Grisham does a tremendous job capturing the world of a 7-year old boy in rural Arkansas for the reader as vividly as if you were there. Excellent plot/setting, well narrated too.
Not your typical Grisham book in terms of subject matter, but the quality of his writing is constant throughout.

Story line: 10
Character Development: 9
Length: 7
Plot: 6.5
Ending: 5

I really enjoyed the story, it's told from a narrative of a boy that is 6 years old growing up on a cotton farm in 1952. The story is being retold as the boy is an adult although no present tense references are made... A 7 year old would not have the communication skills to convey this story as it was told...

Very intense at times can be played in front of the children no touchy subjects or language.... The ending was really a surprise. It just ends, I kept waiting for an epilog, but none came... Just kinda leaves you hanging, I don't believe enough story is left for a squeal so I give it low marks on plot, and length...

The characters are very real, it almost seems as if I knew them personally at the end of the book.

When John Grisham spoke at my graduation from Arkansas State University, I felt a bit guilty for not having read any of his works. The truth is though that I am not a huge fan of fiction. As a historian, I find the truth to be much more interesting then anything which can be imagined. This book beckoned me though as it takes place in the state where I grew up. It was very entertaining to listen to Lucas' story of life in the cotton. One of my friends, a good bit older then myself, responded to my inquiry on whether he had read this book with, "I remember being one of the hill people." It's a simple, sweet, and warm little story about the rough but honest life that some folks in Arkansas still live. You can find this kind of poverty still if you go farther south into the delta. I'm not much on Lawyer stories but I think Mr. Grisham hit a home run with this one. Iwonder if it was a St. Louis Cardinals homerun.

This book was fantastic, highly recommended

Grisham has lately been diverging from the fare that made him famous and this work is a prime example of the problems he faces in so doing. While the narrative is interesting and, in places compelling, the characters are not as completely developed as in his courtroom dramas. While I found this an "interesting" read, I did not find it an "enjoyable" read. The narrative wanders a bit too much and I found myself drifting off and thinking about what I would fix for dinner! Recommended - but not highly so.

While I enjoyed the story line and story telling of Mr.Grishams book (of the normal for him) I felt to be unrealistic as being told from a 7 year old point of view. Meaning how could a 7 year old have such thought of lust for a 17 year old women? I also felt it ended a little abruptly, I wanted to know, did the house get finished, did his father get a job, did his brother come home from Korea and so on.
I am a big Grisham fan and I did enjoy the story, but the reader had a little too mush "air" in his voice and I found it hard to get used to.

Grisham is a "details" writer and is very good at that. Especially in this book. Several twists and turns made segments of the book great but this particular book was a looonnng listen. I found myself wanting to fast forward to get to the end as several areas dragged by. As Grisham goes, I'd say this is not his best work. Probably the abridged edition goes at a better clip. I did enjoy Grisham's use of the 7-year old's perspective to tell the story of a rural Arkansas cotton farming family.

This was an easy listen. Very enjoyable with enough little suspensful situations to keep you wanting to hear more. David Lansbury did an excellent job telling the story. I highly recommend this book.

it was just a very nice story.

well, not in story content but buddy,how a rooster made me a family man--because these two books were books that just told a nice story. with a satisfying ending.

no, but i enjoyed the reading.

i think they all were. maybe pappy.

towards the end it got a little slow but not enough to ruin the book. i will read this again and again.

I would listen to this multiple times. It is excellent fiction with rich characters.

Luke has to be the favorite. He is an old soul with the fresh eyes of a child.