Flags on the Bayou

A Novel

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews, Michael Crouch, Dana Gourrier, Marin Ireland, January LaVoy, Ray Porter, James Lee Burke

Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

From American master James Lee Burke comes a novel set in Civil War-era Louisiana as the South transforms and a brilliant cast of characters—enslaved and free women, plantation gentry, and battle-weary Confederate and Union soldiers—are caught in the maelstrom.

In the fall of 1863, the Union army is in control of the Mississippi river. Much of Louisiana, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is occupied. The Confederate army is in disarray, corrupt structures are falling apart, and enslaved men and women are beginning to glimpse freedom.

When Hannah Laveau, a formerly enslaved woman working on the Lufkin plantation, is accused of murder, she goes on the run with Florence Milton, an abolitionist schoolteacher, dodging the local constable and the slavecatchers that prowl the bayous. Wade Lufkin, haunted by what he observed—and did—as a surgeon on the battlefield, has returned to his uncle’s plantation to convalesce, where he becomes enraptured by Hannah. Flags on the Bayou is an engaging, action-packed narrative that includes a duel that ends in disaster, a brutal encounter with the local Union commander, repeated skirmishes with Confederate irregulars led by a diseased and probably deranged colonel, and a powerful story of love blossoming between an unlikely pair. As the story unfolds, it illuminates a past that reflects our present in sharp relief.

James Lee Burke, whose “evocative prose remains a thing of reliably fierce wonder” (Entertainment Weekly), expertly renders the rich Louisiana landscape, from the sunsets on the Mississippi River to the dingy saloons of New Orleans to the tree-lined shores of the bayou and the cottonmouth snakes that dwell in its depths. Powerful and deeply moving, Flags on the Bayou is a story of tragic acts of war, class divisions upended, and love enduring through it all.

©2023 James Lee Burke. All rights reserved. (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

A True Masterpiece

Just plain awesome JLB has a god given gift Can’t wait for his next book

Never disappointed!

I was transported into the period of this story by Mr Burke’s prose. The various narrators flesh out the characters so well. His writing style always astonishes me and never disappoints!

Took awhile

I was not pleased with this novel—at first, but I kept going. I became engaged with the characters, especially Pierre Cauchon and Miss Darla. As always, Burke’s poetic prose is beyond words and captivating. The name Burke was mentioned in the story, and I wonder if JLB was mentioning his ancestors.

Enthralling

Mr. Burke has truly outdone himself with his trademark lyrical pose, a riveting story and characters that practically jump off the page. Interwoven throughout are thought-provoking meditations on the human condition. I hope to see this book on the National Book Award longlist. Flags on the Bayou is my favorite book of 2023, pushing aside Richard Ford’s Be Mine.

Definitely Different

This was a very different kind of story than I have ever read from Burke. The blending of different voices for the various characters was a nice touch and the flow of the story was well paced.

One of His Best

There is no other author like James Lee Burke, who can with such few descriptive words take me to a bayou or room in a shack and make me feel like I am there.

Entertainingly Descriptive

The story, the use of numerous and engaging narrators, along with the most enhancing and descriptive writing, makes this one of my most entertaining reads (listens) of the year. Do not miss this one!

Good Story, Matchless Prose!

I'm only up to chapter 10, but the story already has me hooked, and the prose, as usual, are Matchless.

Born in the Soth

A sad story, as usual a beautiful book, well researched and told by knowledge that could only be gained by oral history.
Thank you for bringing the horror to life.

Hard to follow

Interesting book. contains a lot if history although a lot if comments seem very biased, not just from the characters standpoint