Moon Over Manifest

By: Clare Vanderpool

Narrated by: Jenna Lamia, Cassandra Campbell, Kirby Heyborne

"The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I'd seen only in Gideon's stories: Manifest - A town with a rich past and a bright future."

Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.

Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it's just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to "Leave Well Enough Alone".

Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest's history is full of colorful and shadowy characters - and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest's secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.

Powerful in its simplicity and rich in historical detail, Clare Vanderpool's debut is a gripping story of loss and redemption.

©2011 Clare Vanderpool (P)2011 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"Ingeniously plotted and gracefully told." (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)

“Readers will cherish every word up to the heartbreaking yet hopeful and deeply gratifying ending.” (Kirkus, starred review)

"Replete with historical details and surprises, Vanderpool's debut delights, while giving insight into family and community.” (Publisher's Weekly)

Highly entertaining

Abilene Tucker is a motherless child (well it is a Newbery winner and I think this is a requirement) her daddy has sent her to Manifest, Kansas where he used to live there she meets some great characters and sets out to find out more about her father as a young man. This book goes back and forth between Abilene’s story during the depression in 1936 and the story of a young man named Jinx and his best friend Ned in 1918.

This was a good coming of age story filled with quirky characters, and a bit of mystery and it gives you a feel of the times both stories are set in. I fell in love with Abilene and Jinx I ended up rooting for them both in their different time lines, the stories melded together very nicely. This was an uplifting story and has a feel good ending. I highly recommend this to the young and old alike it’s highly entertaining historical fiction for all ages.

All the narrators did a great job but with this group of people how could you go wrong!

4 ½ Stars

Nice story

What did you love best about Moon Over Manifest?

I liked the voices used

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Everything

Any additional comments?

I wasn't sure who the audience of this book was as it seemed like it was for young readers.

Love this story!!

The story and the characters were brought to real life by the narrators! I love how everything flowed so effortlessly together. This is one of my new favorites.

Excellent Story for Historical Fiction Lovers!

I loved the characters and the story. Heartwarming and a charming read.Well done production. Enjoy!

WOW!

Wow! One of the best books I've listened to in several years. Thanks for the quality book and performance.

Wished the story had not ended

Will be one of my top 10 favorites. Looking forward to listening to more by both the author and narrator.

Wonderful read...

I loved this book, especially on Audible. Several different voices added to the place and time. Not sure I would have enjoyed it as much in book format.

An enjoyable story

Loved the story and couldn't stop listening. it was a bit predictable in portions, but a lovely story regardless. The performance was well done and added to the enjoyment.

great book

I don't give every book a 5 star rating, but I really liked this one.

Charming story.

Would you listen to Moon Over Manifest again? Why?

Yes I would listen to this story again. The narration was excellent! I would compare this book to The Secret Life of Bees.

What did you like best about this story?

It was a charming story. I like the time period the story was set in and the characters were well done and I cared about the outcome. I couldn't quit listening but I also didn't want the story to end.

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

This book had a cast of narrators. They were all excellent.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me laugh many times and was very poignant.

Any additional comments?

Worthwhile read. You won't be sorry you used a credit on this one.