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The Lesson

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The Lesson

By: Cadwell Turnbull
Narrated by: Janina Edwards, Ron Butler
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About this listen

An alien ship rests over Water Island. For five years, the people of the US Virgin Islands have lived with the Ynaa, a race of super-advanced aliens on a research mission they will not fully disclose. They are benevolent in many ways but meet any act of aggression with disproportional wrath. This has led to a strained relationship between the Ynaa and the local Virgin Islanders, and a peace that cannot last.

A year after the death of a young boy at the hands of an Ynaa, three families find themselves at the center of the inevitable conflict, witness and victim to events that will touch everyone and teach a terrible lesson.

©2019 Cadwell Turnbull (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing
Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Island Literary Science Fiction
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Critic reviews

"In The Lesson Cadwell Turnbull, by setting his story in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, makes something completely new of the old theme of humans' first contact with superior aliens. Putting these 'colonizing aliens' in a place shaped by colonialism opens new perspectives on issues of race and culture and sex and exploitation. But the true wonder of this novel is its beautifully realized portrayal of Charlotte Amalie and its deeply human and complex characters, young and old, all of them transformed by the arrival of the ambiguously motivated Ynaa. It's a story of mystery, romance, tragedy, and redemption. Like Octavia Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin before him, Turnbull uses the tools of science fiction to illuminate the human heart. The Lesson stands at the beginning of what I expect to be a long and illustrious career." (John Kessel, Nebula Award-winning author of The Moon and the Other and Pride and Prometheus)

What listeners say about The Lesson

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a wonderful audio book, thank you

wow, wow, wow.
at last an audiobook that is worthy of the praise given to it.
for a credit you get great characters, genuine emotion without cod sentimentality, world class narration and best of all, a stunning truly original sci fi ish story and plot lines.
i enjoyed every moment and have no hesitation in recommending this audiobook to everyone.
a big thank you to everyone involved.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Refreshing

Invasion tale with a difference. TV's 'Colony' in a less oppressive setting. Caribbean too!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Fresh take

this book immediately got me with its references to Firefly and battlestar Galactica and other classics. The thing that most appealed to me was the idea that maybe aliens wouldn't be good or bad, but just different, different set of morals, different set of rules. The Caribbean being an interesting setting, that just maybe aliens wouldn't want to exclusively visit the East Coast America.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Tender Portrait of a Community in Peril

🧡 The strength of this book is in its portrayal of humanity in the face of an alien threat. It paints an intricate picture of a tight community in the Virgin Islands living under an oppressive regime imposed by alien invaders. Every single character is beautifully crafted.

💚 The concept of the aliens only occupying one area gave this a realistic dimension and created parallels with very earthly points in history. Meanwhile the tension imposed by the constant subtle threat of violence was gripping.

💜 Where this falls down is in exposition and world building. The aliens’ purpose wasn’t explored enough. And it might just be me, but I didn’t entirely understand the latter half of the plot. It also ended quite abruptly. Having said all this, this was well worth the listen thanks to the characters, who have stayed with me.
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SOUNDBITE

🎧 An absolutely compelling performance by Janina Edwards and Ron Butler that really brought each and every character to life. The tone was understated, which made it both a chilled and, at times, chilling listen.

🎧 So exciting to see the high attention to detail that went into the audiobook elements, right down to the chapter listings.

I listened to this free Available on Audible Plus.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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I think it was interesting

I liked the setting and the idea, but found it too slow- paced to be properly engaging.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Started off well but got old fast

I'm not really sure when I lost interest as I was enjoying it at first but it got boring and then the story dragged its way to some sort of an ending.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

shallow as you can get.

i mean wtf?
honestly what's the hype about?
it starts the way a tea ad should start and then, just gets closer and closer to the surface. nothing to feel pulled into the meanders of life as it is usually lived by us, human beings.

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