The Levee

By: William Kent Krueger

Narrated by: JD Jackson, William Kent Krueger

An audio original novella from the bestselling author of Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, The Levee is a powerful, captivating story of a family, a storm, a complicated rescue, and the true cost of survival.

“A masterwork…Full of heart and a spellbinding plot, Krueger packs a powerful punch in this audio novella, delivering grand scale storytelling at its finest.” —Kim Michele Richardson, New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman’s Daughter

It’s 1927, and the most devastating flood in American history has swelled the Mississippi River to a width of eighty miles. In an attempt to save a family trapped by the rising water, four men in a tiny rowboat battle the treacherous flow: three are convicts, on loan from the local prison and pressed into service; the fourth, the leader of the team, is driven by his own hidden motives. But to their surprise upon arrival at Ballymore, an ancestral home protected by a high, circular levee, not everyone in the family feels the need to be saved. Pride, greed, loyalty, and even love create their own complex currents behind the massive wall. As the threat from the flood increases and time ticks away, the crew and the family must decide on a course of action, and a desperate plan is hatched to save the weakening levee and all it was built to protect.

The Levee is a propulsive, heartfelt tale of courage, cowardice, and sacrifice in a historic moment when the indomitable human spirit is pitted against the awesome and destructive power of nature.

“Will the levee hold? Or will greed, pride, and hubris engulf the characters of The Levee like the historic flood waters of the Mississippi River threatening the inhabitants of Ballymore? William Kent Krueger’s masterful tale of suspense about courage, family, secrets, and the power of nature is a must-listen!” —Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room and The Personal Librarian

This audiobook includes an author’s note read by the author, a reading group guide (available as a PDF), and a preview of William Kent Krueger’s next novel, The River We Remember.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 William Kent Krueger (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio Originals

Critic reviews

“As a native Mississippian, The Levee rang very true to me. The voices were all speaking in a moment my father remembered. Thank you, William Kent Krueger, for taking me back to a time that was part of my own prehistory. I'm really glad I had that experience. As usual, the writing was brilliant." (New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris)

“A masterful mythic-scale story of heroism, love, evil, and folly clashing in the midst of a great flood.” (Thomas Perry, author of the Jane Whitefield series)

"Golden Voice narrator JD Jackson acts out Krueger’s dramatic audio-original novella, which is about the potential breach of a levee… The raging river’s inexorable attacks are reflected in Jackson’s cadence as he adds emotional energy to the exhausting fight between men and the mighty Mississippi." (AudioFile Magazine, Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award)

Fabulous

One of the best books I have read in a long time. Recommend it highly.

interesting story...

Neat story. Certainly not WKK's best, but well worth listening to. Did not much care for the narrator.

Did not capture my interest

Good sentence structure, but I lost interest & finished the book. The bases of the story lost
me.

Okay book.

This book was just okay. I have read some great books by this author so I always except more when I like more than two of their books. This book did feel rushed in the way that two main characters died at one time in separate accidents. I did rewind a couple of times to see if I missed something but no it just rushed through and was a little confusing at the end to me.

The Levee

Really enjoyed this story. Good and evil . Men fighting their past ,survival - fighting nature’s forces. A Great battle against the river . Bonds that surpass family. Strong competent women on the front lines . Would be an incredible movie ! Great story

An old river’s tale….

Interesting tale of the Mighty Mississippi flooding in early 20th Century with a melding of human lives and Mother Nature. The intertwined stories of unlikely companions under their own stressors working on a stage of natural events.

Compelling narration, but not compelling story

I have read a number of books by this author, and found them to be thoughtful and enjoyable. This one was shallow and trite with one dimensional characters save perhaps one. It did raise potentially interesting questions about why people would try to help others at a cost to themselves, but didn’t address them and ended abruptly. The narrator was effective though.

We all have “levees”to breach.

Leaves bare human frailties and strengths. To grow you need to confront the past however difficult.

The story line

I love William Kent Krueger’s writing style. His stories draw me in…I am captivated.. Where there is tragedy, there is also hope, which in today’s world is necessary.

The Levee

I love being read to. This was a good story…prideful, mean, but courageous and moral.