Tarnished Gold

By: V. C. Andrews

Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly

In this captivating prequel to the mesmerizing Landry series, travel to the sultry Louisiana bayou and discover the twisted beginnings of the Landry family.

Growing up in Louisiana, Gabriel’s young life is a happy one, despite the growing rift between her mother and her conniving, whiskey-drinking daddy. Her dreams for a bright future as an artist are cut short, however, when her innocence is shattered by the rich cannery owner Octavious Tate. Pregnant and desperate to spare her mother the scandal, Gabriel agrees to a shocking plan that will allow Octavious’ wife, Gladys, to claim the baby as her own and will net Gabriel’s father a huge payoff. Hiding in a tiny abandoned playroom in the Tate mansion, Gabriel is miserable. Her only visitor is her mother, whose mission as a Cajun healer gives her an excuse to treat Gladys Tate’s supposed pregnancy. But nothing prepares Gabriel for the wrenching moment when her baby is taken away forever. Returning home to the swamp, Gabriel drifts in a world of gloom, brightened only by chance glimpses of her son. But as her father’s reputation as a swamp guide grows, a hunting party brings handsome, gentle Creole millionaire Pierre Dumas to the bayou. Falling desperately in love, Gabriel will not heed the voice warning that her new joy may bring her more grief than she can bear.

©1996 Virginia C. Andrews Trust. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ending on a very high note!!

At last, a really great narrator to leave a positive mark on a series that was very difficult to listen to. This fifth book has always been my favorite of the series. I braced myself for a bad performance, since the last two narrators were some of the worst I've ever heard, but Caitlin Kelly came as a breath of fresh air! Gabrielle (or Gabriel as it's now suddenly spelled for some reason) is a naive fool, and is used up and abused by almost every person she comes in contact with. Ms. Kelly gives a compelling performance that captures that foolishness perfectly, and really makes you feel that Gabrielle is nothing more than a gullible country bumpkin, yet making you sympathize with her just the same. She also doesn't force contrived voices for the male characters, or mispronounce a lot of the French names. My one criticism would be that I wish she had voiced the Louisiana accents. There's a lot of dialect written into the dialogue, but it didn't have the actual accent backing it up. I wouldn't say that this is a performance that's worth the wait, because nothing can make up for the last four tedious listens, but after going through them, in a way, this performance feels very much like a gift and a just reward. Take note, Simon and Schuster! This is a narrator to keep around! If ever the Cutler series gets an audio production, THIS is your Dawn! Three books of Caitlin Kelly performing would be a dream come true!

love this book

loved it this was the first time I was able to listen to all 5 books

Gabrielle!!

Gabrielle is my favorite part of this whole series. This book was so beautiful. I am still crying. the narrator was perfect. Thank you so much!