Run

By: Ann Patchett

Narrated by: Peter Francis James

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

It's a winter evening in Boston and the temperature has drastically dropped as a blizzard approaches the city. On this fateful night, Bernard Doyle plans to meet his two adopted sons, Tip the older, and more serious and Teddy, the affectionate dreamer, at a Harvard auditorium to hear a speech given by Jesse Jackson. Doyle, an Irish Catholic and former Boston mayor, has done his best to keep his two sons interested in politics, from the day he and his now deceased wife became their parents, through their childhoods, and now in their lives as college students. Though the two boys are African-American, the bonds of the family's love have never been tested. But as the snow begins to fall, an accident triggers into motion a series of events that will forever change their lives.

Run is at its very center, is a novel about what truly defines family and the lengths we will go to protect our children. As she did in her best-selling novel Bel Canto, Patchett beautifully weaves together seemingly disparate lives to show how intimately humans can connect. Stunning and powerful, Run is sure to engage any Patchett fan and bring her even more admirers.

Don't miss our free Ann Patchett interview. Patchett is an Audible CelebrityListener - find out what she's listening to here.

©2007 Ann Patchett (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

" Run is a book that sets out inventively to contend with the temper of our times, and by the end we feel we really know the Doyle family in all its intensity and with all its surprises." ( Publishers Weekly)

Surprisingly good

What made the experience of listening to Run the most enjoyable?

I needed to read this for a book discussion at work. I really didn't expect to like it, because it's not the kind of book I usually enjoy. However, it turned out to be one of the best books I've read in a long time. The characterizations are excellent, both in the writing and in the performance. The story is enjoyable and memorable. I've got plenty of ideas for our book discussion, and a book I'll enjoy listening to more than once.

What about Peter Francis James’s performance did you like?

Mr. James' voice characterizations were excellent. I was able to easily distinguish between characters.

Couldn’t stop listening to Run

It was a moving store of acceptance and family. So we’ll written and impossible to stop listening

Novel is a six - “music” is a minus zero!

This ranks right up with BEL CANTO as one of Ann Patchett’s finest novels. It’s a thought provoking page turner. The narrator is excellent. The music at the conclusion of chapters is not. I found the insertion of the music very annoying—jarring in fact.

Interesting story, short read

I enjoyed this book but I feel like it was not finished. The narration was good. No real take-aways from my perspective. Almost seemed like an exercise in writing.

Robotic reading sucks

Do not like the robotic reading. Get real people to read. It makes the book very cold and mechanical.

Fine writing

While this book coesn't soar to the heights of "Bel Canto", its content is certainly more accessible. I enjoyed following the journeys of the diverse, and mostly believable characters in the book. In fact, I wish there was more revealed about several of them. The author interview after the book was surprising; I didn't perceive the same political focus in the book that the author seemed to think it had, but it was value added, nonetheless.

Another great story from Ann Patchett

Where does Run rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Run is in the top third of my favorite stories, had good and bad issues with the audiobook but overall a very good audiobook.

The audiobook's storytelling was very well done, especially the political/historical orations recited throughout this book. The music in the audiobook, to me, was unnecessary and sometimes jarring... but still thought it was great.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kenya was my favorite character - she brought an unexpected hope & brightness to this story.

Have you listened to any of Peter Francis James’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. Very deep voice!

If you could take any character from Run out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The uncle - would love to hear what he was feeling, experiencing, seeing, when he was having his visions and causing miracles.

Any additional comments?

At the end of the story, a conversation between Ann Patchett and the publisher is on the audiobook, which gave great insight and depth to the story (and at times, to all her books). She explains how all of her stories are the same - they all begin with a group of strangers thrown together and then a story evolves out of the chance meeting, just as in the 3 Patchett books I've read. She explains the multiple meanings behind the title, and shares how she doesn't generally include children in her stories - Kenya being an exception.

Will continue to look forward to more tales from this great storyteller.

Great Book. Poor Narration

This was recorded and mastered for CD and needs to be revisited for the digital format. Aside from production quality, the narrator is uninspiring to the point of distraction.

The book is another excellent offering from Ms. Patchett.

Engaging family tale

Set in Boston and covering several generations, this novel draws you in through suggestion and subtle prediction interspersed with finely crafted description of events. We follow an Irish Catholic politician who raises two adopted African American boys as the birth mother covertly watches them grow up. Depicts the contrast of race/class cultures in modern America with compassion and personal detail. A good read.

Musical discord

The music between the chapters was off sequence, sometimes it would play during the narration of the book. Pretty annoying. Other than that, I enjoyed it greatly.