isabelle learns to trust God's provisions, a law student in Virginia must confront his father's cruelty and rescue a young slave from his family's tobacco plantation. As the two escape to freedom, and Isabelle risks everything to harbor runaway slaves, the past and present are set on an inevitable collision course - one that reveals hidden treasures of the heart.

©2016 Melanie Dobson. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Great story!!

Wow! I enjoy audio books of this genre, i.e., 1850's. I zipped through this audio book; sometimes it was a little difficult to keep up with the characters, i.e., who was who but overall, it was a very interesting story which was hard to put down. If you like stories about the evils of slavery and the people working to abolish it, you will like this audiobook.

Gold, Secrets, Slaves, California 1853

This story of the Gold Rush in Sacramento prior to the Civil War (which began in 1861) is an interesting tale of lawlessness, greed and unrest. California had been admitted to the United States Union in 1850, about the same time that the Gold Rush started. But its laws regarding slave ownership was all over the place, and often misinterpreted by the officials. Freed slaves were allowed to live and work there, but slave owners could bring their slaves into California and were able to cross back and forth over state borders with their slaves without issue. And the courts often sided with the slave owners. Women also had few rights. So, knowing all of this, the story of Isabelle Labrie and the Golden Hotel which she ran becomes one of intrigue and danger. When a young law student from Virginia had a confrontation with his father over the ownership and treatment of slaves on the family plantation, and eventually showed up in Sacramento, deep secrets begin to emerge. This is a wonderful story of the battle between good and evil; how greed enters the hearts of men and women; and the hope that faith, determination and dependence upon the Lord can see us through. You will be up late listening as the threads of the story are revealed and untangled . . . and rejoice with the victory of love over hate and injustice.

the emotion of this book was wonderful

I just finished this book and loved it.
i can't say enough about this book! the history and characters were so real. i couldn't get enough from this story. the history was so rich, so real! it was so great. one of the best books i have read this year. everyone should read this book!!! the author did such a great job!
the narrator did such a good job with so much emotion.

Great story, horrible narration

I’m trying so hard to get through a good story however the shred king voice of the narrator keeps my mind irritated to where I’m not sure I can finish the story, too bad. Great author!

Great historical info

The narrator was pretty good but I think she got too emphatic at times and put emphasis on the wrong word in a sentence. Changes the meaning sometimes. However, overall she did well. I would have given her a 4.5 if one could.
As to the story, I liked the author’s intermingling of the characters’ stories and then how she brought them all together in the end. The villain could have been fleshed out a bit more in the beginning. We don’t learn about his deficiencies until the very end.

Couldn't stop listening!

Would you listen to Beneath a Golden Veil again? Why?

I will listen to this story again and again. As always, Melanie Dobson delivers on character development. You find yourself easily in the story, watching these people as they struggle and win. You can't stand the bad guy. You love the heros.

Who was your favorite character and why?

How can you not love Isabelle? Her heart and tenacity grab you. But Aldon Payne is another favorite. A man struggling against the times and fighting for what is right.

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

I have listened to other books performed by Carly Robins. She is pretty good. Not my favorite. She did well on this.

Who was the most memorable character of Beneath a Golden Veil and why?

Victor perhaps was the most memorable as a tyrant and a man with mental issues to be sure! Issac is a great kid. You just want to grab him up and have a wild chat. Each character seems to be with me still weeks later.

Any additional comments?

Though this is Melanie Dobson's first audio title, she is not a new author by any means. Her work is always willing to look at reality eye-to-eye and still find hope. Always entertaining, her characters become friends. This book is worth your time. I would also suggest the paper versions of Melanie Dobson's other books.

Not my usual listen...

I rarely consume books about slavery. In fact, I only borrowed this book because it had been some time since I read the blurb. I was therefore somewhat dismayed to come across episodes of slaves being brutalized. However, I decided to stick with it and I'm glad I did. I will seek out more books by this author.

Tender and moving

Although Alden is the son of a slave owner, he doesn't share his family"s beliefs about slavery. Trying to escape the future planned for him by his father, Alden flees to the gold rush of California taking a young slave boy with him. In Sacramento City, Alden meets Isabella, a beautiful woman who is fighting her own battles against slavery. This is a story about how their lives intersect.
This is a well-written account that is both detailed and emotional. The plot has many twists and turns and the characters well rounded and 3 dimensional. The Audio book version was enjoyable to listen to, so much so that I listened for several hours outside of my daily commute to work.

What a great informative book

The story totally captures your interest. A great read without sex and profanity which is getting harder to find. I couldn’t stop listening to it the author makes the gold rush main setting so interesting. I learn so much interesting things from her books. Second one I have listened too. But won’t be the last

Wonderful Story!!!

Loved it, & kept my attention. Great story and history. I will lisren again sometime!