The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Anne Heche

The acclaimed #1 New York Times bestseller from Stephen King. A uniquely frightening thriller about a young girl lost in the woods as night falls, with only the voice of her beloved Red Sox relief pitcher to sustain her and help her survive—maybe.

During a six-mile hike on the Maine–New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha McFarland escapes the tension between her older brother and recently divorced mother. But when she strays off the path, she descends into a terrifying nightmare. Alone in the deep forest, Trisha must face the raw power of nature, with only her imagination, courage, and wits.

Drawing strength from her Walkman, Trisha finds comfort in Red Sox broadcasts and the imagined companionship of her idol, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. As the signal fades, she conjures visions of Gordon guiding her, even as she senses a darker presence nearby.©1999 Stephen King, All Rights Reserved; (P)1999 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved, AUDIOWORKS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Amber Alert

I haven't read a lot of Stephen King because I am not a big fan of the horror genre, but when King goes a little easier on the adrenaline pump, I really like his writing and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is one of those. How do you make 9 days in the life of a lost 9 year old engrossing? King does it by creating a character who is not only likable, but charmingly flawed, and totally believable and he sends this character on an emotional and spiritual journey at the same time she must find her way back in the very real physical world. The baseball metaphor and Anne Heche's truly brilliant performance further enhance the narrative. This one will stick with me.

Musical Interludes - All Wrong

While this book had all the fascination and description one expects from Stephen King, the production had a flaw that really detracted from the story for me. Rather than chapters, this book is broken into "Innings" (fits the story line). However; there is an unexpected, unappreciated, and ill-fitting small musical interlude at the end of each "inning". It totally breaks the flow of the narrative and frankly, I just found it irritating.

As for the story itself, it is a very well written tale, told by a 9-year old little girl lost in the woods. Her constant ongoing internal dialog with friends, family, herself, and her beloved Tom Gordon (former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox) make up the crux of the tale. The narrator, Anne Heche, does a great job of capturing the inflection and occasional mispronunciation of a smart, but relatively average 9-year old.

The story is a great one. I've read it in paper, and now I own the audio book too. It's not a long story, but a very lonely, scary one. It's worth a read, despite the poor musical interruptions.

Can see its value, just not for me.

I can see why it is as renowned as it is, but it isn't a book I would read by choice, or read ever again.

Fails to capture mind of 9 year old.

The story was interesting from a survival perspective. However, I did not think that it was very intense or scary for a Steven King book. The end scene was abrupt and I feel like some excitement was missed. My main issue was that the words and thoughts of Trisha, who was stated to be 9, were cynical and teen relevant. Also Heche’s tone came off too cynical for a 9 year old.

Pretty Good Intro to King

I've never listened to anything by Stephen King before. From what I've heard so far, this book has a lot of good things going for it. I can't wait to see where else it goes.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY