There Is No Ethan Audiobook By Anna Akbari cover art

There Is No Ethan

How Three Women Caught America's Biggest Catfish

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There Is No Ethan

By: Anna Akbari
Narrated by: Anna Akbari, Justin Price
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About this listen

Part memoir, part explosive window into the mind of a catfisher, a thrilling personal account of three women coming face-to-face with an internet predator and teaming up to expose them.

In 2011, three successful and highly educated women fell head over heels for the brilliant and charming Ethan Schuman. Unbeknownst to the others, each exchanged countless messages with Ethan, staying up late into the evenings to deepen their connections with this fascinating man. His detailed excuses about broken webcams and complicated international calling plans seemed believable, as did last minute trip cancellations. After all, why would he lie? Ethan wasn't after money—he never convinced his marks to shell out thousands of dollars for some imagined crisis. Rather, he ensnared these women in a web of intense emotional intimacy. After the trio independently began to question inconsistencies in their new flame's stories, they managed to find one another and uncover a greater deception than they could've ever imagined. As Anna Akbari and the women untangled their catfish’s web, they found other victims and realized that without a proper crime, there was no legal reason for “Ethan” to ever stop.

THERE IS NO ETHAN catalogues Akbari's experience as both victim and observer. By looking at the bigger picture of where these stories unfold—a world where technology mediates our relationships; where words and images are easily manipulated; and where truth, reality, and identity have become slippery terms—Akbari gives a page-turning and riveting examination of why stories like Ethan's matter for us all.

©2024 Anna Akbari (P)2024 Grand Central Publishing
Best of 2024 Con Artists, Hoaxes & Deceptions Editors Select Exciting Scary Thought-Provoking

Editorial Review

The catfishing memoir to end all catfishing memoirs
OMG! Anna Akbari took me on a JOURNEY with her stranger-than-fiction memoir about how a stranger can be ... fiction. A feisty young sociologist in the early days of online dating, Akbari began chatting with a witty New Yorker named Ethan. Ethan’s lofty job meant lots of travel, long hours, and an Irish phone that made email and text his sole methods of communication. Anna fell hard for his clever, sexy messages—irresistibly voiced by Justin Price, the perfect complement to Akbari’s own narration. But as their intimacy deepened, Ethan’s excuses to avoid meeting raised major red flags. Emotionally invested yet professionally fascinated, Akbari’s investigation led her to other victims (whose solidarity will warm your heart amid the otherwise chilling tale) and jaw-dropping revelations about the “real” Ethan Schuman. The catfishing memoir to end all catfishing memoirs, There Is No Ethan will have you talking (and listening) compulsively—just don’t google the case until you finish, for maximum effect. — Kat J., Audible Editor

What listeners say about There Is No Ethan

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Engaging

This story is true, but it reads like fiction. It kept my attention and interest throughout. Highly recommend.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Tedious

I would hope I would have smelled something fishy after the third no show from this guy/girl.

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Thrilling Listen

This is a true story that is so eye opening! It's shocking, appalling and I am angry for the women that were victimized. The worst part is that "Ethan" is still out there with no repercussions! We need to band together as women and make sure that this person is held accountable for their actions! I am so angered by what happened but applaud the author for writing this book.

If you haven't read it, take a day off work and curl up! I originally ordered the audio book but a couple chapters in I had to go and order the hard copy of the book.

I'm speechless how this played out.

The writer, as a sociologist, brought a unique perspective but still told in her own words was excellent! I will definitely be reading other books from this author in the future.

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Whose Afraid of Little Ole Me?

This tale kept me both enraptured and horrified. The author artfully, kindly and masterfully shares with the readers a truly captivating and horrifying real-life catfish dating story from hell.

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Fascinating

How a catfish is successful is a spelling binding tale but how he is caught is less so. Loved the first 2/3 of this book.

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Wow! Quite a remarkable story

This story is disturbing on so many levels. Anyone that has been in the dating world can see reflections of moments from their own lives in these women. And the discovered truth is the most disturbing in reality. I just finished… so I am off to do an internet deep dive!

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Finished in two days!

Loved it! I felt part one went on a bit long, but I see why, it was necessary to show how much was invested into deceiving these women. I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, just listen!!

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I would have been happier and more interested if I had googled this and read the online articles.

Annoyed by the voices of the narrators, and the dialogue was painful to listen to. I kept turning it off in frustration and then forcing myself to listen. Ultimately, I would have enjoyed this as a podcast or article. I was waiting to be more interested when it finally came to the discovery and confrontation. The only interest was the response of the perpetrator. I was expecting more depth but it was more an accounting of what happened with no real story or depth or descriptors of experience. I regret using my credit on this and wish I had just googled the story instead.

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wow. smart review that makes me think

if this could happen to these smart women, it could happen to anyone. that this woman is our there and a doctor is disturbing.

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How Can Someone Be So Dumb

Very good book if you like to listen to true crime, psycological type books. It's amazing that so many women can be taken in by a scam artist and even more amazing that the catfisher can be so brilliant but horrible at the same time.

Very good book. Worth the credit or dollars.

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