The Last Runaway

De: Tracy Chevalier

Narrado por: Kate Reading

New York Times bestselling author of Girl With a Pearl Earring and At the Edge of the Orchard Tracy Chevalier makes her first fictional foray into the American past in The Last Runaway, bringing to life the Underground Railroad and illuminating the principles, passions and realities that fueled this extraordinary freedom movement.

Honor Bright, a modest English Quaker, moves to Ohio in 1850—only to find herself alienated and alone in a strange land. Sick from the moment she leaves England, and fleeing personal disappointment, she is forced by family tragedy to rely on strangers in a harsh, unfamiliar landscape. Nineteenth-century America is practical, precarious, and unsentimental, and scarred by the continuing injustice of slavery. In her new home Honor discovers that principles count for little, even within a religious community meant to be committed to human equality.

However, Honor is drawn into the clandestine activities of the Underground Railroad, a network helping runaway slaves escape to freedom, where she befriends two surprising women who embody the remarkable power of defiance. Eventually she must decide if she too can act on what she believes in, whatever the personal costs.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A rich, well-researched novel—it’s the story of one young woman becoming an American.”
—NPR, All Things Considered

“Well-told and engrossing . . . With compelling characters and swift pacing, ¬The Last Runaway adds a worthy new chapter to a story that has consumed generations.”
—USA Today

“Irresistible.” —O, The Oprah Magazine

“Chevalier admirably weaves historical figures and actual events into a compelling narrative.”
—San Francisco Chronicle (on Remarkable Creatures)

"Evokes entire landscapes...a master of voices."
—New York Times Book Review (on Falling Angels)

"Chevalier's signature talent lies in bringing alive the ordinary day-to-dayness of the past...lovingly evoked."
—Elle (on Burning Bright)

"Absorbing...[Chevalier] creates a world reminiscent of a Vermeer interior: suspended in a particular moment, it transcends its time and place."
—The New Yorker (on Girl With a Pearl Earring)

"Chevalier's ringing prose is as radiantly efficient as well-tended silver."
—Entertainment Weekly (on Falling Angels).

unjustified perseverance got me through

I trusted the author's reputation on this purchase. That plus an interest in the workings of the underground railroad. I found it rather boring. I kept listening with one ear so to speak since much was uninteresting to me. There is a lot, really a lot, of quilt making discussions. Some of the reactions of the English girl to life in America in 1850 are interesting, like how rude rocking chairs may seem. Runaway slaves do not appear until the last 1/2 hour of part one. The treatment of the issue I found mildly interesting.

Nothing mind blowing

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The book was historically accurate, gave a very vivid look into early American life in the (now midwest) region of the US. The story was a little on the bland side. I have read some of Chevalier's other novels and this one was almost like an intro to a possibly more in depth and fleshed out novel.

The plot was very simple and the characters were pretty basic. It touched on the underground railroad but only towards the end and in a very basic, textbook, learned in high school manner. I was not wowed by the read and didn't really come across anything I didn't already know.

I personally think it focused too heavily on her being a Quaker, quilts and getting married than anything else. I understand these are important aspects of a woman's life at this time in history but if that is the plot then an entire fictional account is not necessary.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I guessed it before it happened, pretty predictable. A small twist but for the most part very clean cut and laid out as expected.

What about Kate Reading’s performance did you like?

She has a strong English accent (from an American point of view) but she did the old Southern accents, different English accents, men and women's voices and the basic slave/freed black men and women accents very well. I always enjoy when the reader makes an effort to give life to each character by giving them a voice and mannerism that reading a book to yourself is unable to do.

Did The Last Runaway inspire you to do anything?

Haha it inspired me to learn how to make frontier style fruit leather! I also would love to learn how to can and pickle some fruits and veggies this summer.

Any additional comments?

I like Chevalier's books noverl (esp. the Virgin Blue), they are calming and not too intense which is sometimes what I need to get through a hectic week!

More than entertaining

Would you consider the audio edition of The Last Runaway to be better than the print version?

The audio version is preferable to me only when I am unable to sit down and hold a book.

What did you like best about this story?

The information I gleaned about the Underground Railway as it pertained to the Early American Quakers & their counterparts in England

Which character – as performed by Kate Reading – was your favorite?

Honor!

Who was the most memorable character of The Last Runaway and why?

Honor's mother-in-law. She did not represent the supposedly non-judgemental, Christ like Quakers of that time.

Any additional comments?

I have Quaker Heritage on both sides of my family tree though my childhood paternal side did not know that. I have always appreciated the legacy I felt resulted in my own family's treatment of women in our small, rural community and in Friends churches throughout Mid-America where I grew up.
As a result, I found the author's research and representation of this time in Early American history quite solid.

Expected more from Chevalier

I've read several books by Tracy Chevalier and this is my least favorite. It is fairly shallow, given the fact that the subject matter could have lent itself to much more depth. Chevalier's previous books which factionalized artistic subjects were much more intriguing. There was an opportunity to do more with the quilt code, the historic relationship of the Amish to the Underground Railroad, and even the role of the women who put their lives and marriages on the line to help runaway slaves.

Perhaps the reason this book felt so shallow to me was the affected performance of Kate Reading. After a couple of chapters, I nearly gave up, but persevered, only to discover that the narrator never lost the affected tone and irritating habit of ending every sentence with an upward tilt to the voice like a question.

A Favorite

one of the best pieces of literature and reading that I know. have read and listened to it countless times.

Good descriptive narrative

The reader did a great job of distinguishing the voices of the characters. I enjoyed the description of the quilts and the setting of the book. The story was not very unique. I often felt that I had read it before.

Easy, enjoyable listen (with some flaws)

I did truly enjoy this book, though I did occasionally find the narration a bit annoying (unexpected pauses, shifting/inconsistent accents, male voices not as realistic and an uplift at the ends of declaratory sentences) and there were a couple of plot points that seemed out of character for Honor.

That being said, as a quilter and armchair historian of American slavery I found the subject matter, characters and overall storytelling engrossing and I am sure I will listen to it again. It is a quick listen and a very welcome escape on my commute. I especially enjoyed the quilting bits, which seemed very natural/appropriate to the plot and were accurately rendered (a huge pet peeve of mine is supposedly crafty fiction that is hardly crafty at all or just pasted on). If you like quilts or quilting, I think you will appreciate this book.

Though Honor is the main character, she is supported by two great characters in particular: Belle and Mrs. Reed, both of whom give dimension to the story and a bit of a reality check to Honor when required.

Just okay

What would have made The Last Runaway better?

This one is quite boring in my opinion. It's not stirring any kind of emotion in me, it's just something to listen too, and compared to some of the other slave type stories it's just not very good.

What didn’t you like about Kate Reading’s performance?

Some what computer like

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Last Runaway?

The long scene about quilting

Was not pleased with narrator

Even I can do an English accent. It bothered me that she did not even seem to try.

Good Book

This was a great book. Enjoyed the historical references. I could almost picture the quilts.