• Crossing to Safety

  • By: Wallace Stegner
  • Narrated by: Richard Poe
  • Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,542 ratings)

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Crossing to Safety  By  cover art

Crossing to Safety

By: Wallace Stegner
Narrated by: Richard Poe
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Publisher's summary

One of the finest American authors of the 20th century, Wallace Stegner compiled an impressive collection of accolades during his lifetime, including a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, a National Book Award, and three O. Henry Awards. His final novel, Crossing to Safety is the quiet yet stirring tale of two couples that meet during the Great Depression and form a lifelong bond.
©2002 Wallace Earle Stegner (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"This is a wonderfully rich, warm, and affecting book." ( Library Journal)
"It's deceptively simple: two bright young couples meet during the Depression and form an instant and lifelong friendship. "How do you make a book that anyone will read out of lives as quiet as these?" Larry Morgan, a successful novelist and the narrator of the story, poses that question many years after he and his wife, Sally, have befriended the vibrant, wealthy, and often troubled Sid and Charity Lang. "Where is the high life, the conspicuous waste, the violence, the kinky sex, the death wish?" It's not here. What is here is just as fascinating, just as compelling, as touching, and as tragic." (Amazon.com review)

What listeners say about Crossing to Safety

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
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awesome read

interesting book, good writing, lots of literature references. Liked the theme of dealing with ones death. Thought provoking.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent Story

The journey of life and it’s unpredictable turns and obstacles told through the memories of one player on the team of deep friendship.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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excellent writing

Crossing to Safety was a story about ordinary, decent people. it told of the relationship between two couples over a span of years. I loved the opportunity the story gave for reflection about relationships.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Tour de Force from a Master

What did you love best about Crossing to Safety?

It's a beautifully written novel, psychological and reflective, that follows a friendship between two couples over forty years. Richard Poe's reading is as close to perfect as it can be.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great

Great story that is extremely well written and narrated. It gave a significant emotional reaction and the characters were extremely well developed.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Poignant writing!

A book about marriage, friendship and mortality. I just loved it. The writing was poignant. It was filled with complex relationship dynamics in which the author showed us different sides of behaviors and personalities. Stegner also showed the reader a glimpse of the times before World War II (and a bit during and after the war). Very well read.
It was a book club read. Many members of the group liked Angel of Repose better but I liked this one a bit more.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Such real people! So touching!

This is a touching and sensitive story about two couples and their relationship over time. The characters and events in their lives are so real, so familiar, and so engaging. Their stories are real life and very believable.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very touching and relatable

I loved it till the very end. and then I went; what happenned? I could relate to all of the main characters and I didn't want the story to end. good listen

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

A long-winded love letter.

Seemingly endless hours of character development, culminating in a summative description of a man's love for his friends and wife.I liked the last chapter best.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The story. Real people. Real life.

Loved all f it. I have read in print before. This time Audible. Awesome retelling. I ove this book!

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