Cottonwood Creek

By: Lyz Lenz

Narrated by: Lyz Lenz

Writer Lyz Lenz lives in Iowa, but she was raised in a small town in Texas, and her Audible Original Cottonwood Creek explores her funny and emotional memories of her life as a homeschooled evangelical girl in a large family of eight children. Growing up, Lenz and her family fervently believed that the rapture was coming, maybe any day now, and she and her siblings spent their days - which for all they knew could have been their last on earth - exploring the woods near their home, conjuring playtime fantasies, and testing the limits of their imaginations. As her parents grappled with unemployment, a crumbling marriage, and the pressures of the adult world, Lenz learned what it means to leave childhood behind and how to hold on to the things that really matter.

©2020 Lyz Lenz (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Like an uneventful diary

Rambles on and on. I’m not sure what the point of this story was. It’s like being forced to listen to the most boring person in the worlds diary. I want my two hours back.

I love the author's voice narrating her book.

I loved the author's voice narrating her own book. A rich recollection of her childhood. I highly recommend it.

Good but Anti-Clamatic

It was a good listen for most of it because I was anticipating getting answers to the plot. However, about 3/4 of the way through I realized it was never coming. And it did indeed never come.

Nice piece

It is a simple recollection of childhood experiences, mixed with lessons carried into adulthood. Enjoyable.

Interestingly Personal and Deeper Than You Think

First off, this is not for everyone, but I think that is the point! If you are a passive listener and like typical things, skip this…BUT, if you are interested in a deeper story and one that unfolds in quiet ways like a flower, you will enjoy the listen.

The first third of the story is rough to listen to and hard to follow. It has no hook to keep you and that is where the author could have improved this story. I didn’t want to quit because I thought I would see it through. Glad I did, it is the rest of the story that the author should be proud of and where she starts showing her writing craft. I am going to relisten to this again soon to allow it to settle in with me.
She tells a story through many memories of living near a creek, but it is really a story of her wrestling with her beliefs like all deep thinkers do. Her reading her story was perfect. I could hear small slips of emotion as she spoke. It made it more personal and real. Her maturing through the story could be felt and I could relate to the struggle of expectations versus reality. If the author reads this, write more as it moves you, your stories are worth telling. Thanks for sharing!