Paula Voss was born in Alabama to a free-spirited woman, Kai, who had a love for Hindu Mythology to point of extreme.  Paula’s birth name, Kali Jai had deep meaning in Hindu legend, but this was a name that Paula gave up when she put her mother in jail.  A move that put Paula in foster care.

Now, years later, with a messy trail of life wrongs behind her, Paula is a divorce Lawyer to be reckoned with.  What she lacks in size, she makes up for in ingenuity and on again off again help from an easy on the eyes man called Birdwine.  Paula has not seen or heard from her mother in 15 years and in many ways, Paula thinks that is for the best.

Until one day a letter comes…

“I am going on a journey, Kali. I am going back to my beginning; death is not the end. You will be the end. We will meet again, and there will be new stories. You know how Karma works.”

Shortly after the letter, another surprise shows up at Paula’s door.  Perhaps, Kai’s largest secret of all and all that Paula thought she knew, thought was true, starts to crumble away.

Paula’s past of dealing with wrecked families has helped her become who she is today, but now – with new information, she steps back to where it all began to figure out what brought her to here and not that she was here, what to do about it.

 

Note:  While I was sent the book for review, due to time restraints I finished this book on audio.  This review reflects both book and audio

Joshilyn Jackson pulls another one out the park.  Wow.  I have enjoyed her southern fiction with a twist in the past, but Joshilyn pulls out a little something extra here.  The mix of Hindu mythology was a unique way to go and one that at first puzzled me and then I got into.

The story line of Paula’s past is deeply real feeling, a look into the foster care system and what it takes for someone to hold their own, especially when you do not look like everyone else.

I did listen to part of this book on audio which is narrated by Joshilyn Jackson impressively.  Who better to capture the quirky characters of such a  read than the author herself?  My only teeny bump in the road with her narration was the voive of Paula’s brother who was 23.  The voice came off much younger to me, sounding more like a curious 15-16 year old.  Having boys in their 20’s, this didn’t come off as sounding right to me.  The narration in all other instances of its southern glory is spot on.  Kudos multi-talented Joshilyn Jackson!

I enjoyed this book so much.  Joshilyn has a way of bringing a story to life that leaves you in the end, wanting more.

 

 

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (February 16, 2016)
• Listening Length: 11 hours and 34 minutes
• Program Type: Audiobook
• Version: Unabridged
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Audible.com Release Date: February 16, 2016

Thank you to TLC for allowing me to spend a little time with Paula (and Birdwine!) in Alabama.