Unexpected
The Backstory of Finding Elizabeth Smart and Growing Up in the Culture of an American Religion
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Narrated by:
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Chris Thomas
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Elizabeth Smart
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By:
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Chris Thomas
About this listen
The backstory of finding Elizabeth Smart and how growing up in the Mormon culture pushed the author to develop the exact kind of intuition that was needed to help manage Elizabeth’s kidnapping and rescue while the world watched.
Chris Thomas is not yet 30 years old when he finds himself managing the immense pressure, eccentric personalities, and extenuating circumstances of an international story, where one small misstep could adversely impact the search for a missing teenager and the reputation of her family. Now, 20 years later, Thomas takes listeners behind the scenes, providing new details, perspectives, and commentary on finding Elizabeth Smart.
In the process of reflecting on Elizabeth’s search and rescue, Thomas discovers how growing up in the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormon) helped push him to develop the exact kind of intuition needed to manage Elizabeth’s kidnapping and rescue, and to do so while the world watched.
Unexpected juxtaposes crucial events from the Smart case with Thomas’ experience growing up in the Latter-day Saint culture, including coming to understand the secret of a broken war hero before it was too late.
©2023 Chris Thomas (P)2023 Post Hill PressListeners also enjoyed...
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The Awakening of HK Derryberry is the inspiring story of how one man was willing to step out of his upper-middle-class world into the life of a young, disabled boy with a dismal future but an amazing ability. Little did Jim Bradford know the transformational potential of that friendship - for HK and himself.
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More bragging than Inspiration
- By Kodzo on 06-20-17
By: Jim Bradford, and others
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Good Day!
- The Paul Harvey Story
- By: Paul J. Batura
- Narrated by: Paul J. Batura
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In Good Day!: The Paul Harvey Story, author Paul J. Batura follows the remarkable life of one of the founding fathers of the news media. Paul Harvey started his career during the Great Depression and narrated America's story day by day, through wars and peace, the threat of communism and the crumbling of old colonial powers, consumer booms and eventual busts.
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Should have been better
- By Royce Brown on 12-21-09
By: Paul J. Batura
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Raven
- The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People
- By: Tim Reiterman
- Narrated by: Mitch Horowitz
- Length: 29 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Tim Reiterman's Raven provides the seminal history of the Rev. Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and the murderous ordeal at Jonestown in 1978. This PEN Award-winning work explores the ideals gone wrong, the intrigue, and the grim realities behind the Peoples Temple and its implosion in the jungle of South America.
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What a very thoroughly written book!
- By Traci P. on 04-22-17
By: Tim Reiterman
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November 22, 1963
- Reflections on the Life, Assassination, and Legacy of John F. Kennedy
- By: Dean R. Owen, Helen Thomas - foreword
- Narrated by: Arnell Powell, Kimberly Farr, Arthur Morey, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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As the fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination draws near, the events of that fateful day will undoubtedly be on the minds of many throughout the world. Here Dean Owen curates a fascinating collection of interviews and thought-provoking commentaries from notable men and women connected to that notorious Friday afternoon. Those who worked closely with the president, civil rights leaders, celebrities, prominent journalists, and political allies are among the nearly one hundred voices asked to share their reflections on the significance of that day and the legacy left behind by John F. Kennedy.
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Disappointed in the content
- By ScoobyDo on 03-04-21
By: Dean R. Owen, and others
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Prisoner
- My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison—Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out
- By: Jason Rezaian
- Narrated by: Jason Rezaian
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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The dramatic memoir of the journalist who was held hostage in a high-security prison in Tehran for 18 months and whose release - which almost didn’t happen - became a part of the Iran nuclear deal.
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Should have been much better given subject matter
- By Sample Sloth on 04-17-19
By: Jason Rezaian
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Angel in Aisle 3
- The True Story of a Mysterious Vagrant, a Convicted Bank Executive, and the Unlikely Friendship That Saved Both Their Lives
- By: Kevin West, Frederick Edwards
- Narrated by: Gary Galone
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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When Kevin West resigned from his job as vice president of a bank in 1998 after making fraudulent loans, he spent the time before his trial managing a family-owned, small grocery store in Ironton, Ohio. Dealing with serious marriage problems and with a prison sentence almost certainly in his future, Kevin was overcome with remorse and without a scrap of hope. It was at his lowest moment that Kevin called out to a power beyond himself for help, and God answered his prayer in the form of an elderly vagrant named Don.
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Couldn't Stop Listening!
- By Jazzy on 01-14-16
By: Kevin West, and others
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The Meaning of Matthew
- My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed
- By: Judy Shepard
- Narrated by: Judy Shepard
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The mother of Matthew Shepard shares her story about her son's death and the choice she made to become an international gay rights activist.
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Heart breaking story
- By sherry on 08-10-12
By: Judy Shepard
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The Politician
- An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal that Brought Him Down
- By: Andrew Young
- Narrated by: Kevin Foley
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Like a nonfiction version of All the King's Men, The Politician offers a truly disturbing, even shocking, perspective on the risks taken and tactics employed by a man determined to rule the most powerful nation on earth.
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Politician Phony. A must listen!!!
- By Sherman on 02-09-10
By: Andrew Young
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Let's Roll!
- By: Lisa Beamer, Ken Abraham - contributor
- Narrated by: Lisa Helm
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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On September 11, 2001, Lisa Beamer was thrust into the national spotlight after her husband, Todd, became an American hero by preventing terrorist hijackers from almost certainly flying United Flight 93 into the White House or the United States Capitol. Instead, Todd led a group of passengers to resist the hijackers, forcing the plane to crash into a Pennsylvania field. Todd and the other heroes of Flight 93 gave their lives so that untold others would be spared. Nothing could be more heroic. Lisa is now telling that story, and much more.
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Inspiring book. I couldn't put it down.
- By Sam on 09-13-03
By: Lisa Beamer, and others
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Without a Prayer
- The Death of Lucas Leonard and How One Church Became a Cult
- By: Susan Ashline
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Teenager Lucas Leonard made shocking admissions in front of the altar - he'd practiced witchcraft, conspired to murder his parents, and committed unspeakable crimes. The confessions earned him a brutal beating by a gang of angry church members, including his parents and sister. Lucas was brought to the hospital dead, awakening the sleepy community of Chadwicks, New York, to the horror that had been lurking next door. Nine members of Lucas' church would eventually find themselves facing murder-related charges. But how did they get to that point? And what made Lucas confess?
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The Depravity of the Human Soul
- By J. Miller on 01-31-20
By: Susan Ashline
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Shortest Way Home
- One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Future
- By: Pete Buttigieg
- Narrated by: Pete Buttigieg
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Once described by The Washington Post as "the most interesting mayor you've never heard of", Pete Buttigieg, the 36-year-old Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has improbably emerged as one of the nation's most visionary politicians. First elected in 2011, Buttigieg left a successful business career to move back to his hometown, previously tagged by Newsweek as a "dying city", and transformed it into a shining model of urban reinvention.
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Reveals a Person Wise & Experienced & Literate
- By dbbks3 on 03-17-19
By: Pete Buttigieg
What listeners say about Unexpected
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazonaddict
- 03-15-23
In the room where it happened
Chris’s experience is really remarkable. I wasn’t sure I was going to like the story with the back and forth with his childhood but, after about chapter four I was completely hooked and it became a real page turner. His perspective is very personal and raw and I forgot how everyone had basically given up on finding her (police included). The childhood piece is a little idealistic at first but, he dives in deeper as the book progresses and brings it full circle in the end. Nicely done.
Elizabeth’s experience during the nine months can’t be compared, it was completely different but this book captures the trauma of a family and community and how they came together and did everything in their power to bring her home.
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- Trent
- 04-27-23
Fantastic listen.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was extremely well written, had very interesting stories about the authors life which I enjoyed almost more than the parts about his role with the abduction of Elizabeth smart.
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- Barbara
- 11-01-23
Awesome book from a different point of view.
I loved this book!! Chris made his church beliefs an important part of the story. I found the parts about Baker so incredibly tender, it enriched the story in a beautiful way! Great job, Chris!
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- Susan Auten
- 03-15-23
Much better than expected
At first I was annoyed that the story of Thomas’s neighbor, Baker, kept interrupting the story of finding Elizabeth. But Thomas does such a beautiful job of trying these experiences together that by the end, I was rooting for Thomas and Baker to finally understand each other. So well done and worth the listen.
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- Matt One Jarman
- 06-23-23
Couldn’t stop listening
Chris simultaneously focuses in on the complexity of the Elizabeth Smart story, while also sharing his perspective and observations that uniquely prepared him to tell that story.
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- MommaRodz
- 03-16-23
Fascinating insight
Loved it! Fascinating to read such a familiar story from a different perspective. Thoroughly enjoyed the parallel story of Baker and his influence
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- HeatherCheffeather
- 04-14-23
Could not stop listening!
This is an amazing perspective on a story I have followed for years. I was a young mother when Elizabeth was abducted and was distraught over what it would be like to lose a child in that way. I have seen Elizabeth speak and have read her book. I am so inspired by her strength and her willingness to not allow the most horrible of circumstances keep her from the positive impact she has had on the world. I LOVED reading Chris’s perspective. He has lived an incredible life and has a true gift for storytelling. I couldn’t stop listening. His insight and explanations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were accurate and handled with respect and absolute truth. I wish there had been a little more detail into Elizabeth’s rescue and how that came to be. Although I’ve heard it before, I felt it didn’t get the justice it deserved in the work. Overall, this is an amazing memoir and I am grateful for the opportunity to have listened to it as it has given much thought into how connected we all are and the opportunities we have to learn from those around us. Thank you Chris and Laura Thomas, and Elizabeth Smart.
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- WhitneyI
- 03-12-23
Essential for those who know the Elizabeth Smart story well
Loved Chris’ story! The way he wove his childhood into his experience of helping the Smart’s was engaging and well done.
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- Sandra
- 08-17-23
Thank you , Chris for never giving up on your dream of writing this book. It has given me a new perspective on life and loving.
You are an amazing writer and gentle man with integrity and insights about the human race. You did a tremendous work of reading your own words. I loved all the acknowledgments you gave. I love your wife. Thank you
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- Cherish C.
- 03-10-23
Uplifting and inspiring
This is a story and perspective worth listening to. It's a miraculous and uplifting story.
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1 person found this helpful