Cold Sassy Tree

By: Olive Ann Burns

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

The one thing you can depend on in Cold Sassy, Georgia, is that word gets around fast. If the preacher's wife's petticoat shows, the ladies will make the talk last a week. But on July 5, 1906, things take a scandalous turn. That is the day E. Rucker Blakeslee, proprietor of the general store and barely three weeks a widower, elopes with Miss Love Simpson, a woman half his age and, worse yet, a Yankee! On that day, 14-year-old Will Tweedy's adventures begin and an unimpeachably pious, deliciously irreverent town comes to life.

Olive Ann Burns's classic best seller brings to vivid life an era that will never exist again, exploring timeless issues of love, death, coming-of-age, and the ties that bind families and generations.

©1984 Olive Ann Burn (P)1993 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Rich in characterization and dialogue, this novel is well-suited to the audio format; Tom Parker superbly conveys this great wealth." (AudioFile)

Such a fun listen

Many years ago, I read this book. It was fun listening to it again after so long. The story of a family (in the early 1900's south) who is shocked by the grandfather's rapid remarriage after the death of his wife, all told through the eyes of the grandson, who has the point of view of the observer-participant. The story is touching, as the family tries to cope with all the emotion and changes happening, the shock as Grandfather marries a woman much younger than he is, and is told with great (and often hilarious) attention to detail. I liked it a couple decades ago, and it retains it charm even now. Very good narration.

Makes you think..

The story was better than I expected. The reader was easy to listen to. He made me fall in love with the main characters.

Great Book/Narrator

I have listened to this book 5 times. Everytime I can’t find a book to read, I turn to this book again.

A glimpse of the Deep South in a different time

I have had this book on my to do shelf for years. It was nothing like what I thought and sometimes I thought it was borderline scandalous with all the things will tweedy "knew". It warmed my heart and I just couldn't stop listening. It had a bittersweet ending. Happy and sad like most novels end...but a book can rarely make you laugh out loud or cry until your eyes hurt. I thought the part concerning the verse "ask and you will receive"was exceptionally poetic and pretty. One of the best listens all year. Although as a southerner I object to some of the bad accents.

Better than sweet milk on a hot day!

This book is a classic. I will put it on my must-read list for anyone who asks, "what are you reading these days?".
Having the story told by the 14 year old boy gave it authenticity. Will Tweedy is just becoming aware of life beyond himself, the complications of family, the pain of loss and the joy of love. This story, told so simply, is powerful. By using the soft drawl of the south and the slang of the day, the author told a story that was alive and real. The narrator was perfect. A mellow, easy to listen to male voice that captured that important drawl and slang and moved seamlessly from male to female, young to old.
This book is an example of how a book can shine when read aloud. Audible books are my favorite form of "reading" because without the narrator, my inner voice would not have picked up the essence of the characters, the rhythm and smoothness of the dialect and the humor of the mispronounced words.
I loved it.