For 10 years Arlene has kept her promises, and God has kept His end of the bargain. Until now. When an old schoolmate from Possett turns up at Arlene's door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, former quarterback and god of Possett High, Arlene's break with her former hometown is forced to an end. At the same time, Burr, her long-time boyfriend, has raised an ultimatum: introduce him to her family or consider him gone. Arlene loves him dearly but knows her lily white (not to mention deeply racist)Southern Baptist family will not understand her relationship with an African American boyfriend. Reluctantly, Arlene bows to the pressure, and she and Burr embark on the long-avoided road trip back home. As Arlene digs through guilt and deception, her patched-together alibi begins to unravel, and she discovers how far she will go for love and a chance at redemption.
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"I finished this book and immediately began re-reading it to experience it again now that I know how the book ends. After A Grown Up Kind of Pretty, I was eager to read another book by Joshilyn Jackson and this was just as captivating. The characters are well developed and the "dark secret" theme plays out well."
— James (5 out of 5 stars)
" Pretty good. Reminds of of the movies "Hope Floats" & "Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood", course with deeper, darker issues. "
— Abby, 2/20/2014" Audiobook. Lena promises God she'll never return to Alabama (or lie or "fornicate") after making a deal with Him that she'll never get caught for her high school crime. She manages to keep these promises for about 10 yrs, then she's forced to go home, lie and, well, 10 yrs is a REALLY long time to go without sex. This was a fun read, and it had a nice twist at the end. "
— Jessica, 2/19/2014" Great for a quick read! Not for the easily offended, though. "
— Heidi, 2/1/2014" A great story - a death of a high school jock - is it murder/revenge? "
— Kathy, 1/23/2014" Jackson has a very southern way of writing. She understands cultural aspects and it is interesting. The plot twist at the end did get me by surprise. "
— Melissa, 1/22/2014" great book, in depth and interesting characters, several intriguing twists and turns, and very well written - enjoyed this one so much that I just picked-up another book written by the same author "
— Stephanie, 1/21/2014" I just thoroughly enjoyed this story and this read! I knew I would - highly recommend. You can read other reviews here for a quick sketch of the story. "
— ~mad, 1/20/2014" I love all joshilyn Jackson books. I don't know the south and her books take me to new places with rich characters "
— Mindy, 1/20/2014" Loved this book! It had a twist in the end...so good. I wish it wasn't over! I love Joshilyn Jackson books! "
— Maureen, 1/18/2014" Not a huge fan... I wouldn't recommend it. "
— Gabrielle, 12/17/2013" This one surprised me a bit, not my typical type of fiction but I definitely enjoyed it. "
— Jennifer, 12/9/2013" This was a great audio book. Great narrator and story! "
— Melissa, 11/26/2013" "gods in Alabama" is about a woman who is forced to face her past back in her hometown, where she killed a man 10 years before. At first glance, the book seems like your typical, corny chick-lit novel. There are elements of chick-lit-ness, but, for the most part, it wasn't bad. I liked it. "
— Monica, 11/13/2013" This story took me into the comfortable tangle of sprawling family relationships with its well drawn characters that could be an obstacle one moment and close the next. It felt very real. "
— Rachel, 9/23/2013" I devoured it in nearly one bite. It was a deliciously entertaining book. "
— Barbara, 8/2/2013" I just discovered Joshilyn Jackson and I'm sooooo glad I did. This is by far one of my favorite books. It grabbed me right away and I couldn't put it down it made me laugh and cry then laugh and cry some more so so good "
— Sandie, 5/11/2013" One of my absolute favorites. The chicken casserole is what does me in. Makes you sad and want to laugh like crazy at the same time. "
— Ashton, 2/6/2013" Kind of weird romantic comedy/murder mystery - I liked it! "
— Katie, 11/2/2012" I read this book right before I found out I was MOVING to ALABAMA! Hysterical and just oh, so good! "
— Stephanie, 10/16/2012" It was pretty good and I found it fairly intriguing. I just finished it and I haven't finished a book in ages, so that says something. "
— Theresa, 10/14/2012" Had to read this one more than once! "
— Shari, 8/27/2012" Quick and exciting read...plus a great twist!!! "
— 10sgirl, 6/10/2012" Great characters with excellent voice. And a compelling, interesting story. I really enjoyed this read. "
— Barb, 6/5/2012" I absolutely love this author and the way she writes!! "
— April, 4/11/2012" Took me a few chapters to get interested in it, but then once I did, it really kept my attention. "
— Cindy, 3/16/2012" It was definitely a page turner, but I didn't love it. It seemed dark to me, and some parts just seemed to be glossed over in the ending. I look forward to hearing what my book club has to say about it. "
— Molly, 11/12/2011" I really dont know why everyone isn't raving about this book. It was amazing! Could. Not. Put. It. Down. Go all of you...now... buy this book! "
— Danielle, 7/7/2011" I did not find the characters compelling or convincing. <br/>The rape and violence were offensive. <br/> "
— Ingrid, 5/5/2011" My first Joshilyn Jackson novel. I loved it! For a Southern girl from Alabama, I fell in love quickly, not only with this book, but with the author, and returned to the library to check out more of Jackson's works. I loved every single page! "
— Rebecca, 4/26/2011" Love to laugh out loud when I read...and this is like talking to my grandmother...but a mystery on top...nothing better. "
— Diana, 4/22/2011" Would have loved to have spent more time with the fun romantic relationship between the two main characters. Most of the book deals with the mystery and violence that surrounds a high school crime. "
— Heidi, 4/19/2011" As a southerner, I really enjoyed this book. It's very funny, but was a little strange at times. "
— Jeanne, 4/17/2011" I enjoyed this book, but it did not quite live up to all the hype that I had heard prior to reading it. I liked the occasional plot twists, but I felt that male characters could have been better developed. "
— Lisa, 4/9/2011" I actually loved this book. I found it to be a quirky tale of a rightfully disturbed young girl. The author weaves a story that is probably very real for many. I highly recommend this book. I would have rated it 4 stars if it had a bit more girth to the story. All in all worth the time. "
— Terri, 4/6/2011" A fast read. I enjoyed Joshilyn Jackson's writing style, but I could just never fully buy in to the whole premise & outcome of the book. <br/> <br/>To sensitive readers: be forewarned bad language & bad behavior abound. "
— Adrienne, 3/31/2011" I enjoyed the story, the characters, the suspense. Just a fun read. I'll be looking for more to read by this author. "
— Kim, 3/29/2011" The author's writing style, especially in her dialogue, is witty and engaging and fun. Plus she incorporates this mystery that leaves you guessing until the end. "
— Cass, 3/28/2011" Loved this book! It was really good with great characters!! It is one of those twist at the end kind of books. Where you think you are reading a pretty straight forward story and it takes a left turn right at the end. Very good very sweet! Love this crazy messed up family!! "
— Shannon, 3/25/2011" Decent book, in the vein of Secret Life of Bees. Interesting characters, decent plot. But nothing overly remarkable. "
— Melissa, 3/23/2011" I read this for my bookclub. I found the characters interesting. I particularly liked the development of Clarice and Aunt Florence. The story line was intriguing with a perhaps not so surprising ending. The use of foul language was overdone. "
— Karen, 3/22/2011" Really great story. Loved how it was basically told backwards and with every other chapter flashbacks. There were some twists and turns as we got into the past that I absolutely did not see coming! "
— Erin, 3/17/2011Joshilyn Jackson is the bestselling author of Backseat Saints, Gods in Alabama, Between, Georgia, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, and A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and short-listed for the Townsend Prize. She won the SIBA Book Award for Fiction in 2005, and, as a former actor, was nominated for an Audie Award and received a Listen Up Award from Publishers Weekly.
Catherine Taber, a Georgia native, is an Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator and actress whose film roles include the coming-of-age drama The Girls’ Room and the romantic comedy Just Like Heaven. She was the voice of Tina in Curious George 2, Padme Amidala in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Leia in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. She has provided voice work for numerous video games and was nominated for an award from the National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviewers for her portrayal of Penelo in “Final Fantasy 12.”