Two intriguing audios to share with you today!
THE INVISIBLE GIRLS by Sarah Thebarge
When you find a book that blends two stories together smoothly, you’ve found a good book. When you find a book that is heart-wrenching and inspiring, you’ve found a wonderful story.Author Sarah Thebarge has created a wonderfully, good book in THE INVISIBLE GIRLS: A Memoir.
Narrator Kirsten Potter does an excellent job bringing the story to life. Her vocalization of the emotions is an added delight to this mesmerizing story the author tells.
At 27, Sarah Thebarge’s life was great - she had an Ivy League degree, was on the way to having the successful career she dreamed of and had gotten engaged to her handsome boyfriend. Then her life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. After surgery, months of grueling treatments and a number of losses in her life, Sarah decided to start over across the country in Portland, Oregon.
Once there, Sarah began trying to rebuild her life. A chance encounter on a train turned her world upside down again. This time, it was in a good way. She came to know and care about a young Somali refugee, Hadhi, and her five young daughters. Hadhi’s abusive husband had left them and they were on the brink of starvation as they were ‘invisible’ to their neighbors and the new world around them. As Sarah began to help Hadhi and the girls adjust to their new country, the family helped Sarah adjust to her new life after cancer.
I was touched first by how the author was able to hold onto her faith despite times of despair, anger and doubt. I was inspired by how she overcame all that she did and was able to give so much despite her own losses.
Second, I was amazed at the author’s care and concern for Hadhi and the girls. She was there when they needed someone the most and she continues to help them. Portions of the proceeds from THE INVISIBLE GIRLS goes toward the girls’ college education.
THE INVISIBLE GIRLS is a beautiful and poignant story that will tug at your heartstrings one minute and make you laugh the next. It’s a story that will have you re-examining things about your own life. This is a raw emotional story of not only surviving, but learning to live.
The end of the audio also includes an interview with author Sarah Thebarge that is both very touching and enlightening.
Author Sarah Thebarge’s website is http://sarahthebarge.com/theinvisiblegirls/
The Invisible Girls: A Memoir by Sarah Thebarge, Performed by Kirsten Potter, Oasis Audio, @2013, ASIN: B00CD8K2SW, ISBN: 978-1455523917, Unabridged, Digital Download, Listening Time: 6 Hours and 21 Minutes
FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
LADIES’ NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews
Andrews’ book….. * When you think a situation can’t get any worse, it does.
* When things are finally coming together, the other shoe drops and everything goes wrong.
* And when you finish, you’re smiling because all the pieces finally fit together more perfectly than you imaged.
That’s the way of Andrews’ latest release, LADIES’ NIGHT.
Narrator Kathleen McInerney does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. She vocalizes the characters’ emotions with great emphasis. Her cadence has listeners believing there’s more than one narrator.
Grace Stanton has an ideal life - handsome husband, gorgeous mansion, and a fantastic career as a lifestyle blogger. Then she discovers her husband, Ben, is having an affair with J’Aimee, her assistance. She drives Ben’s expensive sports car into their swimming pool and leaves.
The next thing she knows she can’t return to her home and she has to move in with her mother, Rochelle, over her mom’s bar, The Sandbox. Then her blog, Gracenotes, is hijacked by Ben and J’Aimee and she’s forced to attend divorce therapy for six weeks with four other people facing the same divorce judge.
When the actions of the divorce coach turn a bit odd, the group - including one lone male, Wyatt Keeler - head to The Sandbox for drinks and conversation.
While out running, Grace discovers a charming cottage that needs redecorating and talks the owner into letting her do it. With a new mission and a new blog, Grace begins to reinvent herself. Along the way she and Wyatt begin to connect and find that divorce therapy may not have been so bad after all.
The ups and downs of the group’s members are hilarious with touches of heartbreak thrown in. Andrews makes the characters realistic and likable. Her vivid descriptions places the listener/reader in the middle of the action. Andrews has her characters, and you, going through an array of emotions as she plays out the highs and lows of divorce.
Take a group of enraged soon-to-be exs; add in a rescue dog, a couple of well-meaning parents, a touch of mystery and mayhem; top it off with lots of humor and you have a zany story you won’t be able to let go of until the surprising end.
Andrews has done it again with LADIES’ NIGHT. It’s a fantastic story filled with fun and eclectic characters you won’t want to leave.
Author Mary Kay Andrews’ website is http://marykayandrews.com/
Ladies’ Night by Mary Kay Andrews, Performed by Kathleen McInerney, Macmillan Audio, @2013, ISBN: 978-1427230812, Unabridged, 14 Discs, Listening Time: 17.5 Hours
FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Thanks for stopping by today. Do you enjoy stories where the characters come to life and you feel you know them or at least someone similar to them?
Mason - Interesting how both of these books feature situations that seem so awful but turn out to bring even better things. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the endings are okay. I do like stories where the characters come to life but it's sad to say goodbye at the end.
ReplyDeleteAnn