The Essay

A Novel

De: Robin Yocum

Narrado por: Fleet Cooper

Jimmy Lee Hickam grew up along Red Dog Road, a dead-end strip of gravel and mud buried deep in the bowels of Appalachian Ohio. It is the poorest road, in the poorest county, in the poorest region of the state. To make things worse, the name Hickam is synonymous with trouble. Jimmy Lee hails from a heathen mix of thieves, moonshiners, drunkards, and general anti-socials that for decades have clung to both the hardscrabble hills and the iron bars of every jail cell in the region. This life, Jimmy Lee believes, is his destiny, someday working with his drunkard father at the sawmill, or sitting next to his arsonist brother in the penitentiary. There aren’t many options if your last name is Hickam.

An inspiring coach and Jimmy Lee's ability to play football are the only things motivating him to return for his junior year of high school - until his visionary English teacher cuts him a break and preserves his eligibility for the coming football season. To thank her, Jimmy Lee writes a winning essay in the high school writing contest. When irate parents and the baffled administration claim he has cheated, his teacher is inspired to take his writing talent as far as it can go, showing him the path out of the hills of Appalachia.

Terrific characterizations, surprising revelations, gut-wrenching past betrayals, and an unforgettable cast of characters born of the dusty, worn-out landscape of southeastern Ohio make The Essay a powerful, evocative, and incredibly moving novel.

©2012 Robin Yocum (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Yocum writes like the reporter he used to be. He’s observant and still has his eye for detail and nuance." ( Richmond Times-Dispatch)

What a story! Love this author

Amazing writer, fabulous narrator. Could listen to this over and over. So glad I did

Loved it!

Great listen. Survival and self elevation and overcoming the odds. Found myself rooting for the main charachter

A NEW Book for me to add to my Top 20 List!

Amazingly written and told!
What a beautiful story, touching on so many levels and life lessons careful presented…there is a lot to think about and discuss. I believe this text would be a great class read / literature book for 8th-12th grade as well.

Hard to 'put down'

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Am fast becoming a fan of the author. Narrator was excellent and easy to listen to.

Exceptional

This is a coming of age that speaks to the human spirit. Story and Narration was great.

excellent excellent excellent

at first I had my doubts about this book but I hung in there and I'm so glad that I did. have you ever had somebody who believed in you that changed you and turned your life around into a different trajectory? I have, this was a great reminder how we can overcome and be successful regardless of your upbringing. This is a book that you will be glad that you read., cheering all the way for the underdog or underdogs in this read.

Book of the Year

A wonderful story of a family that suffered, and survived a family member that drank and abused the whole family. The thing about one that gives the abuse doesn’t suffer in the same way as the person giving it. This story showed that if you persist and keeping your eye on the ball, good will win. There was so much thought and preparation put into every paragraph, the story was very believable. I couldn’t put the book down. I loved it. I didn’t want it to end! This is a great book for everyone, but young people that have suffered abuse there’s help, don’t give up. Look until you find what you need! I give this book a 10 for sure!

Wonderful story!

Interesting characters and great story line. I don't like reviews that give anything away so I'll stop there. But, well worth the listen!!

Best book I've listened to in a long while...

I can't believe I've spent so much time and money on audio books of lesser quality. This book had me by the heart strings.

Amazing!

It was amazing. I did not want to stop listening! I will be listening to another of his! Bravo