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Shadow Country
- A New Rendering of the Watson Legend
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
- Length: 40 hrs and 20 mins
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National Book Award, Fiction, 2008
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"Magnificent and capacious....the book took my sleeve and like the ancient mariner would not let go....a breathtaking saga." ( Los Angeles Times)
"[Watson] comes across as nothing short of iconic....it's difficult to find another figure in American literature so thoroughly and convincingly portrayed." ( Publishers Weekly)
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Allan Gurganus's Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All became an instant classic upon its publication. Critics and fans alike fell in love with the voice of 99-year-old Confederate widow Lucy Marsden, one of the most entertaining and loquacious heroines in American literature. Lucy married at the turn of the 20th century, when she was 15 and her husband was 50. If Colonel William Marsden was a veteran of the "War for Southern Independence", Lucy became a "veteran of the veteran" with a unique perspective on Southern history and Southern manhood.
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Dated.
- By edie butler on 04-06-21
By: Allan Gurganus
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Dessa Rose
- A Novel
- By: Sherley Anne Williams
- Narrated by: Ruby Dee
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Abridged
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This is the story of an extraordinary friendship between two remarkable women, both caught in the shadow of slavery in the 19th-century South. One is an escaped black slave under sentence of death; the other is white, yet committed to end the horrors her neighbors accept as a matter of course. Ruby Dee's passionate and sensitive readings gives a poignant sense of reality to this magnificent novel of courage, daring and love.
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One Star from Perfect
- By Marty on 01-26-18
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The Bastard
- The Kent Family Chronicles, Book 1
- By: John Jakes
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 19 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Set against the colorful tumult of events that gave rise to our fledgling nation, this novel of romance and adventure introduces Phillipe Charboneau. The illegitimate son of an English nobleman, Phillipe flees Europe and, as Philip Kent, joins the men who set our course for freedom. The Bastard is the first volume in the Kent Family Chronicles, a series of novels that details one family's journey in the early years of the American nation.
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An Amazing Tale
- By will on 11-06-13
By: John Jakes
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Cataloochee
- By: Wayne Caldwell
- Narrated by: Scott Sowers
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Debut novelist Wayne Caldwell's Cataloochee -a rich, vivid, arresting work beginning at the dawn of Reconstruction - sprawls across the succeeding generations like the vast green mountains of its rural North Carolina setting. Best-selling author Charles Frazier calls it "a brilliant portrait of a community and a way of life long gone, a lost America." This enthralling saga evokes the full color spectrum of mountain life, from lights to darks and every shade in between.
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Love It!
- By Cynthia J. Hakansson on 02-27-09
By: Wayne Caldwell
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The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witness
- By: Sharon E. Foster
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Leading a small army of slaves, Nat Turner was a man born with a mission: to set the captives free. When words failed, he ignited an uprising that left over 50 whites dead. In the predawn hours of August 22, 1831, Nat Turner stormed into history with a Bible in one hand, brandishing a sword in the other. His rebellion shined a spotlight on slavery and the state of Virginia and divided a nation's trust. Turner himself became a lightning rod for abolitionists like Harriet Beecher Stowe and a terror and secret shame for slave owners.
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Purchase and Download NOW!
- By Giselle E Ambursley on 03-03-16
By: Sharon E. Foster
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Hell at the Breech
- By: Tom Franklin
- Narrated by: Larry Pine
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1897, an aspiring politician is mysteriously murdered in the rural area of Alabama known as Mitcham Beat. His outraged friends - mostly poor cotton farmers - form a secret society, Hell-at-the-Breech, to punish the townspeople they believe responsible. The hooded members wage a bloody year-long campaign of terror that culminates in a massacre where the innocent suffer alongside the guilty.
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Pull up them breeches, son
- By W Perry Hall on 02-04-14
By: Tom Franklin
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Andersonville
- By: MacKinlay Kantor
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 37 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Acclaimed as the greatest novel ever written about the War Between the States, this searing Pulitzer Prize-winning book captures all the glory and shame of America's most tragic conflict in the vivid, crowded world of Andersonville, and the people who lived outside its barricades. Based on the author's extensive research and nearly 25 years in the making, MacKinlay Kantor's best-selling masterwork tells the heartbreaking story of the notorious Georgia prison where 50,000 Northern soldiers suffered.
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Worthy of the Pulitzer
- By Gillian on 03-22-15
By: MacKinlay Kantor
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Gone with the Wind
- By: Margaret Mitchell
- Narrated by: Linda Stephens
- Length: 49 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, Margaret Mitchell's great novel of the South is one of the most popular books ever written. Within six months of its publication in 1936, Gone With the Wind had sold a million copies. To date, it has been translated into 25 languages, and more than 28 million copies have been sold. Here are the characters that have become symbols of passion and desire....
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not to miss audible experience
- By dallas on 12-08-09
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North and South
- North and South Trilogy, Book 1
- By: John Jakes
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 30 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Two strangers, young men from Pennsylvania and South Carolina, meet on the way to West Point.... Thus begins this brilliant novel of antebellum America, spanning three generations and chronicling the lives and loves of two great family dynasties. The Hazards and the Mains are brought together in bonds of friendship and affection that neither jealousy nor violence can shatter - until a storm of events sunders the nation and brings the cataclysm of war!
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Captivating novel of the Civil War
- By 9S on 01-12-13
By: John Jakes
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High Country Bride
- By: Linda Lael Miller
- Narrated by: Jack Garrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
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One ranch. Three sons. Only one will inherit...and on one condition. Tired of waiting for his sons to settle down, Arizona-territory rancher Angus McKettrick announces a competition: the first son to marry and produce a grandchild will inherit Triple M ranch. Now, three distinctly different, equally determined cowboys are searching high and low for brides.
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good book but not what was in the summary:
- By Zandra Zavalza on 01-30-16
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A literary memoir that is maybe not for everyone
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A literary memoir that is maybe not for everyone
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The Bigtree alligator-wrestling dynasty is in decline, and Swamplandia!, their island home and gator-wrestling theme park, formerly number one in the region, is swiftly being encroached upon by a fearsome and sophisticated competitor called the World of Darkness. Ava’s mother, the park’s indomitable headliner, has just died; her sister, Ossie, has fallen in love with a spooky character known as the Dredgeman, who may or may not be an actual ghost; and her brilliant big brother, Kiwi, who dreams of becoming a scholar, has just defected to the World of Darkness.
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In The Flame Alphabet, language is toxic to everyone but children. For adults this means no speaking, no reading, no writing, no listening—at least not without severe allergic reaction, depression or crippling pain.
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A Brilliant Concept, Executed to Perfection
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From her home on the California coast, Dalva hears the broad silence of the Nebraska prairie where she was born, and longs for the son she gave up for adoption years before. Beautiful, fearless, tormented, at 45 she has lived a life of lovers and adventures. Now, Dalva begins a journey that will take her back to the bosom of her family, to the half-Sioux lover of her youth, and to a pioneering great-grandfather whose journals recount the bloody annihilation of the Plains Indians.
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As a woman, I can finally appreciate Jim Harrison with this book.
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Fortune Smiles
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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his acclaimed novel about North Korea, The Orphan Master’s Son, Adam Johnson is one of America’s most provocative and powerful authors. Critics have compared him to Kurt Vonnegut, David Mitchell, and George Saunders, but Johnson’s new book will only further his reputation as one of our most original writers. Subtly surreal, darkly comic, both hilarious and heartbreaking, Fortune Smiles is a major collection of stories that gives voice to the perspectives we don’t often hear, while offering something rare in fiction: a new way of looking at the world.
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Half Full or Half Empty
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What listeners say about Shadow Country
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Kindle Customer
- 04-27-09
Not your average "story"
If you're looking to while away some time with a pleasant or exciting "story," this is NOT the book for you. Matthiessen analyzes and re-constructs the larger-than-life figure of E.J. Watson is great detail and from many points of view. Some mysteries about Watson's life are revealed, but ultimately, many questions remain. The pioneering "settling" of the Everglades is seen for what it was: a raping and destruction of what made it unique and beautiful. It stands as an object lesson of how lands and countries are settled or subjugated. Racial injustices continue this theme of "to the victor belong the spoils." This book is filled to overflowing with characters, history, and the raw dialogue and life of another century. The narrator does a great job of delineating the myriad of different characters. A trip into the Everglades today reveals that the character of E.J. Watson still lives in the memories and folklore of present-day Florida. That was where I first heard about him, and since then I've waited for Audible to carry this book. A GREAT read, but definitely not for a reader looking only for entertainment.
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Story
- A. Harwin
- 12-25-20
Incomprehensible dialects
Perhaps ‘authentic’ but too many marbles in the mouth sounding speech
Impossible to understand this previously read ( great) book
In my opinion the producers made a poor choice
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- Dave
- 02-02-13
Great story, incredible reader
If you could sum up Shadow Country in three words, what would they be?
long historic compelling
What other book might you compare Shadow Country to and why?
Maybe something by Pete Decker. This is a historic novel, following generations of a gritty family. Realistic, rough-edged, compelling characters.
Have you listened to any of Anthony Heald’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I haven't, and this is the best reading/performance I've ever heard. His ability to develop a different voice for each character -- the story is told from several points of view -- is uncanny.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Yes, and I don't want to give it away.
Any additional comments?
This is the longest audio book I've ever listened to -- a bit over 40 hours. I have to confess that it's hard (for me anyway) to maintain attention for that long, but it is such a great book that I find myself getting right back into the story each time I get a chance to listen.
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Performance
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Story
- Kevin
- 06-25-14
A Masterpiece with flaws
Any additional comments?
A long audiobook but I was pretty engaged throughout. I did miss some parts of the first book but by the time I finished all three I started right over and listened to the first book again, comparing the different accounts. Ultimately, a Great American Novel (yes, I know) in that it captures the complexity and contradictions of our history, the violence, the ambition, the fortitude, the failings. Also a challenging meditation on the nature of experience, and how we perceive one another.
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Performance
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Story
- Mary Harnett
- 02-23-22
Had to stop reading it at part 3.
The story was one describing a history I knew nothing about...the history of Florida at the end of the 19th century. It was fascinating how the story of EJ (or was it EA?) Watson was the history of Florida. It really grabbed me and I listened to it for hours on end; the narration was excellent. One thing I do wish I could’ve gotten a list or tree with all the characters names and their relationships.
However when I got to Part Three I’d had enough of Watson and his evil and desperate ways. I’d gone far enough with him. Couldn’t take one more word out of his nasty mouth.
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Overall
- Rebecarol
- 08-30-09
Casts a very loooong shadow
I often gravitate toward very long audiobooks since I listen with such frequency I feel like I'm definitely getting my money's worth. No argument here on this score, defintely a great word per penny ratio. But the very length of this book has become an internal argument in my mind -- is it just too long? Is it fair to even think about length when it concerns a huge life, multiple characters, or even any life if the author can keep the reader engaged? I'm not sure yet. The book is told from multiple points of view, but all of it centers around one character, EJ Watson. The writing is superb, the narrative at time does drift, but I think the author has done an excellent job of telling the same story from several viewpoints and keeping the telling of the story-- though we know the ending again and again and again -- fresh. I truly think the EXCEPTIONAL narrator keeps the story alive however. I have more than a sneaking suspicion that if I had picked this book up to read, it would not have held my interest. The author owes a lot of credit to the narrator on this one for making the book really come alive, and adding another dimension to the telling that a reader of printed word just would not get. Anyway, if you want a nice long read, an excellent narrator, and really some fine writing you will get it here, but if you're about listening for entertainment only this probably isn't the book for you.
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- BDHumbert
- 05-30-14
Better Than Expected - Learned a Lot
Would you listen to Shadow Country again? Why?
Probably - but not for a while. I actually went back a number of times to "re-listen" to stretches - got lost on names and events and such
What was one of the most memorable moments of Shadow Country?
The death scene - that happens more than once is obviously the key to the whole thing
Which scene was your favorite?
As the book draws to a close - the end of the third part - Watson reveals both his strong will and sense of humanity - the desire to be someone - to make a mark - to be more than just a human - but the realization that in the end being human is the best we can aspire to.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No - too complex - I needed to ration this out - 2-3 hour chunks. It all ties together and works very well - but I needed to time to reflect and sort out things.
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- mariaan
- 07-26-12
Shadow Country is excellent
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Depends on the friend's reading tastes... If you are more interested in whodunnit, then this drawn out account is probably not for you. If you appreciate truly excellent writing alongside many unravelings of exactly the same events, then yes, I very highly recommend this book. And if you are likely to appreciate a most remarkable reading/rendition in terms of accents and eccentricities and atmosphere, then yes, I highly recommend this book to you.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Shadow Country?
When the older brother writes about the day of the double murders to his younger sibling. Almost every single description of Watson is memorable. All those downtrodden women are memorable. The overall impression of the islands is amazing too. Of course, the racism is gut wrenching and most revealing of place and time.
What does Anthony Heald bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I am not American, so I should probably not attest to accents, but to my ear they were authentic, real - that's what I think people in the deep South sound like. His reading was astonishing, not an easy task considering the quirkiness of characters. Perfect all in all. He definitely draws one in and keeps one present in ways the printed book cannot achieve.
Who was the most memorable character of Shadow Country and why?
EJ Watson, by far, but it is the other characters that make him compelling. I suppose I wanted him to come out of it okay, not a murderous swine. Those were hard times, the place was harsh, clearly, and all the men seemed ... hard? So within those parameters, and even though I knew Watson had done some terrible things, I didn't want him to be merely evil. I also think his sense of humour was too intelligent for his neighbours to grasp. :-)
Any additional comments?
I love Peter Matthiessen's work. And I would love to see more of his books on Audible. "In the spirit of Crazy Horse" was just as astonishing in terms of vast research and intelligent writing and gripping story-telling.
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- heather flavell
- 07-18-21
Fantastic story and narration
The story was intriguing. Like any bit of history you can look it up and see how it ends. I really enjoyed that the books were written from different perspectives. Well thought out.
The narrator really made it come to life. I’m not sure I would have listened to all three of it hadn’t been for him. Probably one of the best narrators I’ve listened to for some time.
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- Listener
- 03-24-09
Historic and Powerful
The writing and the story is worth 5 stars, in my opinion. The length of the audiobook and the vast amt of characters could have tipped my rating to less than 5, but this is such an amazing book, that anything less than 5 stars (for me) would not do it justice. However, I can understand how it would not be liked as well by everyone. I like history and to be enveloped in a strong story, which this book provided. I didn't know the author and at the end, I looked him up in Wikipedia and found out that this story was originally published as a trilogy. Even though it was re-worked it is still very long. An aspect of the story that I really liked is that the story is told by many different people, so the reader gets the story from different perspectives - there is more that cold be said about this but don't want to give too much away.
You will be very happy with this book if you like history, aren't daunted by a numerous characters and enjoy being immersed in a powerful and compelling story. I liked it so much that I will certainly read the author's earlier book - the Snow Leopard (not avail. by audible)
I wasn't crazy about the narrator at first, but it didn't take long to get used to him and enjoy his many "characters".
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