Turning Toward Eden

By: Cate Touryan

Narrated by: Leonor A Woodworth

For most fourteen-year-olds, California summers in the early 1970s mean sun and surf, despite the Cold War chill. Not for Eden. Her AWOL father has sent her life into a tailspin, landing her in a shabby beach town, stuck caring for her severely disabled brother. Caught in her parents’ own cold war, Eden ditches Dex at every chance—pier fishing with Hollis, playing poker with the grizzled card sharks, and caterwaulin’ in the church choir, laying plain to the Almighty that singing terms ain’t the same as speaking terms, what with the hand he’s dealt her.

Then Raven arrives mid-ninth grade—an elusive Soviet girl rumored to rain black-winged curses over the fearful town. When a rash of petty crimes escalates to bloodshed on the beach, suspicion falls on the “commie”—and then Eden. Desperate to prove herself innocent, and Raven guilty, she embarks on a reckless game of chase. But for the truth to set her free, she must risk Dex’s life. Will she go all in, no matter the cost?

An evocative story laced with mystery, Turning Toward Eden weaves nostalgia with grit, sorrow with humor, and despair with faith, offering hope to anyone who has sought to belong in a world that rarely plays fair.

Visit catetouryan.com for discussion questions and free short story prequel, "The Gulch Run Gangster."

©2025 Cate Touryan (P)2025 Cate Touryan

Critic reviews

"This is storytelling at its most atmospheric—brimming with quirky, well-drawn characters, razor-sharp prose, and the kind of setting you can almost smell. The writing is lyrical, grounded, and often laugh-out-loud funny—even in the midst of deeply poignant moments. With a cast of endearing misfits and a tone reminiscent of Southern Gothic charm, this story lures you in from the very first line and doesn’t let go. Cate Touryan has a truly original voice, a rare gift for language, and a special ability to render a world so vivid you feel baptized in it." —Zena Dell Lowe, Screenwriter, Story Coach, and Founder of The Storyteller's Mission

Everything a Reader (or Listener!) Could Want

Reaching the last line of "Turning Toward Eden" broke my heart. Masterfully interlacing unflinching realism with redeeming grace, Cate resurrects a vibrant retro world of larger-than-life characters I never want to leave. From 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 (her descriptions transmute the rich swirls of a Van Gogh painting into lyrical lines of black on white) to 𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 (Eden's frequent blunders and her friends' constant banter had my sides aching) to 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 (lives hang in the balance of a Cold War whodunnit) to 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 (Eden traverses the hard-hitting themes of abandonment, prejudice, sacrificial love, forgiveness, and more), "Turning Toward Eden" whisks the reader into a literary adventure worth revisiting again and again.

As for the narration, voice actor Leonor A. Woodworth does an incredible job. Her style and characterization create an immersive escape I relish in an audiobook. In a word, this production is 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿—and that's coming from an audiobook connoisseur.

You don't want to miss this up-and-coming classic!

A Distinct Voice

Eden and Hartford Beach will pull you in and offer insights to questions you may not have known you had. Written in a distinct and fascinating voice, this story contains truths that sneak up on you the way other revelations do - when you’re least expecting them. If you like romps through the past and unconventional storytelling peopled with odd collections of characters, this is for you.

Loved Turning Toward Eden

I loved this book ! The reader was great! Eden and all the characters in the book held the very special spots in the story. This literary coming-of-age book held lots of emotions from laughter to seriousness to even a few tears I listened to Edens adventures and went back in time when I was a young teenager,(when you thought you could figure anything out.)The descriptions in the book were great as I felt like I was watching a movie because I could easily picture what the author was sharing with us. I’d say this is a must read or in this case with Audible a must listen.!

About Family, Friendship, and Becoming Yourself

I listened to Turning Toward Eden during a frozen, gray January, but this audiobook transported me straight into a sunlit California summer. Kudos to the narrator, who specializes in warmth, compassion, and whimsy. I loved the Southern drawls and Spanish accent she mixes into the story.

Perfect for listeners who enjoy character-driven stories about friendship, a family you love but long to escape, and being torn between who you want to be and who others need you to be. This novel will make you reflect on small, meaningful moments: misunderstandings, unspoken care, and the hidden lives of strangers we pass every day.