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Trudi's Reviews > A Land More Kind Than Home
A Land More Kind Than Home
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Trudi's review
bookshelves: a-sense-of-place, crime-mystery, all-in-the-family, good-country-people, heart-of-darkness, modern-lit, love-the-title, prose-that-sings, 2013, audiobook, awesome-audio, secrets, sherwood-picks
Feb 26, 2013
bookshelves: a-sense-of-place, crime-mystery, all-in-the-family, good-country-people, heart-of-darkness, modern-lit, love-the-title, prose-that-sings, 2013, audiobook, awesome-audio, secrets, sherwood-picks
This book has everything I love -- a Southern setting, secrets, family tragedy, religious zealotry run amok, and strong narrative voices. If I had read it, it would have been an easy four stars. But because I listened to it, and the audio version is one of the best I've ever heard, it's getting five stars.
This is a debut novel -- is it flawless? No. But you know what? I didn't care. I don't think you will either. I got so swept up and carried away by the story I was being told I was living it. I was right there in that small town watching it all go down with a flutter of anxiety in my stomach, and a lump of sadness in my throat.
What really made me love this story as an audiobook is that we have three narrators read by three different readers-- 1) Jess Hall, a precocious nine year old who has a penchant for spying and will eventually see something he wishes he hadn't that will change his life and the life of his town forever 2) Adelaide Lyle, a feisty old woman who has born witness to much of the town's history and dark secrets and 3) Clem Barefield, seasoned Sheriff with a painful past who must confront the evil that has taken hold of his town like a cancer.
Getting the story from these three very distinct voices and points of view is fantastic. It makes what is essentially a simple and straight forward story feel richer, more layered and emotional. I loved the reader for the Sheriff. What a fantastic performance. That voice married to the author's prose is a match made in heaven. In the best ways it reminded me of Tommy Lee Jones's performance in No Country for Old Men.
A Land More Kind Than Home is set deep in the heart of snake-handling country where you better hope that when the preacher arrives in town, he ain't the devil in disguise.
Read this book -- and if you do the audio thing -- listen. You won't be able to stop, I promise.
And since I have a thing for book trailers, this one does a great job of capturing the edgy, southern Gothic mood of this novel that's so portent with revelation, betrayals, and tragedy.
This review can also be found at Busty Book Bimbo.
This is a debut novel -- is it flawless? No. But you know what? I didn't care. I don't think you will either. I got so swept up and carried away by the story I was being told I was living it. I was right there in that small town watching it all go down with a flutter of anxiety in my stomach, and a lump of sadness in my throat.
What really made me love this story as an audiobook is that we have three narrators read by three different readers-- 1) Jess Hall, a precocious nine year old who has a penchant for spying and will eventually see something he wishes he hadn't that will change his life and the life of his town forever 2) Adelaide Lyle, a feisty old woman who has born witness to much of the town's history and dark secrets and 3) Clem Barefield, seasoned Sheriff with a painful past who must confront the evil that has taken hold of his town like a cancer.
Getting the story from these three very distinct voices and points of view is fantastic. It makes what is essentially a simple and straight forward story feel richer, more layered and emotional. I loved the reader for the Sheriff. What a fantastic performance. That voice married to the author's prose is a match made in heaven. In the best ways it reminded me of Tommy Lee Jones's performance in No Country for Old Men.
A Land More Kind Than Home is set deep in the heart of snake-handling country where you better hope that when the preacher arrives in town, he ain't the devil in disguise.
Read this book -- and if you do the audio thing -- listen. You won't be able to stop, I promise.
And since I have a thing for book trailers, this one does a great job of capturing the edgy, southern Gothic mood of this novel that's so portent with revelation, betrayals, and tragedy.
This review can also be found at Busty Book Bimbo.
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Reading Progress
February 26, 2013
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April 25, 2013
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Maciek
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Apr 28, 2013 04:11AM
Excellent, Trudi! I added it to my list when I discovered it and was happy to hear that you liked it so much. I'm going to read it soon as well!
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And onto the "to buy" list it goes!
Maciek wrote: "Excellent, Trudi! I added it to my list when I discovered it and was happy to hear that you liked it so much. I'm going to read it soon as well!"I hope you enjoy it, Maciek! It's an engrossing, dramatic story in the same vein as the great Southern Gothic writers. I look forward to seeing more from this author as he matures and refines his craft. Look forward to your review!
Amanda wrote: "And onto the "to buy" list it goes!"Gulp!!
Haha, well just remember if you should hate it there's no getting your money back, especially from me on a librarian's salary!!
Thanks, Trudi! I'll be sure to review it and let you know! :)
Trudi wrote: "Gulp!! Haha, well just remember if you should hate it there's no getting your money back, especially from me on a librarian's salary!! "The hell you say! If I don't like it, I'm loading up the car, driving to Canada, and collecting!
Fortunately, I accept beer as payment.
Beers I can do! Beers would be a pleasure. It would be an awfully long way for you to come but I'd make sure you at least got arrested to make it worth your while.
People get arrested in Canada? ;)
Maciek wrote: "People get arrested in Canada? ;)"Haha, smartass, yes they do. When we get bored of being polite we like to break the law. Our Mounties will mess you up!
Haha! Oh, I'd be too busy looking at all the beautiful landscapes to break the law!
Maciek wrote: "Haha! Oh, I'd be too busy looking at all the beautiful landscapes to break the law!"Not if I was your tour guide!!!
If I ever make it up there I'm gonna hold ya to that! :) (Still not sure about breaking the law but I bet the jails are comfy too!)
I have lived in the South my whole life and never have I had the pleasure of long hidden family secrets of violence. Everything has been very suburban and urban for me. I don't even get to live in the myth of the South the rest of the world gets. Bummer.
Anthony wrote: "I have lived in the South my whole life and never have I had the pleasure of long hidden family secrets of violence. Everything has been very suburban and urban for me. I don't even get to live in ..."Anthony, you are still so young. It takes years for secrets to out themselves. That is their nature. Your family may be rife with them, but you'll be fifty before you uncover them. Your Southern experience may seem quite urbane and pedestrian, but it's in your blood written on your DNA.
Just so long as I have a run in with violent rednecks and destiny that tests my limits of familial duty and love but also leaves me emotionally and physically scarred the rest of my life. That is all I ask for.
Anthony wrote: "I have lived in the South my whole life and never have I had the pleasure of long hidden family secrets of violence. Everything has been very suburban and urban for me. I don't even get to live in ..."Keep your chin up. I thought I, too, was from a bland Southern background until about 10 years ago. Then an aunt who was researching the family tree shook the branches and, lo and behold, a great-great-grandfather who was on the run from some place like Virginia for horse thieving fell out.
And then I discovered that my great-grandfather on the other side of my family had the shit beaten out of him because of a gambling debt and was left under his own front porch. His wife (not my great-grandmother, who was smart enough to leave his shiftless ass) heard moaning from under the house all night and was too afraid to go see what it was. She found him the next morning, dead as a doornail.
Yes. And you have to become an alcoholic to deal with your pain. I figure you already have a leg up in that department ;-)
Trudi wrote: "Yes. And you have to become an alcoholic to deal with your pain. I figure you already have a leg up in that department ;-)"
Well, if you want to do something well in life, you have to practice. A lot.
Well, if you want to do something well in life, you have to practice. A lot.
Amanda wrote: "Anthony wrote: "I have lived in the South my whole life and never have I had the pleasure of long hidden family secrets of violence. Everything has been very suburban and urban for me. I don't even..."
I actually do have some stories already. An uncle showed me my lineage on my mother's side. Apparently I am directly related to the man who paid the most ever for a single slave. Yay?
I actually do have some stories already. An uncle showed me my lineage on my mother's side. Apparently I am directly related to the man who paid the most ever for a single slave. Yay?
Amanda wrote: "Anthony wrote: "Then an aunt who was researching the family tree shook the branches.."That's such a great expression, and great stories! I love the idea of someone left under the front porch to moan and groan all night. I wouldn't be investigating that shit either. No way!
Trudi wrote: "That's such a great expression, and great stories! I love the idea of someone left under the front porch to moan and groan all night. I wouldn't be investigating that shit either. No way!"From all accounts, he was an asshat so I can't feel sorry for him. I would have stayed warm under the covers, too!
Erm, not to detract from the tragedy of it. That might have come off as a little insensitive. It was your very own great-grandfather.
Anthony wrote: "I actually do have some stories already. An uncle showed me my lineage on my mother's side. Apparently I am directly related to the man who paid the most ever for a single slave. Yay?"Wow, now that is quite a story. I'm curious--how much did he pay?
Anthony wrote: "Apparently I am directly related to the man who paid the most ever for a single slave. Yay?..."LOL. Make it work. I have a feeling it's only the tip of the iceberg anyways.
Trudi wrote: "Erm, not to detract from the tragedy of it. That might have come off as a little insensitive. It was your very own great-grandfather."Oh, no. Don't worry about it. He was by all accounts abusive, which is why my great-grandmother left him. I have no sympathy for him at all.
Amanda wrote: "From all accounts, he was an asshat so I can't feel sorry for him. I would have stayed warm under the covers, too!..."Whew! Okay then. I was afraid we'd have to duel or something :-)
Amanda wrote: "Anthony wrote: "I actually do have some stories already. An uncle showed me my lineage on my mother's side. Apparently I am directly related to the man who paid the most ever for a single slave. Ya..."
I didn't write it down, unfortunately. My uncle is supposed to be sending me copies of this information. I am also actually related to General Lee. And a lot of my ancestors were rifle makers, which is cool.
My dad's side is shady and Italian and my Grandmother didn't like talking about it.
I didn't write it down, unfortunately. My uncle is supposed to be sending me copies of this information. I am also actually related to General Lee. And a lot of my ancestors were rifle makers, which is cool.
My dad's side is shady and Italian and my Grandmother didn't like talking about it.
Anthony wrote: "My dad's side is shady and Italian and my Grandmother didn't like talking about it."Ohhh--no doubt, that's where the really good stuff is!
Trudi wrote: "Whew! Okay then. I was afraid we'd have to duel or something :-)"You look like you have your hands full anyway picking fights with Kemper, what with the amusing Wizard of Oz slams. We shall duel another time!
Amanda wrote: "Anthony wrote: "My dad's side is shady and Italian and my Grandmother didn't like talking about it."
Ohhh--no doubt, that's where the really good stuff is!"
I do know about one great uncle who lived in a house with his wife and his wife's sister. And he openly had kids with both women...
Ohhh--no doubt, that's where the really good stuff is!"
I do know about one great uncle who lived in a house with his wife and his wife's sister. And he openly had kids with both women...
Amanda wrote: "You look like you have your hands full anyway picking fights with Kemper, what with the amusing Wizard of Oz slams. ..."Yes, I might not have thought that one all the way through. But sometimes the target just looks so big, and so easy to hit. I wouldn't be nearly so daring if I weren't living in another country however.
