Ophelia's Gold Podcast By Susan Smith Nash cover art

Ophelia's Gold

Ophelia's Gold

By: Susan Smith Nash
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Ophelia's Gold is a haunting literary thriller that interweaves love, madness, and the relentless pursuit of treasure across landscapes ranging from the jungles of Vietnam-era Laos to the karst caves of Oklahoma and the deserts of California. At its heart is Ophelia, a woman battling seizure disorder and psychological demons, who becomes entangled once more with her ex-husband Stanton Harville as they attempt to solve the mystery that destroyed his father—a Vietnam pilot who smuggled a priceless jade statue of the goddess Tara from a secret Buddhist temple called "God's Hostage." As Ophelia and Stanton hunt for the lost artifacts through caves, abandoned mines, and the strange religious compound of the Yahweh Brethren, they confront their own captivity: to trauma, to obsessive love, and to the curses—real or imagined—that bind them. With echoes of treasure-hunting fathers, tragic first loves, and the shadow of South American intrigue, the novel asks whether redemption can be found in returning what was stolen, or whether love itself is the most dangerous form of captivity.

Susan Smith Nash 2000 - 2026 Art Drama & Plays Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Ophelia's Gold: Chapter 40 - Dark Angel of Deliverance

    Ophelia's Gold: Chapter 40 - Dark Angel of Deliverance
    Mar 8 2026

    In the novel's climax, Ophelia phones Col. Harville during a raging storm, promising to deliver the jade Tara that has driven him mad for decades. As lightning cracks, she contemplates the strange mathematics of captivity and love: "Another hostage would be taken. Another innocence would be lost." Yet her heart feels light at the prospect—for "captivity was the purest, rarest, and possibly most dear form of intimacy."
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    7 mins
  • Ophelia's Gold: Chapter 39 - Return to Righteous City

    Ophelia's Gold: Chapter 39 - Return to Righteous City
    Mar 8 2026

    At her grandmother's grave in Righteous City, Ophelia trembles with unwanted visions and fears another fugue state. She questions whether Stanton's "seduction" of her with the treasure hunt reveals love or manipulation—and whether she even cares anymore.
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    7 mins
  • Ophelia's Gold: Chapter 38 - The Devil's Redemption

    Ophelia's Gold: Chapter 38 - The Devil's Redemption
    Mar 8 2026

    Inside the Cave of Whispers, Ophelia offers to return the jade mandala carvings to whoever wants them—but insists the Tara statue belongs to Stanton's father. Two young LDS missionaries interrupt, revealing that the Yahweh Brethren likely have no connection to the smuggled artifacts. Back at the motel, Stanton reveals he has found Tara.
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    14 mins
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