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The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue: A Novel Audiobook
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(4.00) - 26 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From an acclaimed voice in fiction, this is a wry, beguiling, heartfelt, and warmly wise novel about second chances, unexpected choices, and the dreams that we all hunger to fulfill.
Trudy Marino never expected her life to turn out perfectly. But at forty-six, she was content with what she did have: her caring husband Rick . . . twenty-plus happy years raising three accomplished kids . . . and a lovely house in the artistic, vibrantly diverse town of Pueblo, New Mexico. But a heartbreaking discovery and a suddenly shattered marriage now has Trudy looking back on the choices she didn’t make—and where she might go from here.
Struggling to pick up the pieces, Trudy finds support from a quirky, eclectic group of friends and neighbors—her goddesses of Kitchen Avenue—all of whom are trying in their own unique ways to navigate life’s little surprises. There’s Jade, a fiery social worker who’s finding unexpected strength to deal with her “player” ex-husband, thanks to a most unorthodox passion; Jade’s grandmother, Roberta, who has just lost her husband of sixty-two years—and through memory and piercing grief wonders what to do with the rest of her life; Shannelle, Trudy’s young neighbor and an aspiring writer, determined to realize her talent despite formidable obstacles . . . including the husband who’s afraid her success will be his loss; and Angel, a young, quietly-knowing photographer who makes Trudy uncover a sensuality she never knew—even as he tries to get over the one love he can never really forget.
As Trudy faces her future, she discovers that figuring out what to let go and what to keep is just as difficult as moving on. As she weighs what she and Rick still share against new possibilities, she’ll surprise everyone— including herself—as she tries to reconcile the best of both.
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"Language and graphic sex. This book was good because it is about 4 women being strong, doing things that are hard and without support from their families. But they have each other and inner strength and they come through. This is my favorit theme. "
— Carol (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A COMPELLING EMOTIONAL PORTRAIT . . . [O’Neal’s] writing is a gift to readers, her voice a demand for us to feel everything in our lives and to meet it with courage . . . a truly luminous novel.”–Contra Costa Times
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[O’Neal’s] writing is, quite simply, splendid. . . . These women are as familiar as your next-door neighbor and as exotic as the goddesses who archetype their lives. [O’Neal] soars with genius in the humanity of her storytelling.”–BookPage
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“Warmhearted . . . [O’Neal’s] characters are warmly drawn and sympathetic, their problems real and believable.”–Publishers Weekly
The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue Listener Reviews
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" I really liked this one...finding myself reading about women who are not much older than I but have grown children - mid-life crisis? hmmmm? I haven't even had a kid yet! "
— Heather, 1/21/2011 -
" I'd read this book once before - enjoyed it just as much this time :) "
— Cindy, 9/13/2010 -
" I liked this book. A big relationship book. Good characters and a pretty good ending to it. Thumbs up. "
— Dianne, 7/8/2010 -
" I liked this book as much as the first one of hers I read. I will pursue the rest of her books now. "
— Jeffrey, 4/3/2009 -
" Deep and developed characters. I find myself thinking about them even when I'm not reading. <br/> <br/>As in all of B. Samuel's books, the characters have trials--sometimes achingly difficult ones--but there is always a sense of sweet hopefulness. "
— Tif, 3/26/2009 -
" great book! actually rereading since its been so long "
— Robyn, 3/15/2009 -
" I was intrigued at the start of this book with the different women's voices but the characters quickly became quite predictable. I was left feeling empty and unsatisfied by the women's lack of growth as individuals. "
— Maribel, 7/23/2008 -
" I love the strong female characters and all the quotes in the book. I wish I could be a kickboxer... "
— Chrysauna, 3/30/2008 -
" A great little novel about women's friendships, women in and out of love, and each characters' unique search for self-discovery. This book is really well written, chock full of intresting and multi-dimensional characters. "
— Nanci, 2/23/2008 -
" An interesting story about the relationships of several women in a neighborhood. "
— Denise, 2/7/2008 -
" This was a good read, but not terribly deep. "
— Rachel, 11/17/2007 -
" This book gripped me. I loved the main character's story -- it was very believable. I bawled a lot in the book and really identified with each of the women. "
— Marie, 8/6/2007
About Barbara O’Neal
Barbara O’Neal is the author of novels of general fiction, mystery, and romance novels, also published under the names Barbara Samuel and Ruth Wind. She has won a plethora of awards, including two Colorado Book Awards and six prestigious RITAs, including one for The Lost Recipe for Happiness. Her novels have been widely published in Europe and Australia, and she travels all over the world and presenting workshops.
About the Narrators
Allyson Johnson is an actress and singer who began performing at age twelve as coanchor of Bubble Gum Digest, for which she won an Emmy. After earning a degree in psychology from Brown University, she moved to New York where she became a social worker before shifting to a career in television and radio. Johnson has recorded countless commercials, promos, audiobooks, narrations, and animation series.
Carly Robins is an actress, narrator, and voice-over artist. She can be heard in commercials, video games, and promos. She comes to audiobook narration with a passion for performance along with the capability to span several genres, from romance to children’s literature and thrillers.
Kim Staunton is an audiobook narrator and actress known for her performances in Heat, One Life to Live, Changing Lanes, and Law & Order. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School.
James Fouhey is an actor and narrator living in New York City. He received classical training at Boston University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He has recorded more than forty audiobooks across a variety of genres, including science fiction, romance, young adult fiction, and children’s fiction.