A Land More Kind Than Home

By: Wiley Cash

Narrated by: Nick Sullivan, Lorna Raver, Mark Bramhall

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

A stunning debut reminiscent of the beloved novels of John Hart and Tom Franklin, A Land More Kind Than Home is a mesmerizing literary thriller about the bond between two brothers and the evil they face in a small western North Carolina town....

For a curious boy like Jess Hall, growing up in Marshall means trouble when your mother catches you spying on grown-ups. Adventurous and precocious, Jess is enormously protective of his older brother, Christopher, a mute whom everyone calls Stump. Though their mother has warned them not to snoop, Stump can't help sneaking a look at something he's not supposed to - an act that will have catastrophic repercussions, shattering both his world and Jess's.

It's a wrenching event that thrusts Jess into an adulthood for which he's not prepared. While there is much about the world that still confuses him, he now knows that a new understanding can bring not only a growing danger and evil - but also the possibility of freedom and deliverance as well.

Told by three resonant and evocative characters - Jess; Adelaide Lyle, the town midwife and moral conscience; and Clem Barefield, a sheriff with his own painful past - A Land More Kind Than Home is a haunting tale of courage in the face of cruelty and the power of love to overcome the darkness that lives in us all. These are masterful portrayals, written with assurance and truth, and they show us the extraordinary promise of this remarkable first novel.

©2012 Wiley Cash (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

This book just shattered me

Would you consider the audio edition of A Land More Kind Than Home to be better than the print version?

Yes - you need to "hear" the distinct voices

Who was your favorite character and why?

Clem - he seemed to be the voice of reason while Addie gave the needed moral/spiritual guidance

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They nailed the accent, the tone and the delivery of people from that area of the country

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

This book just shattered me. I not only listened to the audible version, I read it too. The depth of storytelling combined with the perfect touch of lightness kept it from being overdramatic. It was honest and true to the region and the issue of bondage within religion, the issues of social class and structure, and the power of forgiveness.

Will hear LOTS more from this new author--wonderfu

This is the first novel by Cash and it definitely reminds me of the terrific books of award winners John Hart and Tom Franklin. I enjoyed the book and believe I've found another award winner in Cash! The story is expertly told by three characters--an 8 year old boy, an old woman, and an experienced older sherif. The themes of survivors rather than victims, love from many angles, and small town involvement in everyone's lives is written beautifully. The mystery is slyly slipped in the compelling first person narratives. A real winner f

Each first person narrator was read by a different person. Adds a great deal to the enjoyment to an already great read!!

Hmm...

Not at all what I expected, but once I listened to the first couple chapters and realized it wasn't what I thought I was already interested so I kept listening . I like it .

Amazing narration!

This book was beautifully done in the audio version. It might be the best audio book I’ve ever heard. The narrators are incredible, the accents, the tone, and the pace at which they tell their stories just sucks you into their world. I cannot say enough to tell you this is a book you should listen to rather than read. The art of storytelling is done right with this audio book. Besides that, Wiley Cash has beautifully scripted these characters and the book lends itself perfectly to multiple narratives. Each characters voice is heard separately by the language they use and the simplicity or complexity of their feelings. I loved this book, its tragedies and it’s strong character development placed in a setting of perfection. Well done, must listen!

Very good but heart wrenching

Outstanding writing and narration. The characters are so real , you really care about them. Depressing storey but still very worthwhile

loved all narrators

usually don't like stories that jump around but this was we'll done & kept my interest.
really enjoyed the narration.
I prefer happy endings but realistically this was more apt to happen

Audiobook was wonderful

The audiobook brought this story to life for me. Great choice of voice actors all the way through.

Too depressing

I don’t enjoy stories that go from sad to sadder to saddest. Performance was good.

Surprised

I don't recall why I purchased this book, and when I got around to reading it the beginning made me wonder why I would have selected it. As I got further into it I realized I'd made an excellent choice. I like to mix my genres and this threw a nice curve into the mix.

The book was thought provoking and told a story that seemed more true than others that might be more morally judgmental or have a morally-satisfying ending. I like that. Nothing was easy about this tale and it makes me want to search out more Cash books.

Since the chapters were written as first person, it was a natural to use several readers. These narrators all did excellent jobs with their characters.

Excellent

Where does A Land More Kind Than Home rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

At first I wasn't too sure about it-took a little while to get into the story but when I did it was well worth it. Find myself sitting in the car as long as I can to listen.