The Green and the Gray

By: Timothy Zahn

Narrated by: David Stifel

After engaging in bloody warfare against each other, two alien races—the Greens and the Grays—take refuge on Earth, both believing their home and their enemy destroyed. For seventy-five years, they have been passing as humans, living peacefully—until each side discovers the other has survived. Now, in order to avoid another destructive conflict, these extraterrestrial rivals have united and agreed that a sacrifice must be made . . .

On a dark and cold October night in Manhattan's Riverside Park, a strange ceremony is about to begin. The group is focused on a young girl who is ready to do what she must for peace, but the ritual comes to an abrupt halt when the child is mysteriously kidnapped.

Meanwhile, after four years of marriage, Roger and Caroline Whittier struggle to get through a day without fighting. Their bickering is interrupted when a bizarre mugger leaves them with a little girl named Melantha. While they disagree on most matters, they both know they must protect Melantha. Unfortunately, they have no idea who is looking for their foundling or the lengths they will go to get her back. Now, the chase is on . . .

©2004 Timothy Zahn (P)2004 Tantor Media

the narration fit the voice i hear in my head each time i read it.

This is fantastic. The audio version brought my favorite book to life. Timothy Zahn is brilliant.

Disappointing third act

The book starts out well, and continues until it all hinges on the essential continued secrecy of the Greens and Grays. The justification that the government would whisk them ALL away to lab prisons is too great a suspension for my belief, and it hurts the whole third act.
that's the hard part about writing Sci-fi in the real and current world, and I think Zahn flubbed it in this case.
he missed a great opportunity for beginning a story about the Greens and Grays fighting for representation after being outed to stop their silly hostility, and it got very convoluted for the sake of maintaining anonymity.

Something Different

A kidnap adventure told briskly with unexpected, logical twists enhanced by Its location - New York.

Detective work

I loved the detective work, the wild goose chases, the characters development, but...I was disappointed by the ending of the story. If the solution with Malantha was stated in the beginning, we'd have no story. Also taking directions from the memories of a leader that's no longer there seemed an inadequate solution. Even if temporary til a new leader appears in 3 to 4 years. It felt as if the author dug himself into a hole even he didn't know how to dig back out of.