Lost Souls at the Neptune Inn

By: Betsy Carter

Narrated by: Molly Parker Myers

When an elusive Southern stranger arrives in 1960s New Rochelle, three generations of women are forever changed.
When the heart finds its home, anything is possible. Geraldine, Emilia Mae, and Alice Wingo couldn't be more different from each other. Geraldine is a fiery beauty, turning heads while running the local bakery with her devoted husband, Earle-but she never quite takes to motherhood. Her daughter, Emilia Mae, spends her life chasing her mother's affection and goes looking for love in all the wrong places. So when she gives birth to her own daughter, Alice-the girl with the quick laugh and music running through her veins-she vows to do things differently. Then, Dillard Fox, a handsome stranger with a Southern drawl sails into town, bringing with him a gentle warmth that draws in all three of the Wingo women. Emilia Mae, never thinking she'd find true love, builds the kind of happy life with Dillard that neither of them ever expected. Geraldine slowly learns to be kinder to her difficult daughter, and young Alice may have found the father figure she always wanted. But everyone has their secrets, and the one that Dillard has been carrying all of these years threatens to upend their idyllic family. Over the course of their lives, these three women navigate their relationships with each other and the changing world around them. Filled with Carter's characteristic wit, this charming, wise novel is a paean to love-any way you can find it.

Critic reviews

"Carter crafts an endearing, sweeping saga of strangers brought together...The story comes alive through the honesty and raw emotion injected into the characters. Her unflinching look at the characters' imperfections and boundless exploration into their minds makes for an exceptional tale."—Publishers Weekly

"A sweeping intergenerational story of the intertwined lives of two people who find themselves staying briefly at the Neptune Inn in New Rochelle, New York... A bittersweet tale that follows the twists and turns of love and loss and the painfulness and joy of life."—Kirkus

"One can't help fall in love with each character, mourn each loss, cheer their triumphs, and maybe shed a tear or two."—Library Journal

Praise for WE WERE STRANGERS ONCE
"A moving story of loss, longing, and perseverance."—Real Simple, A Best New September Release

"In this sharply observed historical novel, a web of friendships connect German Jews in pre-Hitler Germany after they emigrate to America. In their complex relationships and struggles both emotional and cultural, we are given insight into life at its most resilient and joyous. An important book to remind us of the humanity in the current wave of immigrants, and how much they have to offer us."—Alice LaPlante, New York Times bestselling author of Turn of Mind

I really enjoyed this book

Great story, or rather stories, woven together. Such great character development. I got so involved in the story that on a number of occasions while listening to it, I gasped when something unexpected happened to the characters. That hasn’t happened in a long time. Well done!

Ready for a journey?

Brilliant characters to wonder about. Loved how it all came together. Would recommend to many.

Small town life

A nostalgic story, spanning several decades, with an evocative setting and interesting characters. It did feel that the ending was a bit rushed, and rather predictable, after the slower pace of most of the book. The final scene redeemed the rushed feeling of the last chapter with an emotional close.