Delta Wedding

A Novel

By: Eudora Welty

Narrated by: Sally Darling

Length: 12 hrs

Publisher's summary

Set on the Mississippi Delta in 1923, this story captures the mind and manners of the Fairchilds, a large aristocratic family, self-contained and elusive as the wind. The vagaries of the Fairchilds are keenly observed, and sometimes harshly judged, by nine-year-old Laura McRaven, a Fairchild cousin who takes The Yellow Dog train to the Delta for Dabney Fairchild’s wedding. An only child whose mother has just died, Laura is resentful of her boisterous, careless cousins, and desperate for their acceptance. As the hour moves closer and closer to wedding day, Laura arrives at a more subtle understanding of both the Fairchilds and herself. Born in 1909 in Jackson, Mississippi, Eudora Welty is one of the South’s finest novelists. She won a Pulitzer in 1972 for The Optimist’s Daughter. Delta Wedding is her best known work.

©1974 Eudora Welty (P)1994 Recorded Books, LLC

Wonderful narration!!!

I loved the narration to this wonderful book by Eudora Welty! Fantastic! Delightful entertainment! Authentic Southern American accent.

Wonderful Recording

Sally Darling makes this story come alive. She captures the time and tone of this marvelous story perfectly.

Unforgettable story, best narration

I read this book every summer. In my top 10 favorite books. The reader is the best. Do yourself a favor and listen.

The Delta Wedding was a Treat

Sally Darling did a wonderful job of reading Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty. I was sad when it ended because I had come to love the sound of Sally Darling's voice. She captured the slow southern drawl perfectly. That made the reading take a while, but it was all the more enjoyable for that.

Eudora's power of description are breath taking.

Unusual. I was taken in by Eudor's description of everything around her characters. At first it was confusing, but when I relaxed it became amazing. Her metaphors were spot on. I saw the Delta thru the eyes and ears of a multigenerational family as they gathered for a wedding. I was a fly on the wall and I saw and heard it all. Shush or you'll miss something.

A classic – Still well worth listening to

Beautifully written with vivid descriptions of place and time and interesting, complex characters. Well read.

How fine and true this novel is.

This novel repays close attention, and the reading helps you get into it and stay there. Both the author and the reader deserve high praise.

Dreamy

I am a new fan of Ms. Welty and cannot get enough. This book is dreamy in its descriptive writing style. The reader brings the words together in a glorious way. I will listen to this book over and over.

Slice of life 100 years ago

Poetic, languorous, almost dream-like. And just as sllloooowww in the telling. A very old-fashioned setting and writing style. The narrator was just right.

Soul Food

Would you listen to Delta Wedding again? Why?

Yes, as I am certain I missed points. Ms. Welty did such a masterful job of painting a word picture of the time, the place, the people. My mother was from the south at just about that time. No, the author did not show the downside of the era or the differences of the races or the way women had no say. That was not the purpose of the story. The Help, Color Purple took on that task. Ms Welty I believe wanted to show life from her perspective.

What did you like best about this story?

I was there. She had a way of putting the reader into the house and the wedding week. From the adoration of an uncle to the brusk no nonsence presence of his brother (father of the house) and the foibles of their sisters married and not to the mother of the house, gentle and accepting we met them all. Then there were the children of all ages and races. We met the negro servants but of course we did not learn their personalities as Ms. Welty woud not have seen them as they were. It was very of the period.

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

She made the book what it is. I had not heard her before but what an excellent addition to this book.

If you could rename Delta Wedding, what would you call it?

Yazoo Tales.

Any additional comments?

After a number of books that were controvesial and ripped at your heart I needed a mint julip and slow fan on the porch. This was the book.