In a small, secluded town that thrives on gossip and superstition, Dottie offers plenty of both when the scandal breaks about a missing girl, a ghost, and the affair that started it all. Having suffered a history of miscarriages, reclusive Dottie develops a strange motherly interest in her fifteen-year-old neighbor, Magdalena. Somewhere between fantasy and reality, Dottie finds new life in her relationship with the mysterious girl. But Dottie’s entanglements with Magdalena, a curious centenarian, a compelling stranger, an ex-mobster, and a murder of crows thrusts this once cloistered woman into a frenzy of public scrutiny. To quell the rumors, Dottie puts pen to paper and discovers something as frightening as it is liberating—her voice.
Magdalena is a hauntingly beautiful and emotionally resonant novel with themes of grief, motherhood, and the paranormal. The story follows “Odd” Dottie, a reclusive woman, in a town called Sam’s Town. Dottie is still grieving from multiple miscarriages and is burdened with caring for her husband, who’s in a vegetative state after a freak accident. Yearning to be a mother figure, she forms a bond with her 15-year-old neighbor, Magdalena, an eccentric and complex teenager with an ability to communicate with the dead. Magdalena soon learns that inviting spirits into her home has consequences, and when Magdalena goes missing, she becomes desperate for answers.
This story is extremely unique and not easy to categorize. It’s a poignant story of grief that reinvents itself along the way with elements of paranormal activity, family drama, forbidden romance, gothic fantasy, and quirky humor. The book’s short length and compelling dialogue make it extremely bingeable—but it‘s a book that’s meant to be savored. If you choose to listen on audio, a slower listening speed is highly recommended.
Dottie is a most peculiar and fascinating character. She’s only in her early 30s but comes across as someone much older, set in her ways, and unwilling to adapt to the new ways of the world. She communicates by writing letters and finds smartphones too complex to even consider—instead, she’s content with a very simple, reclusive life. Through Dottie’s many inner dialogues, readers get to intimately know her, with all her quirks and unintentional humor, as she grapples with grief and longs for connection. As a recluse, she has very few dealings with people, but when she does, she struggles to differentiate between fantasy and reality—most notably seen with her relationships with Benjamin (her love interest) and Magdalena. The relationship between Dottie and Magdalena is the emotional core of the story, exploring the concept of surrogate motherhood and the universal human need for companionship.
The town itself is presented as a character in its own right—the fog-laden streets, eucalyptus trees, intelligent crows, and townspeople, steeped in superstition and gossip, create its rich tapestry. The town is also special for being a place where ghosts can freely pass between the mortal and afterlife worlds, even though communication with them is forbidden. The town’s strong church community is like a metaphor for the town itself—the old-fashioned figureheads who try to undermine Dottie contrast with others who will surprise readers in their open-mindedness and willingness to help Dottie, even when she’s ostracized.
In summary, Magdalena is a poignant ghost story, unlike any ghost story you’ll ever read. When all is said and done, the story feels like a foggy fever dream, with vivid memories of ghosts, lemons, messenger crows, and characters that stay with you. Readers who love eccentric characters, atmospheric settings, and thought-provoking, poignant human stories will love this book!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of Magdalena is an unstoppable listen narrated by the immensely talented Jennifer Pickens. Pickens not only brings protagonist Dottie vividly to life but also fully embodies her! She uses a gentle and quirky voice to perfectly capture this odd and fascinating character, with all her irrational fears and compelling inner monologues. The dialogue between Dottie and Magdalena is a major highlight of the audiobook. Pickens narrates their interactions with such intrigue and emotional intensity from Dottie’s perspective, accurately conveying the mother-daughter dynamic that Dottie is longing for. The scenes where the two women communicate with the ghost in Dottie’s house are narrated with an abundance of atmospheric suspense and creepiness—you’ll feel right there with the women, holding your breath, and anticipating every response from the ghost!
Dottie’s “almost-romance” with the enigmatic Benjamin is another highlight of the narration. Pickens makes their communication tender and their chemistry palpable during their weekly library rendezvous. When Richard vanishes, Dottie’s desperation to communicate with him again (dead or alive) is so authentically portrayed by Pickens that you’ll be glued to your headsets—and the plot only gets more interesting from there, as Pickens shifts her performance of Dottie when she becomes aware of secrets and mistruths, eventually portraying a wiser woman with stronger boundaries. By the end, Pickens’ performance will make you fall in love with Dottie in many ways, and you’ll be wishing the story was longer!
Pickens also provides distinct voices for the variety of side characters, including very convincing voices for Magdalena’s grandmother and the members of the church—each voice adds an additional layer of suspense and intrigue to the story to create a very enjoyable listening experience!
Overall, the author’s beautiful writing, coupled with Picken’s captivating narration, makes this book/audiobook a true “hidden gem” that demands more attention! Readers who enjoy rich, memorable characters, multi-layered plots, and stories brimming with atmospheric suspense will love this audiobook!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of Magdalena is an unstoppable listen narrated by the immensely talented Jennifer Pickens. Pickens not only brings protagonist Dottie vividly to life but also fully embodies her! She uses a gentle and quirky voice to perfectly capture this odd and fascinating character, with all her irrational fears and compelling inner monologues. The dialogue between Dottie and Magdalena is a major highlight of the audiobook. Pickens narrates their interactions with such intrigue and emotional intensity from Dottie’s perspective, accurately conveying the mother-daughter dynamic that Dottie is longing for. The scenes where the two women communicate with the ghost in Dottie’s house are narrated with an abundance of atmospheric suspense and creepiness—you’ll feel right there with the women, holding your breath, and anticipating every response from the ghost!
Dottie’s “almost-romance” with the enigmatic Benjamin is another highlight of the narration. Pickens makes their communication tender and their chemistry palpable during their weekly library rendezvous. When Richard vanishes, Dottie’s desperation to communicate with him again (dead or alive) is so authentically portrayed by Pickens that you’ll be glued to your headsets—and the plot only gets more interesting from there, as Pickens shifts her performance of Dottie when she becomes aware of secrets and mistruths, eventually portraying a wiser woman with stronger boundaries. By the end, Pickens’ performance will make you fall in love with Dottie in many ways, and you’ll be wishing the story was longer!
Pickens also provides distinct voices for the variety of side characters, including very convincing voices for Magdalena’s grandmother and the members of the church—each voice adds an additional layer of suspense and intrigue to the story to create a very enjoyable listening experience!
Overall, the author’s beautiful writing, coupled with Picken’s captivating narration, makes this book/audiobook a true “hidden gem” that demands more attention! Readers who enjoy rich, memorable characters, multi-layered plots, and stories brimming with atmospheric suspense will love this audiobook!
The audiobook of Magdalena is an unstoppable listen narrated by the immensely talented Jennifer Pickens. Pickens not only brings protagonist Dottie vividly to life but also fully embodies her! She uses a gentle and quirky voice to perfectly capture this odd and fascinating character, with all her irrational fears and compelling inner monologues. The dialogue between Dottie and Magdalena is a major highlight of the audiobook. Pickens narrates their interactions with such intrigue and emotional intensity from Dottie’s perspective, accurately conveying the mother-daughter dynamic that Dottie is longing for. The scenes where the two women communicate with the ghost in Dottie’s house are narrated with an abundance of atmospheric suspense and creepiness—you’ll feel right there with the women, holding your breath, and anticipating every response from the ghost!
Dottie’s “almost-romance” with the enigmatic Benjamin is another highlight of the narration. Pickens makes their communication tender and their chemistry palpable during their weekly library rendezvous. When Richard vanishes, Dottie’s desperation to communicate with him again (dead or alive) is so authentically portrayed by Pickens that you’ll be glued to your headsets—and the plot only gets more interesting from there, as Pickens shifts her performance of Dottie when she becomes aware of secrets and mistruths, eventually portraying a wiser woman with stronger boundaries. By the end, Pickens’ performance will make you fall in love with Dottie in many ways, and you’ll be wishing the story was longer!
Pickens also provides distinct voices for the variety of side characters, including very convincing voices for Magdalena’s grandmother and the members of the church—each voice adds an additional layer of suspense and intrigue to the story to create a very enjoyable listening experience!
Overall, the author’s beautiful writing, coupled with Picken’s captivating narration, makes this book/audiobook a true “hidden gem” that demands more attention! Readers who enjoy rich, memorable characters, multi-layered plots, and stories brimming with atmospheric suspense will love this audiobook!
