Wayfaring Stranger

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

2015 Audie Award Finalist for Thriller/Suspense

From "America’s best novelist" (The Denver Post): a sprawling thriller drenched with atmosphere and intrigue that takes a young boy from a chance encounter with Bonnie and Clyde to the trenches of World War II and the oil fields along the Texas-Louisiana coast.

It is 1934 and the Depression is bearing down when 16-year-old Weldon Avery Holland happens upon infamous criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow after one of their notorious armed robberies. A confrontation with the outlaws ends as Weldon puts a bullet through the rear window of Clyde’s stolen automobile. Ten years later, Second Lieutenant Weldon Holland and his sergeant, Hershel Pine, escape certain death in the Battle of the Bulge and encounter a beautiful young woman named Rosita Lowenstein hiding in a deserted extermination camp. Eventually, Weldon and Rosita fall in love and marry and, with Hershel, return to Texas to seek their fortunes. There, they enter the domain of jackals known as the oil business. They meet Roy Wiseheart - a former Marine aviator haunted with guilt for deserting his squadron leader over the South Pacific and Roy’s wife, Clara, a vicious anti-Semite who is determined to make Weldon and Rosita’s life a nightmare. It will be the frontier justice upheld by Weldon’s grandfather, Texas lawman Hackberry Holland, and the legendary antics of Bonnie and Clyde that shape Weldon’s plans for saving his family from the evil forces that lurk in peacetime America and threaten to destroy them all.

©2014 James Lee Burke. All rights reserved. (P)2014 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

I never wanted this book to end

What made the experience of listening to Wayfaring Stranger the most enjoyable?

The pairing of Will Patton's performance and James Lee Burke's words is a match made in heaven. Patton's flat yet emotionally rich voice is perfect for Burke's protagonists. I had been saving this book for a long drive and I never wanted it to end.

What other book might you compare Wayfaring Stranger to and why?

All of Burke's novels are filled with rich evocative language and emotionally and ethically complex characters and this book follows that tradition.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are so many. Burke using a great deal of foreshadowing and often his characters do things against their own interests due to their strong need to do the right thing. In this book there were many incidences of this. Some of the best scenes were the Bonnie Parker scenes, any of the scenes with Rosita, and the many simple supremely human moments in which the main character reflects on his awareness of events that can slip away if not noted and savored.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I wanted to immerse myself in the words and emotions and no, I wanted to mete it out like a rare wine so it would last and last.

Any additional comments?

Burke is one of the best writers we have. I read Neon Rain many years ago and now wait with anticipation for his next book. The pairing of his words with Will Patton's narration is evidence that a truly great audiobook experience requires both the words and the talent to truly convert those words as the writer intended.

best narration

What made the experience of listening to Wayfaring Stranger the most enjoyable?

Will Patton

Would you recommend Wayfaring Stranger to your friends? Why or why not?

maybe

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

first Patton narration. if not for Patton, not sure i would have finished the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

hauntingly beautiful prose

James Lee Burke's language provides the perfect backdrop for his story. It is rich and soulful regardless if he is describing a lovely view or a grisly murder. Will Patton's voice is a perfect match.

Never disappointed

I've read or listened to every JLB book and I've never been disappointed. Wonderful story with memorable characters. I love Will Patton's narration - I don't think I could listen to a JLB book unless Will was reading.

Great book

This was a real good book but the ending could have been better, more detailed about the end

Entertaining, but....

What did you like best about Wayfaring Stranger? What did you like least?

This book held my interest. The usual James Lee Burke book, with complex characters and dark, evil people. There was, however, not that much of a story.

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's a great reader, particularly for this kind of book

Could you see Wayfaring Stranger being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Nope. Not a strong enough storyline in my opinion.

The Best Book in a very long time!

If you could sum up Wayfaring Stranger in three words, what would they be?

I came across this author because I wanted to listen to other books narrated by Will Patton. What a fantastic book this is, I could not stop listening and will finish tonight having started yesterday!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wayfaring Stranger?

When Hershel Pine insisted on the blowout preventer because he had such a strong feeling and he was right!

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

What is not to like? He is a top notch narrator, his tone, the accents...perfection.

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

From the trenches to the oil fields.

Held my breath for most of the book

What a ride! From one high to another and then to the lowest of the lows. Amazing tale that kept me wanting more through the very end.

Another exceptional book from Burke

James Lee Burke's writings and Will Patton's narrations never let you down. This is another wonderful tale spun by Mr. Burke and Will Patton's reading makes it even that much better.

Spot on narration!

I just love to listen to Will Patton narrate. He could read a cereal box and I would be enthralled!