A Land More Kind Than Home

Not since "Night of the Hunter" can I remember a more charismatically evil "preacher" captivating a community and placing innocent children in peril. Two people know the danger in the preacher - the sheriff who has no legal evidence to act, and Adelaide, an elderly woman of the church who has appointed herself protector of the children in the congregation. These two are moral anchors of the community, in their own ways keepng the peace. But then the curiosity of two brothers sets events in motion that gain momentum and become explosive in a matter of only days.

Wiley Cash has perfectly captured the language of the region, with a finely tuned ear for genuine dialogue and prose. The characters are complexly gritty, tender, damaged and innocent, Told by three first-person voices, we get an inside look at life in the mountain country of North Carolina, where communities are close knit and closed in, and ruled by tobacco and fundamentalist religion. The three voices - Adelaide, Sheriff Barefield, and Jess Hall, a 10 year old boy terrified at being thrust center stage in the machinations of an adult world he can't understand, are all voiced impeccably by a trio of accomplished narrators. I generally avoid multiple-reader books, but seeing that Lorna Raver was included convinced me to give it a try. (Her performance of "Fried Green Tomatoes" was exquisite.) I was not disappointed.

Adelaide, the wise old town mid-wife, is the introductory voice of this atmospheric story, so smoothly performed by Lorna Raver that you want to tip a bucket over on the front porch and take a seat at Adelaide's feet while she gently rocks back and forth and envelops you into this somber and cautionary tale. From the day she witnesses a church service that ends with her friend being bitten twice by a copperhead snake -- she knows that there is an evil in Preacher Chambliss. This evil, hiding behind a mask of religion, and using *faith* as its weapon, brings a mournful piece of history colliding into the present time with tragic consequences. The story passes the narrative between Adelaide, innocent 9 yr. old Jess, and Sheriff Barefield -- each voicing the story from their point of involvement. The voice of Jess didn't work for me, seemed a bit contrived or miscast; Sheriff Barefield was perfect.

There is great promise here: A perfect setting, great cast, and a generational story, I found it entertaining and it held my interest, sometimes more than other times. This is one of those good books that had all the underpinnings to be an amazing book. The Evil Preacher Chambliss with his deadly ceremonial snakes was evil incarnate, and could have used more history; the naive Julie's unaware descenion into sin, the father's alcoholic past -- there were several incidents that I wanted to hear more about which could have added some heft to the foundation of the saga.

A terrific debut novel that I enjoyed -- it's almost like comfort food for the ears. Cash is a writer I want to hear more from and won't just be waiting to hear about...I will be anxiously watching for his next book.

I don't recall why I purchased this book, and when I got around to reading it the beginning made me wonder why I would have selected it. As I got further into it I realized I'd made an excellent choice. I like to mix my genres and this threw a nice curve into the mix.

The book was thought provoking and told a story that seemed more true than others that might be more morally judgmental or have a morally-satisfying ending. I like that. Nothing was easy about this tale and it makes me want to search out more Cash books.

Since the chapters were written as first person, it was a natural to use several readers. These narrators all did excellent jobs with their characters.

I am not a wuss so I was surprised that the author could make me cry. But he did! What a well-written book. Excellent characters, even though you could have throttled some of them, especially our young hero's mother. The "heavy" was also an interesting character. I loved the way different characters narrated different chapters. This technique of different points of view kept my interest in the story and in the suspense going strong. I was always wondering how the story would end and whether the bad guy would get his due. I will look for more from Wiley Cash. A suspenseful and fresh novel of suspense.

This is a beautifully written book with powerful characterization. It is told from three points of view - a story-telling technique that I happen to love because I know how difficult it is to write. Jess Hall is the younger brother of "Stump," a mute; Adelaide Lyle is an elderly woman and former midwife; and Clem Barefield, the town sheriff. The brothers, Jess and Stump, are endlessly curious which leads them into trouble and unleashes a chain of events that leads to a tragic climax.

What I most loved about this story was the way the author crafted the characters revealing bits and pieces of their pasts with both delicacy and power. I especially loved Clem for his essential goodness and his weariness of the evils of the world. The author's ability to convey a sense of place through the personalities of the people that inhabit it is mesmerizing. The ending is heart-breaking but believable. Altogether a great read.

The narration was excellent - I especially loved Mark Bramhill, whose strong, gruff voice perfectly embodied the world-weariness of a small town sheriff who has just seen too much and is tired of it all.

At first I wasn't too sure about it-took a little while to get into the story but when I did it was well worth it. Find myself sitting in the car as long as I can to listen.

The narrarators made this book come to life. I didn't want to have to pause it!
I would strongly advise listening to it.

This is one of those cases where the audiobook is probably better than the book itself. I don't normally like hearing multiple narrators, but these three do an amazing job. It is hard to pick one over the others. They are each devastatingly perfect, drawing you into the pathos (and brilliance) of each character masterfully.

The narrators have something to work with, of course. The writing is absolutely brilliant, with each character revealing the pieces of their past that made them who they are. By the end, you know them well. They've come to life -- and you love all three, particularly Jess, the boy who watches (literally) as his life unravels. An amazing feat for such a short book.

Can't wait for this author's next one.

Yes - you need to "hear" the distinct voices

Clem - he seemed to be the voice of reason while Addie gave the needed moral/spiritual guidance

They nailed the accent, the tone and the delivery of people from that area of the country

This book just shattered me. I not only listened to the audible version, I read it too. The depth of storytelling combined with the perfect touch of lightness kept it from being overdramatic. It was honest and true to the region and the issue of bondage within religion, the issues of social class and structure, and the power of forgiveness.

Anybody reading this is already a fan of audiobooks and knows that narration can richly enhance the written word. While reading, I can use my imagination but when I listen, a professional actor can push the story to life.

In this book, the team of narrators were superb. I think I would have liked reading this book...BUT....I loved listening to it!

I great tale of a charlatan 'pastor' and naive congregation, a cowed elderly but wise woman, innocent boys and sheriff with a painful past.

I think you'll love this book.