The Flower Sisters

By: Michelle Collins Anderson

Narrated by: Jim Frangione, Andrea Gallo, L.J. Ganser, Laura Knight Keating, Christina Moore, Graham Winton

Length: 14 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Drawing on the little-known true story of one tragic night at an Ozarks dance hall in 1928, this beautifully written novel, told through interwoven narratives generations apart, is a thrilling tale of love, loss, and reinvention.

At birth, Violet and Rose Flowers were identical, save for a tiny bluish-purple mark gracing Violet’s slender neck. By nineteen, their temperaments distinguish them, as different as the flowers their mother named them for—Violet, wild, and outgoing, and Rose, solitary and reserved. Still, they are each other’s world. Then, on a sweltering, terrible August night in 1928, an explosion rocks Lamb’s Dance Hall in Possum Flats, Missouri, engulfing it in flames, leaving one twin among the dozens dead, and her sister’s life forever changed.

Fifty years later, Daisy Flowers is dumped on her grandmother Rose’s doorstep for the summer. A bright, inquisitive fifteen-year-old, Daisy bargains her way into an internship at the local newspaper—where she learns of the mysterious long-ago tragedy and its connection to her family. Rose, now the local funeral home director, grows increasingly alarmed as her impulsive granddaughter delves into Possum Flats’ history, determined to uncover the horrors and heroes of the fiery blast.

For a small town, Possum Flats holds a multitude of big secrets, some guarded by the living, some kept by the dead. And through Rose, Daisy, Dash—a preacher who found his calling that fateful night—and others, those ghosts gradually come into the light, forcing a reckoning at last.

This audiobook is narrated by Jim Frangione, Andrea Gallo, L.J. Ganser, Laura Knight Keating, Christina Moore, and Graham Winton.

©2024 Michelle Collins Anderson (P)2024 Recorded Books

Great listen, sorry it’s over!

What a captivating story, with an amazingly real cast of characters. I could hardly stop listening, and looked forward to exercise or chores with my ear buds to listen to another chapter. Steel Magnolias meets American Gothic, with a rural Missouri tragic backdrop. All the emotions. Don’t snooze on this one! ETA - I kept wondering who the writing style reminded me of, and it came to me walking this morning. Fanny Flagg!! Of course!
PS the author just so happens to live round the corner from me, and is a terribly nice person, as well. She let me know this was coming out, so I put it on my wish list, purchasing in advance. So very worth it!!!

A phenomenal surprise!

There is no way that I could express how wonderful this book is, how well written, how well narrated, and how truly incredible at capturing the characters. Kudos to the author, the narrators and the clarity of a true story set in a fictional world.do not miss this one!

enjoyable

I really liked how the author introduced the characters at the beginning of the story as just the town's folks in Daisy's first few days in Possum Flats, and then as they told their story of the night of the explosion I could see how the town was made up of those survivors which made up the town 50 years later.

Loved this Book!

I loved the Sisters and their story! A great historical fiction storyline! I also enjoyed the narration. The audio production was wonderful and easy to stay focused upon. The story and narration combined kept me captive and wanting more!

Outstanding!

This book is a triumph on every level!! Beautifully written, and if you’re not crying at the end you have no heart.

Enjoyed every minute!

Don’t miss this one. I greatly enjoyed the various lenses the different chapter narrators provide.

Fantastic!

Fantastic read and I couldn't put it down! I also loved the narration. 5 Stars for sure!

A sad but well told story

The writing was very well done, and the revealing of information kept it interesting. I felt invested in a lot of the characters, and although I suspected the twist, how it played out was new to me! The voice actors all did a good job as well

The book could have been wonderful but missed the mark.

The narrator that did Dash was terrible and the rediculously corny ending ruined for me. The story had so much potential. Disappointed.