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Secrets of Eden: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 6,715 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From the bestselling author of The Double Bind, Midwives, and Skeletons at the Feast comes a novel of shattered faith, intimate secrets, and the delicate nature of sacrifice. "There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels. Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents' murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice’s daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen – who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him. But then the State's Attorney begins to suspect that Alice's husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew. Secrets of Eden is both a haunting literary thriller and a deeply evocative testament to the inner complexities that mark all of our lives. Once again Chris Bohjalian has given us a riveting page-turner in which nothing is precisely what it seems. As one character remarks, “Believe no one. Trust no one. Assume all of our stories are suspect.”
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"My first encounter with Chris Bohjalian, but not likely to be my last. The story revolves around the apparent murder-suicide of an abused woman and her beast of a husband. The police investigation finds evidence that what first appeared to be a cut and dried case may harbor dark secrets. The woman's pastor becomes the focus of the investigation, as it turns out he may have gotten a little too close to the situation. Mr Bohjalian's writing is beautiful and the plot was sufficiently well developed to keep the reader fully engaged. One felt the tragedy of a life cut short viscerally. A sad story, made all the more effective because of its plausibility."
— Mark (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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Selected for the February 2010 Indie Next List
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A New York Times bestseller
Secrets of Eden Listener Reviews
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" A decent read but not neatly as good as 'Midwives' by the same author. "
— Carolyn, 2/19/2014 -
" This is a "best-seller". It held my attention and surprised me at the end. Not great fiction however. "
— Paulette, 2/16/2014 -
" I really enjoyed Secrets of Eden. The foreshadowing throughout the book compelled me to keep going, it was difficult to put down (or turn off in my case because I listened to the audio version). Though the end was predictable, the twists and turns were interesting. I really enjoyed how the author developed the characters throughout the book, including the characters that died in the first chapter. "
— Alline, 2/7/2014 -
" Mildly entertaining, but not much substance. Would be a good beach read. The angel theme didn't work at all for me. "
— Ginny, 2/4/2014 -
" So disappointing! I have enjoyed several of Bohjalian's books but I do not recommend this one. None of the characters are interesting and you can guess the ending within the first few pages. The one redeeming feature was the style of writing from each of the main characters' perspectives. "
— Mamatoe, 2/2/2014 -
" This was a pretty good book. It was the first time I have read this author. I liked how the author told the story through each characters' eyes. It definitely gives some insight into how the each person thinks/thought through the story. I also like stories which have twists to them and this one had a nice "surprise ending". "
— jennbunny, 1/30/2014 -
" Although this was not one of Bohjalian's better novels in my opinion (that one would go to Midwives), I did enjoy listening to this one most of the time, although I confess I did get reeeeeaaaalllly tired of all the angel talk. And for the first time ever I was not shocked, or even surprised, by the ending. I saw it coming. "
— Paula, 1/26/2014 -
" Ahh...small town Vermont, fall foliage, community members who know everything about you...or do they? What are the secrets of Eden? Three narrators take turns telling their stories and the secrets of Eden. "
— Deb, 1/17/2014 -
" I found my new favorite author!!! "
— Patrick, 1/14/2014 -
" Typical Bohjalian - good mystery and insight into Vermont's small town life. Not his best. "
— Liz, 1/13/2014 -
" Interesting, enjoyed probably as much as I did "The Double Bind." "
— Jenna, 1/7/2014 -
" enjoyed this book from Cynthia. I've had trouble reading lately and this was the page turner distraction I needed. "
— Elizabeth, 12/31/2013 -
" Probably would have been a 4 star book if not for the weird angel lady. She was too annoying. "
— Linda, 12/22/2013 -
" Took a bit to get into it, but once I did it was really good! I guessed at the ending of course, but it was still a good read. "
— Katherine, 12/20/2013 -
" OK - but not one of Chris' best. "
— Drew, 7/30/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I was totally shocked by the ending. "
— Wendy, 7/28/2013 -
" Well written and catches your interest but didn't keep mine. "
— Tiffani, 4/27/2013 -
" I started this book a long time ago, and thought that I had finished it. Turns out I didn't. It is a fast and good read. I like how the author uses many different points of view to tell the story, and the ending is sort of a surprise. "
— Gretchen, 3/2/2013 -
" Well-written and researched novel by one of my favorite authors, Chris Bohjalian. The central theme revolves around domestic violence, and the author weaves faith, secrets, and a few twists and turns to keep the reader's interest throughout this fictional work. "
— Elise, 12/21/2012 -
" I enjoyed it very much. It was a quick read and I never knew for sure, "Who done it." This was my first Chis Bohjalian book to read after I saw him at St. Louis County Library in February 2011. "
— Carol, 10/30/2012 -
" I got tired of serious and informative books so picked this almost at random from the town library shelves. It was satisfying in the sense that I didn't 'call it' (although I'm not good at calling endings) so it worked for me as an evening fiction-before-bedtime book. "
— Emma, 10/21/2012 -
" This kept me interested. I figured out the killer about 1/2 way, but I was involved with the characters at that point, so I had to keep going. It was interesting how it was broken down into the different view points. This would be a good discussion book for book club. "
— Bekki, 7/4/2012 -
" I was a little disappointed in this one by CB...the end was predictable and the book just seemed to drag on, interviewing the characters for way too long with lots of repetition. "
— Sandra, 5/8/2012 -
" I've read a few of his. I did not like this one much. "
— Mary, 2/14/2012 -
" Not his best but I still enjoyed the read. "
— Mickie, 1/29/2012 -
" Once again, a mind bending story. Told from the viewpoint of four characters, the tragedy of a battered wife and her husband is studied. Chris B. always surprises me. "
— Jean, 6/28/2011 -
" yay! for discovering Chris Bohjalian. Can't wait to find another one of his books. "
— Kim, 6/25/2011 -
" A page turner from the start! Great character development. I think I enjoy Bohjalian more with each new release. This one focuses on domestic abuse with a bit of religion/theology in the mix, but is in no way overly righteous or preachy. "
— Phoebe, 6/25/2011 -
" Decent read but the twist was pretty predictable. "
— Kim, 6/22/2011 -
" Definitely nowhere near his other books, but still an okay read. "
— Abigail, 6/20/2011 -
" A quick read; great for a summer weekend. While a tad predictable, the story is still good til the end. "
— Mary, 6/13/2011 -
" It was interesting kept me going. A small ne town abused wife is killed by her husband before he kills himself . .?. We soon find out theres a lot more to the story . . Minister, author, angels "
— Liza, 6/13/2011 -
" I didn't predict anything that was going to happen in this book. <br/>The minister's questioning of his faith is a common thing that he didn't resolve. "
— Mary, 6/11/2011 -
" A decent read but not neatly as good as 'Midwives' by the same author. "
— Carolyn, 6/9/2011 -
" Really good ending. Very eye opening. "
— Emily, 6/8/2011 -
" Not one of my favorite Bohjalian novels. I guessed who the killer was almost from the beginning. "
— Char, 6/4/2011 -
" I listened to this book through a library download. Really enjoyed listen. No sympathy for wife beaters...none "
— Tawnie, 6/2/2011
About Chris Bohjalian
Chris Bohjalian is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-four books, including The Flight Attendant, which has been made into an HBO Max limited series. His novels Secrets of Eden, Midwives, and Past the Bleachers were made into movies. His work has been translated into more than thirty- five languages. He is also a playwright He can be found at chrisbohjalian.com or on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Litsy, and Goodreads.
About the Narrators
Mark Bramhall has won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, more than thirty AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has repeatedly been named by AudioFile magazine and Publishers Weekly among their “Best Voices of the Year.” He is also an award-winning actor whose acting credits include off-Broadway, regional, and many Los Angeles venues as well as television, animation, and feature films. He has taught and directed at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.
Susan Denaker is an actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator. Her extensive theater credits include numerous plays in the West End of London, national tours, many English rep companies, including a season with Alan Ayckbourn’s company in Scarborough. In the US, she has appeared in Our Town and Sweet Bird of Youth at the La Jolla Playhouse and Breaking Legs at the Westport Playhouse.
Rebecca Lowman is an actress and audiobook narrator who has won numerous Earphones Awards. She has starred in numerous television shows, including Law & Order, Big Love, NCIS, and Grey’s Anatomy, among many others. She earned her MFA from Columbia University.
Kathe Mazur has narrated many audiobooks, winning the prestigious Audie Award for best narration in 2014, being named a finalist for the Audie Award in 2013 and 2015, and winning several AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actress, she can be seen as DDA Hobbs on The Closer and in the upcoming Major Crimes. She has worked extensively in film, theater, and television, including appearances on Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, House, Brothers and Sisters, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, ER, Monk, and many others.