Dearest Dorothy, Who Would Have Thought?

Welcome to Partonville, Book 4

By: Charlene Ann Baumbich

Narrated by: Cynthia Darlow

The first three books in award-winning journalist Charlene Ann Baumbich's Dearest Dorothy series won her a congregation of adoring fans for her pleasant tales set amid the good people of Partonville. The fourth entry in the series contains all the hopes, heartache, happiness and inspiration her readers have come to cherish.©2005 Charlene Ann Baumbich (P)2006 Recorded Books

Wonderful!

Loved the book. Loved the narrator! I have listened to the complete series several times.

This excellent series needed different reader(s)

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

First year marketing students who are studying what not to do to a good author's work.

What did you like best about this story?

The wonderful interplay of the title character and her immediate "hooker" friends.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator is afflicted with the inability to read the male characters with any real, um, 'masculinity'. Even the adult males sound as if they've spent just a bit too much time watching Oprah without a break. The adolescent characters? Forget it! Josh (as well as the others) needed to sound more masculine.

At times, in certain plot segments, it became a distracting focal point that made listening without ill-timed laughter next to impossible.

That, coupled with fewer appearances from Dorothy, made us begin to wander mentally as the audio book was playing. (Shopping chores, oil changes due, etc).

We eventually became bored, and completely lost interest in this whole series, in view of the title character, Dorothy, being reduced to little more than a brand; only trotted out occasionally to sell more 'product'.

It's a shame. The series started out so strong, and was *almost* starting to be a contender worthy of the Mitford series by Jan Karon. Alas, it was not meant to be. Unfortunately, it sounds as if some 'editor' got a hold of it, and then made matters worse by listening to a marketing exec. A real shame. Very sad.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Initially, great joy, at times humor, but as the series started to unravel from poor editing, a great deal of sadness.