Accordion Crimes

By: Annie Proulx

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Pulitzer Prize–winning author Annie Proulx brings the immigrant experience to life in this stunning novel that traces the ownership of a simple green accordion.

E. Annie Proulx’s Accordion Crimes is a masterpiece of storytelling that spans a century and a continent. Proulx brings the immigrant experience in America to life through the eyes of the descendants of Mexicans, Poles, Africans, Irish-Scots, Franco-Canadians and many others, all linked by their successive ownership of a simple green accordion. The music they make is their last link with the past—voice for their fantasies, sorrows and exuberance. Proulx’s prodigious knowledge, unforgettable characters and radiant language make Accordion Crimes a stunning novel, exhilarating in its scope and originality.

Great listen!

An excellent webbed story paralleling the history trail of an inanimate object. The tale weaves and connects characters and lives in a most intriguing way. Very enjoyable!

Deeply depressing

I wanted to like this book, I loved The Shipping News, but everytime a new character was introduced you just knew that sooner or later they would die a horrible death, or suffer agonies of defeat. The story was unrelenting. You came to dread meeting each new accordian owner, no matter how clever the introduction into the narrative by the author. On the plus side, I have never read/heard a more vivid and lyrical description of death by spider bite. Herrman is an excellent narrator

accordion crimes

As always, Annie Proulx has created memorable, quirky characters in Accordion Crimes. Her sense of the absudity and randomness of life is right on the mark! The reader does an excellent job of portraying a large series of characters. A real treat!