Tallgrass

By: Sandra Dallas

Narrated by: Lorelei King

Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

During World War II, a family finds life turned upside-down when the government opens a Japanese internment camp in their small Colorado town. After a young girl is murdered, all eyes turn on the newcomers. Rennie has just turned thirteen and until this time, life has pretty much been predictable and fair. But the winds of change are coming, and with them, a shift in her perspective and a discovery of secrets that can destroy even the most sacred things. Part thriller, part historical novel, Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas is a riveting exploration of the darkest—and best—parts of the human heart.

©2007 Sandra Dallas (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Fiction, 2008

“A compelling and genuinely moving novel.” —Jennifer Chiaverini, author of Circle of Quilters

“Sandra Dallas is a true American Voice.” —Gail Tsukiyama, author of Dreaming Water

“The sweep of the Great Plains, the tensions of World War II that rift a small community and the remarkable cast of characters are all heartbreakingly real.” —Margaret Coel, author of The Drowning Man

Authentic story set in rural Colorado

Memorable tale of farmers and interned Japanese families during WWIi.

Sad to hear mispronounced Colorado places.

I loved this book

I loved everything about this book! Good writing, great narrator. I've read several books about the internment camps, and this one was my favorite.

Excellent historical fiction for women AND men

Tallgrass is the fictional tale / mystery about an internment camp (aka prison) for Japanese – Americans in WWII. The camp is out on the eastern (flat) plains of Colorado (just where a real one was located), very different from the lush, fertile farmland in California where many of the inhabitants lived prior to being forcibly removed by the U.S. government. Sandra Dallas, a commercially very successful novelist (many movie options too). was a 30+ year reporter for Business Week located in Denver.

The story is told through the eyes of a young (13 to 16) woman but this is not a young adult book. Ms. Dallas' reporter training show through in neat and accurate historical details. There is an afterword exchange between the author and excellent narrator Lorelei King in which Ms. Dallas admits to being more fluent in writing about the lives of women. However, Tallgrass does feature a man, the young girl’s father, in a leading role.

Beyond recommending this book to women (duh!), I’d suggest it to any man who enjoys historical fiction, fiction about the west, or fiction about WWII … or to men like me who simply enjoy very well thought out and written stories based on the details, emotions and relationships of life.

If you enjoy historical fiction about the US West but have had enough of cowboys, one of my top 3 recommendations is another of Ms. Dallas' books, Prayers for Sale. It is about mining camps above 8,000 feet in the Rockies in the 1880's.

Enjoy.

wonderful--and enlightening

One of the earlier reviewers said it reminded her of To Kill A Mockingbird, and I strongly agree. Both books featured sharply intelligent young girls, kind parents who chose to do the right thing, even in the face of popular opposition, and a strong theme of social justice adroitly woven throughout a story full of humanity and compassion. Interesting that this came along at a time public skeptism and prejudice is directed toward Muslim and Arab Americans... Well worth the read, and narrator Loreli King did a wonderful job. Strongly recommended for the young adult reader.

Another Winner for Me

Its so good to find books without all the explicit sex murder etc.
This is all left to the reader. I love Sandra Dallas books and I also learn a lot about the history of America. I hadn't heard of the Camps before but she aways leaves me having to find out more. I loved the ending and the reading was excellent.

Sandra Dallas never dissapoints

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

I loved that the story took place close to my home. I couldn't imagine in today's time that we would ever incarcerate fellow Americans. It's a tragedy that these things actually occurred. This is a story of many triumphs.

Any additional comments?

Sandra Dallas wove the characters and story line like a beautiful embroidered silk.

Loved it.

Informative as well as entertaining. It was a joy to "get to know" the brave Stroud family and to learn about life on a Colorado farm. Rennie Stroud was the perfect narrator for the story. Most importantly, Tallgrass gave me an increased appreciation for-- and a more informed perspective on--the heartbreaking plight of the Japanese-American people during WW II. Their ancestors should be proud of the way they conducted themselves in the face of the injustices they suffered.

History Lesson for a Younger Reader!

By younger, I mean someone between 14 and 18 . . . . and since I'm over 60, you'll understand that this simple, but well-presented story lacks the sophistication most adult readers require. It is set during WWII, and the story is told from the perspective of a rapidly maturing 13 year old. Tallgrass is a camp for Japanese Americans and the story revolves around a family whose morals create opportunities for them to befriend the relocated citizens; despite the opposition of most of their rural neighbors. It is definitely a "G" rated story -- with lots of little life lessons there for the taking. Despite the fact that I felt it was targeting a youthful audience, I listened to it all; mostly because the narration was quite good. The story line was predictable; the outcome expected. Sort of like "Little House in the Prairie."

Bad Accents

I liked the story a lot but thought it was partially ruined by the reader-- her "accents" are so annoying!!

Lacking

Would you try another book from Sandra Dallas and/or Lorelei King?

Not sure

Would you recommend Tallgrass to your friends? Why or why not?

Not likely

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

No

Was Tallgrass worth the listening time?

Some of it

Any additional comments?

Could have focused more on the Japanese families and the effects of their internment. I realize the author was attempting to show the unjust contempt of that small community, but more detail of the Japanese boys and their families would have enriched the story.