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After Life: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 428 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Naomi Ash was born in New Orleans and raised by her mother, Patsy, a medium who schooled her young daughter in the parlor-trick chicanery of the trade. From Naomi recreating presences with table cloths to providing the voice of the dead by talking through a fan, their act is part theater, part magic, and a little too much playing with the letter of the law. Eventually they must beat a hasty—and forced—retreat from New Orleans, relocating to Train Line, New York.
A sleepy village founded and inhabited by others with a spiritualist bent, Train Line is populated with card readers, table levitators, and crystal-shop owners. Low-rent “Psychic Faires” are held at the local Holiday Inn, and Patsy’s newest creation, “The Mother Galina Psychic Hour,” is on the local radio station. The town is a curious mix between old school “table rappers” and the New Age, and it is here that Naomi comes of age, learns the trade, and falls in love. But love is not only a many splendored thing—it can be dangerous as well. And for a young woman caught between fraud and truth, between the world of the living and the world of the dead, and between the secrets and lies of her youth, the past and present will come together in a rush of truth and consequence.
Hailed as “a study of eccentricities, which rises above the merely quirky to address those issues of life, death, memory, and love that preoccupy us all,” After Life is a stunning first novel of extraordinary suspense and evocative imagery.
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"I feel as if I've spent the past few days in Train Line. Ellis has such an astounding pen for sensory detail. Naomi Ash is convincingly tragic, afflicted with the ironic myopia of being able to see into the after life but not another life."
— Lara (4 out of 5 stars)
After Life Listener Reviews
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" It was good - kept me interested but I wasn't blown away by it "
— Maddielucy, 2/14/2014 -
" I read this at the recommendation of Nancy Pearl. It's set mainly in a small town known for its spiritualist community. You're never quite sure whether the main character believes in it all herself. The story is told in a series of flashbacks after you find her burying her boyfriend's body then building from her childhood in New Orleans. meh. "
— Heather, 2/1/2014 -
" It was an interesting read. I didn't realize there was so much reference to the paranormal or "medium" history in the book. It was also written in a time warp sort of way. I am glad I finished it. The ending somewhat surprised me. "
— Colleen, 1/27/2014 -
" The town in this book seems to be based on a spiritualist community that really existed (exists?) in Upstate New York. It has an anti-climactic ending, but is generally a good read. "
— Jennifer, 1/21/2014 -
" This book started off so strong. The writing was often poetic and the narrator captivated me. I thought the story was interesting but I definitely felt like it lost steam near the end. The end felt contrived whereas the beginning was such a beautiful read. I still think it's worth the read though. "
— Bridget, 1/20/2014 -
" Great writing, great characters, great plot. Lots of fun supernatural elements what with the narrator being a spiritual medium and all. Librarian friends: recommend to people who are looking for a well-written psychological thriller... "
— Sharma, 1/20/2014 -
" A highly-suspenseful and evocative read about what life means when you make choices that affect the beliefs and lives of others. "
— Leon, 1/3/2014 -
" I liked this book because it was different. I like the fact that the main character is not a perfect beauty. The subject matter is handled in an unbiased manner so believers and non believers can both relate. "
— Rebecca, 12/3/2013 -
" Kinda creepy, kinda dark. Interesting if you like mediums. "
— K8e, 8/27/2013 -
" the writing is very compelling but the story and the main character are so unrelentingly flat and depressed/depressing, I would say avoid this. I finished it only because I had to know what happened. The ending does offer hope - thank god. "
— Jennifer, 8/15/2013 -
" A great read! Part mystery, though not a who-done-it, since you know that from the onset, part character study, set in a lovely little town in upstate NY. Recently reissued under Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Reissued label. "
— Jean, 3/20/2013 -
" A very captivating and enjoyable read from the first sentence. Ellis does a good job of revealing bits and pieces of the mystery during the telling of the story of a plain but interesting life. Keeps you reading from start to finish. "
— Tony, 2/21/2013 -
" Beautifully written although a little but slow. "
— Jill, 1/23/2013 -
" wow, very sad and quiet book. "
— Kim, 12/13/2012 -
" Wonderfully written, well developed storyline and memorable characters "
— Jenn, 6/13/2012
About Rhian Ellis
Rhian Ellis grew up in Western New York State. She went to Oberlin College and the University of Montana, and now lives in Ithaca, NY, with her husband, the writer J. Robert Lennon, their two sons, and many chickens.
About Shannon McManus
Shannon McManus, award-winning narrator, is a Los Angeles–based actor, writer, and voice artist. Her natural vocal abilities and extensive theater training have led to work in audiobook narration, commercial voice-over, and animation. Critical praise includes an Audiofile Earphones Award and a Publishers Weekly Listen Up! Award in children’s and young adult fiction.