The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint

By: Brady Udall

Narrated by: Scott Shina

Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

This astonishing novel was chosen as a Best Book of the Year by the Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly and Newsweek. Contained within is the story of Edgar Mint, the half-Apache, mostly orphaned child who overcomes a serious childhood injury to embark on a life of tragedies, including a boarding school for Native Americans and a dysfunctional Mormon foster family.

©2001 Brady Udall (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"A bit of a miracle in its own right." ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

A gritty, humorous and rambling tale

Enjoyed this book. For one, the story narrated by a half white half Indian boy was such a unique one. From his reservation days to a long hospitalization to his time in an Indian school to living with a Mormon family the stories were fascinating. Edgar is observant and odd. A unique character who has endured atrocities of flesh and spirit. Yet he endured. At times the story rambled but still held my attention.

A worthwhile read!

Brady Udall manages to draw you in, fully develop characters, and still keep the book moving! Twists and turns along the way and times when I thought, "Nah, this won't happen - there will be some type of happy fix for this problem," I was wrong. I'm already looking for more of his books!

The narrator, Scott Shina, is also fantastic!

What a great book!!!.....

.....It definately runs along the lines of a John Irving novel which really pleases me since I adore John Irving!....Edgar Mint gets straight into your heart and you just can't let go....from the stark and sad beginning to the incredible surprise ending......Edgar Mint is a survivor and someone that you will constantly root for. He makes many mistakes along the way but he always survives the most harrowing of life events by coming out on top......as Edgar mentions in the end of the book......he lives his life backwards by starting out having to make all the hard decisions and live all the hard ways of life and ending with being protected and loved and taken care of like a child....This is definately a hard book to put down and one that will bring out many different emotions from the reader.

Worth the time

I'm not sure why but I really liked it. The narration written into the story was artistic and almost third person. It wasn't slow, fast, or full of plot but just well written. The performance was sort matter of fact without emotion.

Engrossing

Lots of details, great character development, and an engrossing story kept me riveted throughout. Well narrated as well. And the author’s interview at the end is very illuminating. Definitely recommend!

Loved Edgar Mint for a second time.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

He has a nice voice, but he places emphasis in the oddest places. I kept being jolted from the story to rewind and edit my understanding of what he said.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Edgar's Miracle Life will rip apart your heart and then put it together again.

Great Read

Best book I’ve read in a long time. The author provoked almost every human emotion and I didn’t want it to end. The ending was also satisfying. There was some iffy language but not too bad. Some humor is also included and I will highly recommend this book.

Thoughtful and cathartic.

So I don't write reviews often, but Brady Udall is a great author. He is not my usual style of author. I am an escapist sci-fi bum. My wife who is a much deeper and smarter person then me introduced me to him. His work is harder to get through, his characters are deeper, dense and more real, because of that it can be hard to see difficult things happen to people who seem so real. It is also beautiful and hopeful in the sad though. I have to be in the mood for it is great.

Also as a side note Brady Udall is a delightful and caring individual. A few Christmas times ago he signed all of my wife's copies of his books. I talked to him in person when he did and talked plumbing with him (I am a plumber). He was warm and generous to a stranger and sent me away with a Christmas gift my wife has never forgotten. This is the third version of Edgar Mint that we own, I hope we continue to enjoy new work and old from Mr. Udall for a long time to come.

Wonderful story that left me wanting to know more

Would you consider the audio edition of The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint to be better than the print version?

The story stands on its own completely the medium of presentation doesn't really matter. I would however recommend this book for highschool students.

What did you like best about this story?

The resilience of Edgar although he doesn't seem to believe he is really able to create his own path. Although I found this heart wrenching, love did in the end come to Edgar.

Which scene was your favorite?

The sections with the Morman family where Edgar first is able to glimpse what family and love can hold.

If you could take any character from The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Edgar because his path is so intense and real, it would be interesting to discuss his revelations as he reviews his life.

What's the point!

This book went nowhere and was perpetually depressing. It's a whole book on bullying. I couldn't finish it.