The Last Days of Dogtown

A Novel

By: Anita Diamant

Narrated by: Kate Nelligan

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Set on Cape Ann in the early 1800s, The Last Days of Dogtown is peopled by widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans, and "witches". Nearly a decade ago, Diamant found an account of an abandoned rural backwater near the Massachusetts coastline at the turn of the nineteenth century. That pamphlet inspired a stunning novel about a small group of eccentrics and misfits, struggling in a harsh, isolated landscape only fifty miles north of Boston, yet a world away.

Among the inhabitants of Dogtown are Black Ruth, an African woman who dresses as a man and works as a stone mason; Mrs. Stanley, an imperious madam whose grandson, Sammy, comes of age in her rural brothel; Oliver Younger, who survives a miserable childhood at the hands of a very strange aunt; and Cornelius Finson, a freed slave whose race denies him everything. At the center of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent soul, deeply lonely, who nonetheless builds a life for herself and inspires those around her to become more generous and tolerant themselves.

©2005 Anita Diamant (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division.

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Solo Narration (Female)

"Poignant, beautifully written. Diamant's fans won't be surprised to see that she continues to excel at creating memorable characters." (Boston Magazine)

Another Anita Diamant Winner

What did you love best about The Last Days of Dogtown?

Anitta Diamant writes such good stories. No unnecessary violence and no explicit sex are included in the book, because it wasn't needed, and that's so refreshing. And the narrator, Kate Nelligan, reads so smoothly and soothingly and yet conveys the proper excitement when necessary.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Last Days of Dogtown?

Each character had his own memorable moment.

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

I haven't listened to Kate Nelligan before and hoped I could find other books read by her. I was really disappointed when I searched her name and came up with only 6 books, of which I'd buy only 2.

Any additional comments?

This book is totally different from "The Red Tent", which I loved, but it is as compelling in its own way. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading character studies. There are some fascinating people in this book.

WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG

I WAS TOLD TO READ THIS BOOK A LONG TIME AGO AND I PUT IT OFF. I AM GLAD I FINALLY READ IT BECAUSE IT WAS SO GOOD. EXCELLENT, IN FACT.

A new look at New England history

This book kept my attention from the beginning to the end. The pictures of the characters were so vivid and engaging. We know so little of our own country's history, it was nice to fill it in a bit more.

Beautiful historical fiction

Anita Diamant creates imagery that makes one feel present in the period in which her tale is set, and touches the heart as she creates a portrait of the souls who inhabit that time and place.

October Reading

By chance I listened to this story from late October to November as summer died off, Halloween came and went, and winter moved into place. It all seemed to coordinate perfectly with this lovely book. Read wonderfully. I am sure I would have enjoyed it at another time of year but it was perfect storytelling for the fall and a fine book with wonderful characters.

Pure Pleasure to Listen to

A rich tale of a gloomy time. Between the writer and the reader this was one story I didn't regret a penny spent on it. The story weaves around characters, in and out, back and around, so artfully I was sad when it ended. It's quite different from the Red Tent, but I highly recommend it.

Engrosing & fabulous

I love this Diamant! Her fiction reflects her background as a historian. Well researched and vivid with details. Like The Red Tent, these characters will inhabit your life from now on. This audible book is excellently narrated

Good But Not Great

As others have said, this was not as good as the Red Tent. I thought the narraton was a little uneven. But the stories were interesting.

NOT The Red Tent

If I had never experienced The Red Tent, I might have liked this book better. It was an okay book with okay characters and okay narration, but I really wanted something as beautiful and engaging as the first book I read (listened to)by this author. The Red Tent was one in a million, but The Last Days of Dog Town was just. . .okay.

Not at all like I expected

This was a fairly sad and dreary story. I finished it, but definitely would not recommend it to a friend.