Shiner

A Novel

By: Amy Jo Burns

Narrated by: Catherine Taber

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2020 BY NPR

“Amy Jo Burns writes a version of Appalachia that is one step removed from magic – all strychnine and moonshine and powerful wonder.”—NPR

“[A] wrenching testament, told in language as incandescent as smoldering coal. . . This is not a despairing book, but a hopeful one, of Appalachian women taking back their life stories.” —New York Times Book Review

On a lush mountaintop trapped in time, two women vow to protect each other at all costs-and one young girl must defy her father to survive.

An hour from the closest West Virginia mining town, fifteen-year-old Wren Bird lives in a cloistered mountain cabin with her parents. They have no car, no mailbox, and no visitors-except for her mother's lifelong best friend. Every Sunday, Wren's father delivers winding sermons in an abandoned gas station, where he takes up serpents and praises the Lord for his blighted white eye, proof of his divinity and key to the hold he has over the community, over Wren and her mother.

But over the course of one summer, a miracle performed by Wren's father quickly turns to tragedy. As the order of her world begins to shatter, Wren must uncover the truth of her father's mysterious legend and her mother's harrowing history and complex bond with her best friend. And with that newfound knowledge, Wren can imagine a different future for herself than she has been told to expect.

Rich with epic love and epic loss, and diving deep into a world that is often forgotten but still part of America, Shiner reveals the hidden story behind two generations' worth of Appalachian heartbreak and resolve. Amy Jo Burns brings us a smoldering, taut debut novel about modern female myth-making in a land of men-and one young girl who must ultimately open her eyes.

Listened Twice

love the way the story was crafted. looking at life through various characters eyes. loved it

Kept me interested - listened to it in two days !

Fascinating story. The parallel threads of religion, the snake handling variety , and moonshiners made a story full of twists and turns. Great book club book it creates lots of discussion.

Torn

I wanted to love this book. my family has history in the mountains of West Virginia and I understand that a story can mean so much more that the sum of it's plotline. The writing in this book is beautiful, and I found myself stopping frequently to unravel the threads the author was weaving. That said, the ending left me wanting more. more resolution, more revenge, more absolution.

Captivating, mysterious, catchy

A beautifully sad story of decisions people make when living in harsh conditions, in a restrictive community where sin is perceived more life threatening than real dangers and captivity seems the only way.
A profound depiction of love, companionship, loyalty and prejudice.
Written from the perspectives of several characters, it ends in a glimour of hope, which only increases the overall charm of this magical book.

Friends

A beautiful troubling and tragic tale of the power of friendship. Ruby and Ivy knew the secret to surviving... the love of a true friend.