Thirteen Moons

A Novel

By: Charles Frazier

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

This magnificent novel by one of America's finest writers is the epic of one man's remarkable journey, set in 19th-century America against the background of a vanishing people and a rich way of life.

At the age of 12, under the Wind moon, Will is given a horse, a key, and a map, and sent alone into the Indian Nation to run a trading post as a bound boy. It is during this time that he grows into a man, learning, as he does, of the raw power it takes to create a life, to find a home. In a card game with a white Indian named Featherstone, Will wins - for a brief moment - a mysterious girl named Claire, and his passion and desire for her spans this novel.

As Will's destiny intertwines with the fate of the Cherokee Indians - including a Cherokee chief named Bear - he learns how to fight and survive in the face of both nature and man. Eventually, under the Corn Tassel Moon, Will begins the fight against Washington to preserve the Cherokee's homeland and culture. And he will come to know the truth behind his belief that "only desire trumps time".

Brilliantly imagined, written with great power and beauty by a master of American fiction, Thirteen Moons is a stunning novel about a man's passion for a woman, and how loss, longing, and love can shape a man's destiny over the many moons of a life.

Don't miss Charles Frazier's debut novel, Cold Mountain.

©2006 3 Crows Corporation (P)2006 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A bountiful literary panorama....The history that Frazier hauntingly unwinds through Will is as melodic as it is melancholy, but the sublime love story is the narrative's true heart." (Publishers Weekly)

A fascinating, great epic tale

While different from Cold Mtn, 13 Moons is a great tale of love and honor. I listened to the last 6 hours of it virtually non-stop, I was so taken with it. It's a fascinating story of the south's Indian's (Cherokee, primarily) and pre-Civil War politics that is little heard. Contrary to the other reviewer, I thought the reader was excellent.

Wanna go back in time?

This book is truly a beautiful piece of poetic literature. The way Frazier puts the reader/listener there in the place and time is, in a way, a humbling experience. How anyone could call such story "dull" is beyond me - hard to imagine while I'm sitting and listening for long stretches of time after the car is parked, the engine off. Will Patton - typically playing characters I've despised in films because he is so great at being evil - is actually just the guy for this reading. His accents and voice inflections aren't distracting but actually inviting. My only complaint would be the music that seems to appear fairly often towards the beginning. Otherwise - enjoy.

thirteen weeks

"Thirteen weeks" would be a better title - that's about how long it felt by the time I had completed this book. While I would agree that the author is a wonderful writer - some passages are beautifully written - the book itself did not seem to have much of a plot. Most of the time, it was somewhat boring. I loved Cold Mountain, but I certainly will not rush to listen to his next novel.

Great period piece

At first I was concerned that I would be trapped in this fictional story with no merit. I hate wasting 3 hours or more only to find that this isn't going to work for me.
This book drew me in and kept me until the end, when I was sorry to see my friend go. Excellent story telling.

Thirteen Moons even better than Cold Mountain

I thought Cold Mountain was a strong, original book but Thirteen Moons surpasses it in character development and the sheer beauty of his descriptions of nature. Thirteen Moons might have seemed better because I was listening to the wonderful interpretation of Will Patton instead of my puny interior voice that I hear when I read.
If you love beautiful prose, don't miss this.

Simply extraordinary

New to the writing of Charles Frazier—& perhaps still partly am: Will Patton’s reading & performance created an extraordinary, deeply moving (at times disturbing), & altogether singular experience that I am sure I could not reproduce through my own reading. Sad & awed by the breathtaking lyricism & pathos of Mr. Frazier’s writing.

Really enjoyed this

We really enjoyed it. A little long here and there but enjoyable. The author paints vivid pictures with his words.

Wonderful narration, good story

I loved the first 3quartersof the book, outstanding story of young boy growing up in the wilds of the Appalachians. We learn about the Cherokee, their ill treatment at the hand of Andrew Jackson and this boy Will and his relation to them. Shady deals and politics abound. Behind all of this is Will's lifelong devotion to a girl then woman, he cannot have. She is something of a ghost, especially towards the end of the story. The end slows down with more philosophical ramblings, maybe like the end of life. However, the spot on narration by Will Patton is terrific throughout and he is truly made to narrate these books, just as he fit the JL Burke books. This book was my favorite evening listen.

Wonderfully delightful book of Story Telling

We live in mountains where Ron Rash resides. His colorful review of the beauty of the mountains and sad recollection of the mishandling of Indians will shed light on their enormous strength and humanity.

My favorite read of the year

One of my most enjoyable reads in years. Prose is beautiful, story is captivating, sweep is epic, and performance is perfect. This was my first Frazier book but won't be my last.