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The Debutante

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The Debutante

By: Jon Ronson
Narrated by: Jon Ronson
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About this listen

This is the story of a Tulsa debutante who, as a result of a series of unlikely and often very bad life choices she made in the ‘90s, found herself in the midst of one of the most terrible crimes ever to take place in America.

Thirty years ago, award-winning journalist Jon Ronson stumbled on the mystery of Carol Howe—a charismatic, wealthy former debutante turned white supremacist spokeswoman turned undercover informant. In 1995, Carol was spying on Oklahoma’s neo-Nazis for the government just when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.

Ever since then, Carol has haunted the imaginations of survivors and investigators because of a rumor that had begun to swirl: If her information had only been listened to, she could have prevented the worst domestic terrorist attack in US history.

The question mystified Ronson. In The Debutante, he embarks on an investigative journey to seek the truth about the woman who grew up in a world of privilege and opportunity and whose teenage rebellion spiraled out of control, leading her to extreme radicalization.

The Debutante takes a closer look at Carol’s world, where truth is shrouded and seldom guaranteed. Rare court tapes, diary entries, undercover ATF surveillance audio, and interviews with those who crossed paths with Carol depict a complex woman whose motivations have been hypothesized about for decades. With curiosity and insight at the forefront of his work, Ronson delivers a new perspective on the extraordinary story of Carol Howe.

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Ideologies & Doctrines True Crime Oklahoma Suspenseful Espionage
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Untangle the mysterious life of a Tulsa debutante.

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About the Creator and Performer - Jon Ronson

About the Creator and Performer

Jon Ronson's nonfiction books include So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, The Psychopath Test, Them: Adventures with Extremists, Lost at Sea and The Men Who Stare At Goats. They have all been international and/or New York Times bestsellers.
Most recently he made the acclaimed, award-winning podcasts Things Fell Apart (BBC), The Butterfly Effect and The Last Days of August (Audible).
His books have been translated into more than 30 languages, and his two TED talks have been watched over 30 million times.
The Psychopath Test spent more than a year on the UK bestseller list.
So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed is frequently cited as having started the conversation about the perils of social media shaming. The book is taught by educators across America and inspired an episode of Black Mirror, Hated in the Nation.
The Men Who Stare At Goats was adapted into a film starring George Clooney.
Jon’s original screenplays include Okja (Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal) which he co-wrote with Bong-Joon Ho, and Frank (Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal) which he co-wrote with Peter Straughan. Jon also wrote the short e-book Frank: The True Story That Inspired the Movie.
In the US Jon has contributed to This American Life, the New York Times magazine and GQ. In the UK he’s written regularly for The Guardian. His many documentaries include Stanley Kubrick's Boxes, The Secret Rulers of the World, and the multi award winning BBCRadio 4 programme Jon Ronson On...
He lives in New York. @jonronson.
She is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business. She has received several certifications in Human Resources and Diversity and Inclusion. including her Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Certified Diversity Recruiter (CDR), Certified Diversity Practitioner (CDP), and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE). She is also a Certified DISC Instructor.
Deaver's most recent works are Hunting Time, a Colter Shaw novel, and The Broken Doll, a four-story collection from Amazon Original Stories. His Shaw novel, The Never Game, will be a CBS Prime-time series later this year.

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Various voices, each at a different volume!

I had to keep adjusting the volume. Some of the contributors were annoyingly loud. Jarring even.
The basic premise? Timothy McVey was just a patsy, not the mastermind of the Oklahoma bombing.

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Very intriguing…had no idea about this woman!

Very well produced…I wanted more! How about one on what she’s doing now? I would find it interesting to learn if she has “really” changed…and how.

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If you lived through this you need to listen

What a wild ride throughout this whole thing. The twists that happen in the investigation and the need for the government to close the case have left more questions than answers!

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Another Can't Miss from Ronson

Can Jon Ronson write something boring? I can't see that ever happening. This is another absolutely engrossing story that he has found, reported in his signature style.

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Interesting but hard to follow

This was a fascinating and important story, but at times felt chaotic and difficult to follow. I sympathize because the subject matter was difficult to follow and chaotic as well. Unfortunately in our post truth world, it is difficult to have an honest that isn’t chaotic and that point comes through from the author quite well.

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Everything I Appreciate from a Ronson Reported Story

If you’ve enjoyed any of Jon Ronson’s work, dj yourself a favor & download this now!

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A True Binge Listen

Extremely interesting information coupled with masterful storytelling.
If you listen to Audible while you walk, prepare for a long one as you listen to The Debutante. You won’t be able to stop listening.

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Very interesting untold story

Never have I heard of this information before. Seems to be a reason why. Must read in my opinion

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Interesting and Informative

Interesting and informative. I highly recommend. This is serious investigative reporting. Unfortunately, it also brings back another sad day in American history.

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Loved

Anything Jon Ronson puts out there is worth listening to. While the ending wasn’t what I was expecting, that makes it all the more interesting.

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