The Podcast Chronicles

By: Kathryn Dodson

Narrated by: Katie Hagaman

She was a business hotshot back in the day. Decades later, can this empty nester return with a vengeance to save her beautiful town? Durango, Colorado.

Sue Cleary worries she’s lost her mojo. Leaving the workforce as a high-powered forensic accountant to raise her four boys, the now 50-year-old fears all she has to look forward to is boredom. But when she discovers her idyllic community is about to be sullied by a New York developer with big plans for a tasteless tourist trap, she leaps into the fray to defend her picturesque hometown.

Rolling up her sleeves, the feisty woman recruits an environmental attorney and ropes her tech-savvy son into helping her with podcasting. But as she confronts corrupt politicians, a conniving businessman, online trolls, and unexpected betrayals, this could turn out to be the fight of her life. Can Sue regain her passion and become the champion her peaceful paradise needs?

The Podcast Chronicles is a heartwarming stand-alone contemporary fiction novel. If you like smart later-in-life heroines, standing up for a cause, and the strength of friendship, then you’ll love Kathryn Dodson’s inspiring listen.

©2023 Kathryn Dodson (P)2025 Kathryn Dodson

Good book

The Podcast Chronicles had my attention from the very beginning. Sue was one of the main characters and she started a podcast to try and save their town. The characters was well developed and you could relate to them. The plot was okay. I gave this book a 4 star rating because I felt like the ending could have more details in it. I felt like the ending was missing parts. Other then that, this book was really good.

Great environmental activism story

After reading Tequila Sunrise, I knew I wanted to read more from Kathryn Dodson. The audio version of Podcast Chronicles is read by Katie Hagaman, and I felt she read the part of Sue Cleary spot on- a determined woman, with a human side as she tries to save her town. I felt Katie captured the "can-do" attitude (with some hiccups) and growth mindset and resilience Sue's character showed. The narration was also stellar and capturing the wide range of emotions Sue goes through, from her marriage to politicians to fellow town citizens. I would recommend the audiobook to anyone interested in standing up for what is right, for believing in a cause, and I personally enjoyed how the cause was environmental and saving hometown values.

Gives you all the feels

This was such a great book and was so easy to listen to. In this book we meet Sue, a mother of 4 boys who had previously been an extremely successful accountant, but who had been out of the workforce raising her sons for the past 20+ years. Now that the boys are pretty well grown, Sue realizes that it's time for her to decide what her next endeavor should be. When she discovers the plans to build an extremely oversized resort and theme park in her quiet and beautifully serene town, she realizes that the solitude she currently enjoys is being threatened by this impending monstrosity. With the help of family and friends, Sue launches an initiative to prevent these newcomers from moving in. However, there are many different things going on in Sue's life that she must deal with. She is having marital problems with her husband Gabe, who spends more time in Denver than he does with his wife and children. She's had a rough past with her mom and has strived to live her life in a way her mother hadn't so that she doesn't end up like her mom did. She also faces opposition on the fight against this new theme park. She launches a podcast chronicling this new proposed theme park, which slowly gains momentum. But will it be enough to sway the city council from approving this new theme park? And can she work out the relationships with her husband and mother?

Inspirational story about a woman and her podcast

What an inspirational story of a mom who wants to fight to save the community that she calls her hometown. Sue Cleary retires from being a forensic accountant for the sake of raising her four sons and wants to help save her community from the evils of the politicians. Sue tackles the world of social media with the assistance of friends and family and creates a podcast in order to spread the word about what is going on. What a great, heartwarming book to listen to, it is so inspirational that we can make a difference in the world by doing our part and spreading the word about the woes of the community we see happening. Sue refused to stand by and watch as her hometown tried to become a tourist trap for travelers instead of the community she knew and loved. This was a great book to listen to while I was at home relaxing, or any time I was in the car driving around, or even riding as a passenger. What a great option it is to be able to enjoy the tale of a great book, and what a wonderful job they did with the volume and sound recording, in getting the characters to shine through with their personalities. Kathryn Dodson has written a wonderful book; I am looking forward to hearing more from her in the near future.
@Brandy Rymer
11/2023

Took me by Surprise

Get ready for this story! Ok let me be clear. In this story Sue Clearly is following a different career. She went from working to having children and not working. Well yes she became a stay at home mom to raise her children, which we all know is an important job. As her last two are beginning their last years in high school, she wonders what will happen to her empty nest. Family is so very important, and that is who she has backing her up. There is a company wanting to destroy her little town of Durango and the forest around it. This can not happen! Not in her mind, therefore she starts a plan in motion. It was interesting how this strong woman went about to get things done. The fight is on and she has more support than she thought she had. That is all I am going to say! No Spoilers. I loved this story. How the family grew so strong, how the husband supported his wife and most importantly how she went about to make a difference. Just reading this story tells you how much the author invested in getting things right. The characters are perfect for their parts. Strong independent characters make things happen and even some emotions are pulled out. Great Story, Fast paced and interesting as well. Well Done!