"This book is a marvel. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." — Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You
Before Alex Marzano-Lesnevich begins a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, working to help defend men accused of murder, they think their position is clear. The child of two lawyers, Alex is staunchly anti-death penalty. But the moment convicted murderer Ricky Langley's face flashes on the screen as Alex reviews old tapes—the moment they hear him speak of his crimes—they are overcome with the feeling of wanting him to die. Shocked by their reaction, Alex digs deeper and deeper into the case. Despite their vastly different circumstances, something in Langley's story is unsettlingly, uncannily familiar.
Crime, even the darkest and most unsayable acts, can happen to any one of us. As Alex pores over the facts of the murder, they find themself thrust into the complicated narrative of Ricky's childhood. And by examining the details of Ricky's case, Alex is forced to face their own story, to unearth long-buried family secrets, and reckon with a past that colors their view of Ricky's crime.
But another surprise awaits: Alex wasn't the only one who saw their life in Ricky's.
An intellectual and emotional thriller that is also a different kind of murder mystery, THE FACT OF A BODY is an audiobook not only about how the story of one crime was constructed — but about how we grapple with our own personal histories. Along the way it tackles questions about the nature of forgiveness, and if a single narrative can ever really contain something as definitive as the truth. This groundbreaking, heart-stopping work, ten years in the making, shows how the law is more personal than we would like to believe — and the truth more complicated, and powerful, than we could ever imagine.
This program is read by the author.
1 of 2 copies available
1 of 2 copies available
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
May 16, 2017 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781427286543
- File size: 306373 KB
- Duration: 10:38:16
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 900
- Text Difficulty: 4-5
-
Reviews
-
AudioFile Magazine
Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich passionately narrates her memoir of childhood abuse at the hands of her grandfather and the capital murder case she researched in order to come to terms with her experiences. The daughter of two lawyers and a lifelong opponent of the death penalty, she finds her convictions are tested when she encounters the case of a convicted murderer that eerily reminds her of her own story. As narrator, her psychological--and physical--struggles as well as her isolation from her family come through in her tone. And while she's obviously not a professional performer, her voice works to emphasize how her emotions drive her actions and choices during the investigation. A darkly challenging topic read with authentic feeling, THE FACT OF A BODY provides listeners with plenty to ruminate. J.F. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
-
Formats
- OverDrive Listen audiobook
Languages
- English
Levels
- Lexile® Measure:900
- Text Difficulty:4-5
Loading
Why is availability limited?
×Availability can change throughout the month based on the library's budget. You can still place a hold on the title, and your hold will be automatically filled as soon as the title is available again.
The Kindle Book format for this title is not supported on:
×Read-along ebook
×The OverDrive Read format of this ebook has professional narration that plays while you read in your browser. Learn more here.