Gods in Alabama

By: Joshilyn Jackson

Narrated by: Catherine Taber

When Arlene Fleet heads up north for college, she makes three promises to God: She will stop fornicating with every boy who crosses her path; never tell another lie; and never, ever go back to the "fourth rack of hell", her hometown of Possett, Alabama. All she wants from Him is one little miracle: make sure the body is never found.

Ten years later, God has broken His end of the deal. Alabama has landed on Arlene's Chicago doorstep in the form of her high school archenemy, a young woman who wants to find the golden-haired football hero who disappeared during their senior year.

To make matters worse, Arlene's African-American boyfriend, Burr, has given her an ultimatum; introduce him to her lily-white family or he's gone. Arlene would rather burn up in a fire than let him meet her steel magnolia Aunt Florence; her eccentric, half-mad Mama; her sweet-as-pecan-pie Cousin Clarice; and all the rest of her deeply racist kith and kin.

But the fickle finger of fate is pointing her south. All too soon she and Burr are on their way to confront Arlene's redneck roots, the secret she ran from, and the crime that stole her peace of mind. Back in the small town of her girlhood, Arlene's demons are closing in, and after a decade of running away, Arlene must face them all. Yet while the truth threatens to destroy the life she has built for herself, it just may open her eyes to a love powerful enough to revise her past and alter her future.

Crackling with humor, defiantly endearing characters, and plot twists that will astonish even the most jaded reader, Gods in Alabama will send you careening from tears to laughter and back. Most of all, it brings a unique, rough-around-the-edges heroine to life and makes her a permanent part of your own.

©2005 Joshilyn Jackson (P)2005 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"Cleverly disguised as a leisurely paced southern novel, this debut rockets to the end, even as the plot turns back on itself, surprising characters and readers alike. Book clubs will enjoy this saucy tale, as will fans of southern fiction with a twist." (Booklist)

Gods in Alabama

Wow! Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. This was a story about a woman trying her best to keep a promise she made to God when she was back in High School. Great storyline and suspense. Amazing ending. I thought it completely believable. The narration was outstanding throughout. The lady had to do a big black man from up north to all sorts from backwoods Alabama. I will purchase this author's next work for sure.

Loved it!

This was my first experience with a Joshilyn Jackson novel and after listening to this one I immediately bought another one!

I'm southern and normally find a lot of these "southern novels" laughable, and this one was laughable - the difference was I was laughing with it instead of at it. A nice fresh story that I thought I knew where it was going, only to find out that it's where it *wanted* me to go and instead had a whole another layer to the story.

surprised

I was intrigued by the initial description on the must "read" email, and bought the book without great expectation, but I was surprised by the complexity of the development. I found the contrast of the humorous and lighthearted narrative with the emotional depth to be a sophisticated balance. Describing this to my friends, my comment is -Legally Blond meets Tennessee Williams. I don't often find a "sleeper" that is so satisfying. I highly recommend this book and would be thrilled to find more that could be this entertaining. I also liked the narration and found that it was a positive compliment to the story line. I would say the "casting" was five star.

Southern women at their best

Wonderful book about strong southern women. The narration is wonderful. While the ending seems a foregone conclusion the details elude until the very end.

A Great Read

What did you love best about Gods in Alabama?

I like the way this story linked with other titles from the same author and was also a great story in it's own right. I like the stength of her female characters, their struggle and success!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gods in Alabama?

The way she loves her husband to be and trusts him.

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

Yes she has a lovely voice that really brings the characters to life.

Who was the most memorable character of Gods in Alabama and why?

Burr because he was a true gentleman.

Great reading but the music...

Any additional comments?

Every once in a while the narration is accompanied by random music. It is suppose to create a mood but it takes away from the narration and in the end makes it sound cheesy.
Other than that the performance is well done and the story is a "page turner."

Gods in Alabama (Unabridged)

I ended up really enjoying this book, but, at first, the voice of the narrator bothered me. It was not southern, and I think it should have been. However, once I got into the story, I guess I forgot about the accent.

Excellent narration, nearly perfect story

One of my best Audible purchases so far. The story drags in a couple of places with unnecessary detail (say, of events already described), but overall, it's a great listen that kept me up later last night than I'd intended because I couldn't stop listening until the end. The narration is ideal for this material and the age of the protagonist.

Music Ruined it!

The soap opera music that kept popping was major distraction. The story was okay and will read another Joshilyn Jackson novel because I've read she improves but if there's more music it will be my last.

brilliant story, very enjoyable

loved the story and performance, but the music was very off putting. I would however still recommend.