
Golden State
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Käthe Mazur
About this listen
Dr. Julie Walker wakes on a summer morning in San Francisco to find a city in chaos. Today Californians are voting on a controversial ballot initiative that will change history. With the future of the state and the nation uncertain, the streets have erupted into violence.
Injured, Julie must make her way across the city by foot to the Veterans Administration Hospital, where her sister, recently returned from Afghanistan, is in labor. At the hospital a brutal scene is unfolding as a man who shares an intimate past with Julie begins to take his revenge. Throughout the ordeal Julie's estranged husband, desperate for reconciliation, sends out coded messages from the radio station where he is the well-known Voice of Midnight.
Five years in the making, Golden State is both a political thriller and a meditation on marriage, love, and loyalty. Like The Year of Fog, it is a page-turner with a philosophical bent.
©2014 Michelle Richmond (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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OMG...spoiler alert:
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Critic reviews
What listeners say about Golden State
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- Maddy Avena
- 12-04-22
Beautiful story
I loved this story. The contrasts, the setting, the back stories. Julie’s courage, growth and awakenings. And this is my first book read by Käthe Mazur and now I want to listen to other books she’s narrated.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Valerie Mullen
- 11-20-21
Surprisingly good story
Loved it Lots of twists and turns. Good character development of protagonist and other main characters
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- Taylor alper
- 01-03-22
okay book
This was such a tough listen at times I had to restart this book three times. I really wanted it to be good and it probably was but by the end of the book I was waiting for it to be over. The story is great and it's an awesome premise. I just don't know if I would suggest listening. maybe reading
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- REB
- 06-05-23
Weak Abrasive Characters
The author is on her own journey of discovery, but it doesn't translate into sympathetic characters.
On the brightside the descriptions of San Francisco were accurate.
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- STUART J CHILTON
- 07-02-22
Thought provoking
This is a really captivating story and truly relevant. Thoughtful and insightful. very well narrated too.
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- kate
- 07-28-22
not my favorite
The story which wasn't bad jumped around alot, more than most. Which made it hard to know was she thinking of the past or was it in the past.
I liked the reader's voice but it was like she was telling a bed time story so, it was too relaxing.
Maybe others loved it but just not my cup of tea.
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- JRC 318
- 11-04-22
Interesting - Some things I loved, some that missed the mark.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I liked the suspense, the various story lines all intertwined (some of the things other reviews did not like). She did a great job with character descriptions and I especially like how the author weaves in references to songs - many that I had forgotten about - I went back and listened to and enjoyed again (hello, San Francisco Days). I am a veteran and veteran spouse, and also the mom of active duty Service members. You can tell she did her homework on that piece, but she somewhat painted all veterans as crazy and unhinged. It would have been nice to have had a few put together veteran characters to represent that there’s a wide range of veterans in our country - not all of them are unhinged. Great pictures of California and Mississippi. Also enjoyed the political storyline and even checked to see when the book was written b/c it was so eerie with today’s political climate - so she hit the nail on the head with that piece. As a free download, I was not disappointed.
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- Laurie Casebier
- 11-01-22
Life is an adventure
This is definitely an adventure story and if you are a Bay Area Californian you'll catch all the references. Lots of fun.
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- Carrie Byrnes
- 08-25-21
Really good.
I think this author isn't recognized enough. I put this on play because it was free with Plus. I usually use the freebies for playing to listen while I work. Now I wish I had used it for a proper listening. This is her second novel that I have downloaded, I also listened to The Marriage Pact. Very engaging stories and well written. I also love when authors successfully use a location as its own character. Well done!
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- Amanda H
- 07-25-22
Worth the listen!
I don’t typically leave many reviews on novels but this one was well worth it. The author captivated you right from the beginning and there was never a boring or low-key part of this book. I loved it.
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