A Painted House: A Novel

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: David Lansbury

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers —and two very dangerous men—came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke’s world.

A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born ... and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives—and change his family and his town forever....

Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM, coming soon!

©2000, 2001 Belfry Holdings, Inc. (P)2001 Random House, Inc. Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, a Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Characters that no reader will forget. .. prose as clean and strong as any Grisham has yet laid down ... and a drop-dead evocation of a time and place that mark this novel as a classic slice of Americana.”—Publishers Weekly

“Some of the finest dialogue of his career ... Every detail rings clear and true, and nothing is wasted.”—Seattle Times

adiffernent type of book from grisham.

What did you love best about A Painted House?

it was just a very nice story.

What other book might you compare A Painted House to and why?

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.

Have you listened to any of David Lansbury’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no, but i enjoyed the reading.

Who was the most memorable character of A Painted House and why?

i think they all were. maybe pappy.

Any additional comments?

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

Great book

I was surprised how much I liked this book. Not what I expected from a John Grisham book. I felt like I was with the family in everything they experienced. A great story on the perseverance, and dedication of a family. I'm sure it was exactly how the people lived and worked in this time era, leaving me with much compassion and admiration. Well written and narrated. John Grisham is one of my all time great authors.

A Painted House

This book was a lovely walk down the lanes of the past to see the world through a poor family's eyes. Easy listen. Definitely recommend.

A Great Historical Novel

Up there with "Grapes of Wrath", and "Cannery Row" -John Stienbeck-

Not your average Grishom, just a warm story including the difficulties following the Depression, WW2 and the Korean War. An epic take of life on an Arkansas cotten field.
circa-1951.

Good Read!

Wonderful Story

I enjoyed the tale. It gave me a wonderful, peaceful feeling. I recommend it to anyone wanting relief from today's ugliness.

A Painted House

What a joy, thanks to the author and narrator, I’m looking forward to the next story

Down to earth

Love this book. A story about a small family close to God with a cotton farm to take care of. They hired migrant workers from Mexico and Ozark people to pick cotton. The ups and downs of how the family with their grandparents ran the farm.
One of his best stories, hope there is a series that continues. Note, there is nothing about a courtroom. Which is odd for John but very good.

Promising premise - doleful denoument

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.

A Painted House

I loved this story and the telling because I felt I was RIGHT THERE throughout the telling of the book.

Incredible, Touching, Sweet, Inspiring

I have never been a Grisham fan simply because I did not like the genre. I knew he was a good author though. This book grabbed me by the heart almost from the very beginning and didn't let go. I walked those country trails and picked cotton in the heat. Grisham's magic is that while giving us a heart story it was not overly sentimental. In fact, it was brutally honest through the eyes of a child. This is not a story to rush through to the end but one to be savoured word by word. Well done Mr. Grisham!