Etta and Otto and Russell and James

A Novel

By: Emma Hooper

Narrated by: Robert G. Slade

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

A gorgeous literary debut about an elderly woman's last great adventure walking across Canada. A beautiful novel of pilgrimage, of fulfilling lifelong promises, of a talking coyote called James, of unlikely heroes and hundreds of papier-mâché animals...

Eighty-two-year-old Etta has never seen the ocean. So early one morning she takes a rifle, some chocolate, and her best boots, and begins walking the 3,232 kilometers from rural Canada eastward to the coast.

Her husband Otto wakes to a note left on the kitchen table. "I will try to remember to come back," Etta writes to him. Otto has seen the ocean, having crossed the Atlantic years ago to fight in a far-away war. He understands. But with Etta gone, the memories come crowding in and Otto struggles to keep them at bay.

Russell has spent his whole life trying to keep up with Otto and loving Etta from afar. Russell insists on finding Etta, wherever she's gone. Leaving his own farm will be the first act of defiance in his life.

As Etta walks further toward the ocean, accompanied by a coyote named James, the lines among memory, illusion, and reality blur.

Rocking back and forth with the pull of the waves, Etta and Otto and Russell and James moves from the hot and dry present of a quiet Canadian farm to a dusty burnt past of hunger, war, passion, and hope; from trying to remember to trying to forget; and inspires each of its characters to visit the sites they've longed to see and say the things they've longed to say. This is dazzling literary fiction about the rediscovery and care of the soul, and the idea it's never too late for a great adventure.

©2015 Emma Hooper, Ltd. All rights reserved. (P)2015 Simon and Schuster

It's not a book for everyone

I loved the narrator and I loved the story too. As the jacket mentions, the characters are in their 80's and that's why I say it's not for everyone. It is not a fast-paced story but it is a very dear one. I know nothing about the farm life described and lived yet could picture all of it and all of the people in it. Some reviews relate it to the Harold Fry book but that comparison never struck me at all. I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite character so I'll name both James and Otto. As soon as I finished, I had questions so I started to listen again but I decided after a few chapters to take a break instead.

Reads like poetry

Lovely story and intriguing characters! I felt a little sad but so good to read. I wanted it to go on for another chapter at least, maybe two!
The characters are so warm and interesting that it would be nice to sit and have a cup of coffee and cinnamon roll with them, ask them questions about their lives. Looking forward to another book by this author!

What is life? Really

I really enjoyed the story. I looked forward to what would happen next. Not sure the story ended like I had hoped.

I wanted it never to end

I loved everything about this book - the story, the writing, the narrator - everything. I rarely listen to an audiobook more than once but this will definitely be an exception

Richly Evocative Storytelling

This book was a time and space bending jaunt through Canada and introduced the reader to a wonderful collection of completely engaging characters. I thought Slade's narration was terrific. He captured so many different voices and textures in the writing that it really helped propel the story forward.

I agree with other reviewers that there was a strong feeling of the magical woven into the book. It reminded me in some ways of The House of the Spirits in the way it added the "out of body" tone to the writing. Definitely this was at times strange and even occasionally confusing but in the end a powerful story of love, connection, community and family.

I was simply stunned by the ending and I am still pondering the multiple messages in the writing. I plan on waiting a bit and then listening to the whole thing a second time. Original and fascinating.

This one keeps staying with me, in the best way

Any additional comments?

I'm in the middle of my third time through this audiobook. I first bought it on impulse and started listening to it for lack of anything more compelling at the time, but it immediately caught me up and carried me along. The writing style is a beautiful, quiet delight and the narration by Canadian actor Robert G Slade is among the best I've ever heard.

Weeks and weeks after finishing the book, I was still thinking about it, still carrying the story and the characters with me. So I went back and listened again, and it was an even richer experience the second time. And once again, it stayed with me long afterward.

Now it's six months later and I'm sharing it with my book club, and once again I'm finding even richer joy in it than in my first two reads.

This is a gem -- characters, story, writing, performance. It doesn't sparkle; it quietly glows.

Disappointing ending

There were many times I wondered what the point of the book was, but I thought the ending would wrap it up to make sense. It didn't. I wish I could have liked it better.

Five Stars

This was a wonderful quirky book that will take your mind off your hum drum life and get into Etta's life. Loved it!!

An odd little story

A strange little story. I almost gave up on it several times, but the characters kept pulling me back. My favorite " character " ? James the (maybe) coyote. Loved the voice the narrator used for James. Not a mainstream book, but one for readers who like something a bit different..

Cute

Great book. Cute characters. Am going to have to think about it for awhile to try to understand it more