The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs

By: Jack Gantos

Narrated by: Lisa Datz

“I expect you might think the story I am about to tell you is untrue or perversely gothic in some unhealthy way. You might even think I’ve exaggerated the facts in order to twist this book into a modern-day metaphor on the exploitation of human creation, as did Mary Shelley with Frankenstein. Maybe you’ll think I’m trying to spook you with a psychological tale of a murderous double as Edgar Allan Poe wrote in “William Wilson,” or to stir up family shame as Hawthorne did in The House of the Seven Gables. But my story is entirely different.”
So begins Jack Gantos’ unnerving drama about three generations of family and friends in a small western Pennsylvania town, held together by the secrets of obsessional mother love–a love so blood-bound that, once revealed, it has no choice but to turn against its keepers.©2006 Jack Gantos; (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Subtle, Dark Humor and Chilling through Ivy's eyes

I loved this audio book and the character of Ivy! And I'm a Jack Gantos fan. The reader, Lisa Datz, did an excellent job of embodying the voices and accents of each character, making it easy to get lost in the story. Compelling, and at times creepy and overall, a fun and engaging book. Definitely recommend!