Woe to Live On

A Novel

By: Daniel Woodrell, Ron Rash - introduction

Narrated by: Bernard Setaro Clark

A young man witnesses the unrestrained violence of the Civil War along the American frontier in this brutally honest novel from the author of Winter's Bone.

Set in the border states of Kansas and Missouri, Woe to Live On explores the nature of lawlessness and violence, friendship and loyalty, through the eyes of young recruit Jake Roedel. Where he and his fellow First Kansas Irregulars go, no one is safe, no one can be neutral. Roedel grows up fast, experiencing a brutal parody of war without standards or mercy. But as friends fall and families flee, he questions his loyalties and becomes an outsider even to those who have become outlaws.

“A renegade Western that celebrates the genre while bushwhacking its most cherished traditions.” —Chicago Tribune

As good as the movie.

As a Civil War reenactor stories like this remind me of the hardships men on both sides faced on a daily basis, especially in the border States.

Very well written and read!

A great book made even more enjoyable to listen to by having the right narrator!

Haunting Masterpiece

The timeliness and timelessness of this book are striking. No doubt this story could today be written with a Ukraine venue. Some of the invaders will forever lose their humanity. They will take scalps. Others,like our protagonist, will be haunted by what they have seen and done. Hope lies in humanity’s resilience and capacity for selflessness. But what is the essence of man? Unimaginable cruelty? Love borne of family, whether based on blood or circumstance? Even Holt and Jake can be family. Woodrell has created a unique prism through which to view those questions.

With a rebel yell…

If you’re not from the South, raised in the South, you’ll never understand. Two thumbs up!

As good as the movie

The narration made the book .... of you like 1800 stories that aren’t Poe like this is better than most.