Massachusetts, California, Timbuktu

Name: Massachusetts, California, Timbuktu
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: Stephanie Rosenfeld
ISBN: 9781602830752

Author: Stephanie Rosenfeld

Narrator: Jen Taylor

Unabridged: 14 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 07/15/2008

Categories: Fiction, Family Life

Synopsis

Dragged from California to Utah to Massachusetts in the wake of their mother Colleen's chaotic existence, Justine and Rona watch as visions of the family's great new life quickly fade. Colleen just can't get it together and Justine, reluctantly progressing toward the alien territory of adolescence, is increasingly called upon to act as a caretaker for her younger sister. Assigned in class to keep a pioneer diary from a child's point of view, Justine invents an alternate world—not an easier place, but one where she's in charge and where, if she tries hard enough, she will be able to convey herself and her sister over the treacherous terrain of their childhood. A smart and poignant novel full of courage and heart.

About Stephanie Rosenfeld

Stephanie Rosenfeld is the author of the novels Girls With a Z; California, Massachusetts, Timbuktu; and What About the Love Part? Rosenfeld’s writing has been published in The Missouri Review, Northwest Review, The Massachusetts Review, The Bellingham Review, Willow Review, Other Voices, and The Cream City Review. Rosenfeld is originally from Manhattan and Salt Lake City and has also lived in Western Massachusetts and San Francisco. Stephanie is a graduate of Wesleyan University where she received a B. A., and the University of Massachusetts where she received an MFA in visual art. Stephanie has worked as a printmaker, pastry chef, and grant-writer, and now lives in Salt Lake City.

About Jen Taylor

Jen Taylor is a voice actress best known for her role as Cortana in various Halo games and as Zoey in Left 4 Dead. In addition to her voice-over work, Taylor is also an accomplished stage actress and has appeared in a number of films and television series.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Shannon

I found this book at a .99 book store years ago, and I just love it. I've read this book twice now. The book takes you on a journey with 2 sisters and their dysfunctional mother. The author has created rich characters, and you find yourself hoping fervently that they are going to be okay. The book D......more

Goodreads review by karen

I thought this was a great book. The plight of Rona and Justine was depressing and I couldn't stop reading to find out what happened to them! I was highly surprised that I liked this book so much since I hadn't heard of it before and picked it up on a whim from Strand.......more

Goodreads review by Anne Marie

I couldn't get through this book fast enough. The only thing that kept me reading was hoping Colleen, the mother, would get her act together. It's a sad commentary for today's world, what kids are going through these days. I empathized completely with these two young girls. I understand that some pe......more

Goodreads review by Terry

There are some perfect sentences in this book, descriptions that are both relatable but also magical in how apt they are. The story within the story—Justine’s school assignment of the pioneer diary—describes the hardships of the times that parallel the main story so well. Every adult character is co......more

Goodreads review by Jean

What I liked about this book is that it that it did not have a happy ending you’d want it to which I think makes it more real. A mixed up mother with two daughters who just keeps making bad decisions- even if they are the results of a whopping dose of mental illness. Makes me wonder how many kids ar......more

Quotes

“Rosenfeld’s evocation of Justine is rich and real. She is witty and wise, and faces difficult questions without losing her childlike qualities.” Chicago Tribune

“Justine’s first-person narration is wry and engaging and Rosenfeld’s decision to intercut the story with ongoing excerpts from Justine’s pioneer diary—a school assignment that turns into a coded life story—is a clever device. Insightful and bitterly funny, this is a winning effort.” Publishers Weekly

“There may not be words to describe how good this audio is…A wonderful listening experience right to the end.” AudioFile

“Stephanie Rosenfeld has taken the comedic, bittersweet sentiment of her short stories and channeled their spirit into her first novel.” Booklist

“This is a compelling, sympathetic tale of an adolescent taking charge while she waits for her feckless mother to grow up.” School Library Journal