The Valley Between Us Audiobook By Cristi Slate cover art

The Valley Between Us

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The Valley Between Us

By: Cristi Slate
Narrated by: Susan Marlowe
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This gripping novel follows two women—a young Soviet college student whose life is upended by the ancient practice of bride kidnapping, and a millennial American bound by her crippling sensory processing issues— and weaves their stories together in a riveting tale of love and resilience.

1991: The Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse when 20 year-old Dina comes face-to-face with the ancient Caucasus tradition of bride kidnapping. The life she had planned is torn out from under her feet and she is forced to dig deep inside to find the strength to survive her new harsh reality.

2018: Callie keeps her life as predictable and organized as possible— Dr. Paekl says that's the best way to keep a handle on her sensory processing issues. And Callie always listens to Dr. Paekl. So, no surprises—daily run in Golden Gate Park at 6:20 am, oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, the thermostat always set at exactly 68 degrees. But a break-up with her long-time boyfriend and frustration in her high-stress job pushes her to do something uncharacteristically risky—take a leave of absence from work and travel to Georgia for a three-month internship at a mountain guesthouse. What she thinks will be merely a summer adventure ends up completely shifting her world, making her reexamine who she is, what she believes, and who she loves. While at the guesthouse, Callie uncovers a shocking family secret that could bring everything crumbling down around her.

The Valley Between Us is a heart-wrenching tale of deep friendships, faith, first loves, trauma, and, ultimately, healing.

Fans of The Nightingale or All the Light We Cannot See will be captivated by this powerful story.

©2024 Cristi Slate (P)2025 Cristi Slate
Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Sagas Women's Fiction
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Beautiful storyline. Hard to put this book down. Will recommend tho book to family and friends. Some sadness but written well and realistically.

Enjoyed learning about another culture.

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I love how two stories meld into one whole beautiful story enfolding interesting, sensitively developed characters

The two stories conjoin

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Listener received this title free

A powerful and emotional story that will stay with me. It gives a raw, honest, and heartbreaking look at bride napping and how women in remote Caucasus mountain communities are seen and treated, with their lives shaped by tradition, controlled by expectation, and their choices often limited or made for them. The main character’s journey was painful, brave, and deeply human, touching on identity, survival, and the longing for freedom.

An emotional and eye-opening read

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I enjoyed the clash and and similarities of feelings and actions of people from different cultures.

Cultural differences

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I had never heard of bride kidnapping, interesting to see how it develops and how people adapt.

Amazing historical basis

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