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Carry Yourself Back to Me Audiobook
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(3.01) - 579 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Famed alt-country artist Annie Walsh has more than enough reason to sing her version of the blues, including a broken heart, a stalled career, and a troubled family. Annie seeks refuge from an upended love affair with her producer, Owen Pettybone, by sequestering herself at home with her old dog Detour, surrounded by a lush Florida tangelo grove. There, she spends her days furiously sanding down the house’s every veneer in a vain attempt at erasing the painful memory of the love she lost. Soon, however, this quiet, small town existence—far from recording studios, ardent fans, and affairs of the heart—comes crashing down around her. A violent murder connected to her brother Calder threatens to tear her family apart and forces Annie to shore up her loyalties and uproot profound disappointments from her distant past. The evidence stacks against Calder, compounded by his lifelong affliction with Tourette syndrome that causes some in the community to cast aspersions on the soundness of his mind.
As the circumstances converge to challenge lifetime ties and forge unexpected new bonds, this soulful, stirring novel shifts its narrative from an imperiled and ever-changing present, where each hour brings an unforeseen and unwelcome piece of news, to the poignant childhood days of first allegiances and life-altering loss. Like a fine and forlorn love ballad, the gifted, conflicted Annie lulls the reader into a journey through love and loss that mines the mysterious, and, at times, paradoxical rhythms of the human heart. As vibrant as Annie’s treasured tangelo grove, Carry Yourself Back to Me cultivates an always tender, sometimes tart, portrait of one family’s regret and redemption. Inflected with melancholy and redeemed by melody, this deeply affecting novel is certain to strike a resonant chord with music fans and lovers of fine fiction everywhere.
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"A very good book. As one of the trade reviewers said, "She's a great storyteller." It's not exactly a mystery, though there is something that the protagonist wants us to know and is slowly revealing, so we're trying to figure it out as we read. Mostly it's the story of complexities of loving someone."
— Elise (4 out of 5 stars)
Carry Yourself Back to Me Listener Reviews
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" was a little slow but I enjoyed it in the end. I can honestly say that about most books- if I finish them, they were worth reading. "
— Nancy, 2/20/2014 -
" Anna is a successful musician but then her long time boyfriend leaves her for a younger woman, her career stalls and her brother(who suffers from Tourette's) is arrested for murder. Story alternates between the past and present-great read. "
— Pmcdnld2, 1/16/2014 -
" 2 1/2 stars. It was a fast read, but very predictable chick-lit. "
— Katie, 1/9/2014 -
" At points this novel is truly lovely--the author examines the notion of matured romantic love critically. Her writing is often eloquent and lyrical, which is appropriate since the main character is a singer/songwriter. Other parts are pat or formulaic, but overall a very enjoyable read. "
— Sarah, 12/31/2013 -
" I enjoyed the book, but it's not a story that I expect will stick with me. The author had a heavy hand with the foreshadowing, and I didn't really get how Owen evolved throughout the story; it seemed a bit unrealistic. Even with those faults, this was still an enjoyable read. "
— Leann, 12/31/2013 -
" A nice lazy Saturday morning kind of book. I liked it. "
— Stacy, 11/30/2013 -
" Disappointly sappy and somewhat predictable. "
— melody, 9/24/2013 -
" Just ok. Been there;read that. "
— Ann, 8/13/2013 -
" I liked the story but I felt that there was something missing. It left me wanting more depth. "
— Vanessa, 6/7/2013 -
" I really liked this book. I seem to be reading books set in Florida at the moment and am enjoying reading about the culture and geography of the state. I was intrigued by the relationships of the characters involved. I wanted to know these people and spend time with them! "
— Candace, 1/14/2013 -
" This was a good story that had it's trite moments that I think sadly don't allow the book to truly soar. "
— Elizabeth, 10/29/2012 -
" Good, short popcorn fiction. "
— Willow, 10/2/2012 -
" A very enjoyable summer read for women. Take it on vacation! "
— Diane, 6/12/2012 -
" Liked it, funny, fast, easy read "
— Diane, 3/6/2012 -
" Good read - kept me up way past my bedtime! "
— Jan, 3/3/2012 -
" A singer, recently divorced and still coming to terms with that impact on her life, lives in her old country home, intentionally isolate. But her isolation is disturbed when her brother is accused of murder, and she must stir and deal with the world again. Dramatic, romantic, slice of life. "
— Brian, 2/29/2012 -
" I was hesitant about reading this and I am so glad I did (in 1 day). It was so good. It does go back and forth with each chapter, but the storytelling and character development is great! I was so anxious to find out the mystery and the surprises were wow! Definitely recommend! "
— Brittney, 2/1/2012 -
" I felt the mystery side of the story was a bit of a let down but the emotion and the character development was good. "
— Chelsea, 12/20/2011 -
" I really liked the characters and the storyline. The only thing that bugged me is that the author went back and forth between first person and third person with really no rhyme or reason. It would have been better if the main character was always speaking in first person. "
— Bethany, 9/28/2011
About Deborah Reed
Deborah Reed iis the author of four novels: The Days When Birds Come Back, Olivay, Things We Set on Fire, and Carry Yourself Back to Me. She has also written two popular thrillers under the pen name Audrey Braun. Deborah holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and is codirector of the Black Forest Writing Seminars at the University of Freiburg in Germany. She teaches creative writing at workshops around the US and in Europe. She lives on the coast of Oregon.
About Tanya Eby
Tanya Eby is a novelist and an audiobook narrator who has earned several AudioFile Earphones Awards and been nominated for the Audie Award. She has a BA degree in English language and literature and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine.