The Kingdom of Quail

Set on a pristine quail plantation in South Georgia, this tale is a Southern saga about complex relationships that take place over decades.

When Luke Johnson and his mother are abandoned by his alcoholic father, they are taken in by the Parkers, a wealthy family living on a pristine quail plantation in the Red Hills region of South Georgia. Luke embraces the natural surroundings and blossoms as a young man in this unspoiled environment. Trouble arises when a romantic attraction develops between Luke and the Parker’s young daughter threatening to end the good life he has found.

Despite family tensions, Angus Parker and Luke bond together when a group of billionaire investors try to take the land for development. Luke is determined to stop the development, but he questions his conviction when an attractive young woman is sent to negotiate the deal.

The future of the Red Hills hangs in the balance.

©2023 Harris Strickland (P)2024 Harris Strickland

Family and the land

The author has done a wonderful job of capturing the importance of family and family land in the South. I was not familiar with quail plantations and found the information about the one belonging to the Parkers new and interesting. As ever in the South, class plays a major role in the story as Luke and his mother are taken in by the wealthy Parkers but real strains develop when Luke falls in love with the Parker's daughter - generosity only extends so far. Luke's love for the land is well described and when developers threaten it he and Angus Parker form an alliance to defeat them. There are complications there as well, however. I was hooked from the first by the personal relationships and the question of what would finally happen to the land. David Allen Vargo has a beautiful voice well suited to sounding "Southern" and the skill and good taste not to overdo it. The accent never descends into parody or caricature. He understands the characters and the complex threads running among them and hits just the right notes. This was a new author for meand I'm looking forward to reading his other book.

A Rare Treat - Amazing in Every Way!

Angus, Annabel, Catherine, Luke, Grace, Lulu, Roosevelt, Eugene, Joe Greene, and Heather … just to name a few, and who could forget Willie … oh Willie … who captured my heart, my soul! These beautifully real, beautifully human characters will be with me forever … and the tears are flowing again as I remember them, and “The Kingdom of Quail”. The realism of this story is astounding! The writing crystal clear, emotional, pulling at my heartstrings the entire time while giving the unique “feel” of the “old south” from back in the day. The smooth progression of time with events in these characters lives intertwining … spanning decades, drawing cheers and tears over and over from this listener! I’ll hold the details to avoid spoiling the beauty, the wonder, the realism of this fabulously rich story, but know that the dialogue rings beautifully true, and EVERYTHING you hear COULD have happened! It feels and sounds that real! Adding to the realistic feel is the narration. This, THIS performance, is MAGIC! Every character comes breathtakingly ALIVE while listening. The tears flow anew as I remember sitting alone in a quiet room, sobbing, feeling with all my being for these beautifully REAL characters. I knew who was speaking and I knew what they were FEELING every moment of this story! I could SEE them exactly as the author described them! The scene setting was also clearly and convincingly voiced, leaving no doubt that EVERY step of the way, I was listening to the story exactly as the author envisioned, and as much as I cried, I LOVED it. I LOVED everything about this story and performance! Don’t pass this one by! “The Kingdom of Quail” is not to be missed! FIVE fabulous stars cause they don’t let me give a hundred!

Great Family Saga. Best Audio Narrator and Audio Edits!

Great Family Saga. Best Audio Narrator and Audio Edits!

Buy this book! This family saga follows a few characters into the modern era of the deep rural south, as times and lives change. The story does not follow one Harlequin-ish romance tale of one couple, but rather the many arched events of real lives, as it tells the story of a agri-tourist quail hunting plantation in semi-rural Georgia. Love and loss, success and failure, struggling with the power of nature, the love and cruelty of humanity all take their moments. The story is beautifully written and respectfully captures the ethos of the south as it longs for the values of the past while embracing the education and knowledge of today.

But an even stronger reason to buy this book is the quality of the audio edition. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. David Allen Vargo, the narrator, presents the many characters of the book with clearly defined and differentiated accents, true to the pronunciations of Georgia subculture. Additionally, the audio edition has thousands of subtle sound effects that enrich, without overpowering. These include birdsong in forests, pool balls clinking in bars, etc. Having done over 2000 audiobooks in the last three years, I would give the audio the #1 prize.

Heartbreaking

This was an emotional book. Keep your kleenex handy. My heart broke for these characters. There is trauma, loss, betrayal, hope and birth. The book was well written. The execution of narration by David Allen Vargo was mind- blowing. The conviction of emotions shows the level of his talents as a trained actor. He was able to alter his voice to portray a variety of characters from young to old, child, female and ethnic.

Compelling southern saga

Heart wrenching story narrated in a way that brings the characters to life and leaves the listener yearning for more.