The Life We Bury

By: Allen Eskens

Narrated by: Zach Villa

Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran-and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.

As Joe writes about Carl's life, especially Carl's valor in Vietnam, he cannot reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict. Aided by his skeptical neighbor, Lila, Joe throws himself into uncovering the truth. Thread by thread, he begins to unravel the tapestry of Carl's conviction. But as he and Lila dig deeper into the circumstances of the crime, the stakes grow higher. Will Joe discover the truth before it's too late to escape the fallout?

©2014 Allen Eskens (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"More complications ensue, until the novel's satisfying resolution." ( Publishers Weekly Starred Review)

Satisfying

Okay, I sorta knew from the first where this was going. Who wrote that there are only a handful of really different plots available? So while Eskens takes a predictable road in "The Life We Bury" it's the journey's twists and threats that let this fine writer provide a satisfying trip.

Here's the kind of escape into narrative that makes Audible books so useful when I'm washing dishes, raking leaves, gym-sweating, or commuting. Zach Villa's brought the story to life by inhabiting each of its characters so credibly.

✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫

I'm not normally a mystery fan but I did really enjoy this book. I think it was more the thriller aspect that I enjoyed than they mystery. The mystery really wasn't very surprising, I had it all figured out very early on but the way the story came together kept me listening. The characters were quirky and different which I also liked.

Zach Villa was perfect for this book in my opinion. He gives the characters each they own edge and really doesn't a great job with all the different voices for each character.

Unique story line

Thoroughly enjoyed. A believable situation with "real" characters. The direction and flow of this book kept my attention throughout.

Excellent narrator!

Great story, poignant, exciting, suspenseful. Highly recommend this book for a good winter's read on a cold weekend or while lying in the sun this summer.

Trails of exoneration

Thirty years is a long time to spend in prison for a crime you didn't commit. Carl Iverson now faces his final days and weeks in a hospital with Cancer, he decides to tell Joe his story as his dying declaration. In doing so these two are tied together in telling the true story of a young girl brutally murdered. All is never as it seems. A twisting tale that kept me interesting right to the end.

What a Pleasant Surprise!

Allen Eskens delivers a very touching book about a man who's on the cusp of severing ties with his mother, and torn between taking care of his autistic brother. As part of a college assignment, he must interview an old person and get 'a story.' Nothing can prepare him when he meets a man who's dying in a long term care facility, who served 30 years in prison for murder.

The relationship between the two becomes the focal point of the novel- each of them connecting because they so desperately need to will away their inner demons and make peace with the things they've done.

This book is a bit of a love story, a touching family drama, an exciting crime drama and an overall great piece of fiction which was read well by narrator Zach Villa. Regardless how hurt we are or have been, it seems as though even the most opposite people can find something in common.

Highly recommended, so glad I found this treasure.

Wendi

Best book in a long time!

This is by far one of the most captivating books I've read/listened to recently. I usually only listen to books in the car, but I loved this one so much I found myself curled up on a Saturday with a warm blanket and this book- I couldn't stop listening! The performance was fantastic, as well. Highly recommend.

Great Story, An Easy Listen, Beautifully Narrated!

The Life We Bury is an impressive story.... it's the story of an upwardly mobile young man named Joe, his autistic younger brother and their alcoholic mother. Joe is a college student and his assignment to write a college paper leads him to Carl, a convicted felon who is dying, and has agreed to tell Joe his story. A story he will tell for the first time.

This is a beautifully written and narrated story. The listener knows or suspects that the story will end well, but it's the whodunit and how the story will get to the happy ending is compelling and kept me listening. A refreshing story.

The narrator was very good, and his speaking style suited the story very well. He had a good range of voices and tones that made the story easy to follow. I settled into the story and couldn't stop listening...... recommend...

Unexpectedly loved it

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

There were definitely times where I felt like I was on the edge of my seat, and other times where I felt like they should just get it over with, some scenes/situations were dragged out too much.

What about Zach Villa’s performance did you like?

This wasn't my favorite narrator, but it was still good. He did make me have a little bit of a crush on Joe.

Any additional comments?

Typically, I steer clear of books involving rape. I bought this as a bargain book, and I very unexpectedly loved it. I feel like the ending was wrapped up in a bow, which sometimes is nice, but not always.

Wow!! Just wow!!!

Any additional comments?

I loved this listen so much!! It was an inventive story with a backstory that kept you listening and rooting for a happy ending. AND WHAT AN ENDING!!! I would love to say I saw it coming but I did not. Wow, just WOW!!!