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The Testament of Harold's Wife cover art

The Testament of Harold's Wife

By: Lynne Hugo
Narrated by: Melissa Hurst, Graham Winton
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Summary

From award-winning author Lynne Hugo comes a witty, insightful, refreshingly unsentimental novel about one woman's unconventional path from heartbreak to hope.

After losing her husband, Harold, and her beloved grandson, Cody, within the past year, Louisa has two choices. She can fade away on her Indiana family farm, where her companionship comes courtesy of her aging chickens and an argumentative cat. Or, she can concoct a plan. 

Louisa, a retired schoolteacher who's as smart, sassy, and irreverent as ever, isn't the fading away type. The drunk driver who killed Cody got off scot-free by lying about a deer on the road. Harold had tried to take matters into his own hands but was thwarted by Gus, the local sheriff. Now Louisa decides to take up Harold's cause, though it will mean outsmarting Gus, who's developed an unwelcome crush on her, and staying ahead of her adult son who's found solace in a money-draining cult and terrible art.

Louisa's love of life is rekindled as the spring sun warms her cornfields, and she goes into action. But even the most perfect plans can go awry. A wounded buck and a teenage boy on the land she treasures help Louisa see that the enduring beauty of the natural world and the mystery of human connection are larger than revenge. And, so is justice.

©2018 Lynne Hugo (P)2018 Recorded Books

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Narration of an older woman's quest for revenge

A great listen, as Louisa speaks to us through the voice of the actor, making this a very involving listen. This is full of emotion, but also a great deal to laugh at.

Louisa has recently lost both her husband and grandson. Cody, killed by a drunk driver who avoided prosecution by saying he swerved to avoid a deer, directly played a role in grandfather Harold's death. Harold's quest to pursue justice having been thwarted, Louisa is now determining on a path to complete this task on his behalf.

We meet Louisa as she is reading classic stories to her chickens, with adult son Gary worried about her sanity (though he himself has turned to religion since losing his teenage son), but soon come to see her clarity of mind and determination.

As Louisa investigates Cody's death, we see just how circumstances left her a widow, and just what she intends to do. She's a strong woman, capable of deception and using her fragile appearance to avoid suspicion.

It's a very involving story, seeing both the revenge plot move along tensely and the history of Louisa's family, with humour used to lighten up the rather dark background story. I would LOVE to see one of Gary's 'Glitter Jesus' pieces, they sound appalling.

Surprisingly we get several other points of view in narration as we go along - Larry, the man who hit Louisa's grandson, as well as the teenage boy his girlfriend (who helped him out of jail) is always trying to force him to bond with. They add to the context of the place and plot.

A really good listen, with two narrators taking on the voices, it flows smoothly from one to the other, each obvious from tone and language. The 'testament' element of this only makes it work better as an audiobook, as though we are hearing a confession. Perfect for listeners.

Fairly short, but not short on tension, and there will smiles behind some tears.

With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.

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