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Audiobooks Narrated by Lesley Kagen
Browse audiobooks narrated by Lesley Kagen, listen to samples and when you're ready head over to Audiobooks.com where you can get 3 FREE audiobooks on us
During the summer of 1968 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, eleven-year-old Shenandoah Carmody's mother disappeared. Her twin sister, Woody, stopped speaking, and her once-loving father slipped into a mean drunkenness unbefitting a superior court judge. As the first anniversary of their mother's disappearance nears, her father's threat to send Woody away and his hints at an impending remarriage spur a desperate Shenny--who was named for the Shenandoah Valley--to find her mother before its too late. While struggling to get her mute twin to reveal what she knows about the night their mother vanished, Shenny is ultimately swept up in a series of heartbreaking events that will force her to face the painful truth about herself and her family.
Sally O’Malley made a promise to her daddy before he died. She swore she’d look after her sister, Troo. Keep her safe. But like her Granny always said, actions speak louder than words. And Sally would have to agree with her. Because during the summer of 1959, the girls’ mother is hospitalized, their stepfather has abandoned them for a six pack, and their big sister, Nell, who was left strict instructions to take care of them, is too busy making out with her boyfriend to notice that Sally and Troo are on the loose. And so is a murderer and molester. Highly imaginative Sally is pretty sure of two things: who the killer is and that she’s next on his list. If nobody will believe her, she has no choice but to protect herself and Troo as best she can, relying on her own courage and the kindness of her neighbors.
“[A] compassionate debut, a coming-of-age thriller…An enchanting protagonist.”--Publishers Weekly
Whistling in the Dark captivated readers with the story of ten-year-old Sally O’Malley and her sister, Troo, during Milwaukee’s summer of 1959. The novel became a New York Times bestseller and was named a Midwest Honor Award winner. In Good Graces, it’s one year later, and a heat wave has everyone in the close-knit Milwaukee neighborhood on edge. None more so than Sally O’Malley, who remains deeply traumatized by the sudden death of her daddy and her near escape from a murderer and molester the previous summer. Although outwardly she and her sister, Troo, are more secure, Sally’s confidence in her own judgment and much of her faith have been whittled away. When a series of disquieting events unfold in the neighborhood, such as a string of home burglaries, the escape from reform school of a nemesis, and the mysterious disappearance of an orphan—crimes that may involve the increasingly rebellious Troo—Sally is called upon to rise above her inner demons. She made a deathbed promise to her daddy to keep Troo safe, a promise she can’t break, even if her life depends on it. But when events reach a crisis point, will Sally have the courage and discernment to make the right choices? Or will her false assumptions lead her and those she loves into danger once again? Lesley Kagen’s gift for imbuing her child narrators with compelling authenticity shines as never before in Good Graces, a novel told with sensitivity, wit, and warmth.
“[A] spot-on sequel to her bestselling debut, Whistling in the Dark. Kagen does a remarkable job of balancing the goofiness of being an eleven-year-old with the sinister plot points, creating a suspenseful yarn that still retains an air of genuine innocence. Readers who enjoyed the first story are in for a treat.”--Publishers Weekly
