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Mary Coin  By  cover art

Mary Coin

By: Marisa Silver
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky, Alison Fraser, Mark Zeisler
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Publisher's summary

In her first novel since The God of War, critically acclaimed author Marisa Silver takes Dorothea Lange’s "Migrant Mother" photograph as inspiration for a breathtaking reinvention - a story of two women, one famous and one forgotten, and of the remarkable legacy of their singular encounter.

In 1936, a young mother resting by the side of a road in Central California is spontaneously photographed by a woman documenting the migrant laborers who have taken to America’s farms in search of work - little personal information is exchanged and neither has any way of knowing that their chance encounter has produced the most iconic image of the Great Depression.

Three vibrant characters anchor the narrative of Mary Coin: Mary, the migrant mother herself, who emerges as a woman with deep reserves of courage and nerve, with private passions and carefully guarded secrets. Vera Dare, the photographer wrestling with creative ambition who makes the choice to leave her children in order to pursue her work. And Walker Dodge, a present-day professor of cultural history, who discovers a family mystery embedded in the picture. In luminous, exquisitely observed prose, Silver creates an extraordinary tale from a brief moment in history, and reminds us that though a great photograph can capture the essence of a moment, it only scratches the surface of a life.

©2013 Marisa Silver (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Mary Coin is quite simply one of the best novels I have read in years. 'You'll know who you are when you start losing things,' says one character, and the story burns in this quietly emphatic way, only to erupt in moments of excruciating pain and beauty. In her portrayal of a time in American history when survival was often a day-to-day thing, Silver drills down to the absolute essentials: family, love, loss, the perpetual uncertainty of life. Again and again I found myself wondering: How does she know that? Silver's wisdom is rare, and her novel is the work of a master." (Ben Fountain, author of the 2012 National Book Award winner Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk)

“Gorgeous.... This narrative of mid-century hope, loss, and disenchantment is both universal and deeply personal. With writing that is sensual and rich, [Silver] shines a light on the parts of personal history not shared and stops time without destroying the moment.” (Publisher’s Weekly, starred review)

“Marisa Silver’s transfixing new novel...deftly sprinkles historical fact into her fictional narrative...a raw and emotional tale that leaves readers with a lingering question: Do photographs illuminate or blur the truth?” (O, The Oprah Magazine)

What listeners say about Mary Coin

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Engaging, Inventive . . . Still I Wanted More!

As a reader who loved Grapes of Wrath, you might understand why I selected this book and perhaps, what I expected from it. I got quite a lot, but still sound myself wanting something more. Better narration for one, greater character depth for another.

That said, this is a remarkable work of fiction that weaves the lives and choices of three main characters in ways that seem plausible and realistic. I can imagine that it could have happened just the way the author portends. And what a great story it was. There are surprising choices and decisions made by each of the three characters that they carry with them through life. So it is with all of us.

I wanted better narration for the "voice" of Mary Coin. I wanted to understand her just a little better. I loved the narration for Professor Dodge and Vera Dare, but again, something hard to put my finger on was missing from their characterizations and descriptions that left me wanting.

Despite this, I enjoyed the book and found it offering much to think about. I recommend!

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7 people found this helpful

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Should Have Won an Award

This is the most touching and soulful book I have ever listened to or read. I have recently listened to several Pulitzer Prize winning novels and I am amazed that this was not a prize winner. The author was able to express so much emotion and inner feeling so accurately that I felt as if I was feeling what the characters were feeling.

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3 people found this helpful

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Too awful to get through

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Cannot imagine

What do you think your next listen will be?

Arcadia

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of the narrators?

Not worth narrating

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger, (at wasting a credit) and dissapointment

Any additional comments?

Seldom, almost never, have I given up on an Audible Book. This was a rare exception, and I am on to the next Title.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Narration does not do this book justice

The narrator for Vera was good, but the other two were not. The man had no inflection to speak of and ended every sentence in the same tone. The voice for Mary did the same; every sentence ended in a dramatic whisper and did not convey this character and killed the male voices. Otherwise, the book itself was absolutely stunning!!!! The themes were beautifully interwoven - time, history, family, parenting, self awareness. I am listening again despite my disappointment in the narration.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Devoured it; loved it.

Marisa Silver has done something amazing with this book— she has managed to weave together many recognizable aspects of American life during the depression era to create a fictional-but-historically-accurate narrative about “that woman from the famous photograph.” I cannot count the number of references that tickled deeper historical connections in my mind, or helped me to understand a theme of that history from a new perspective.
Of course there are creative liberties taken, the major one being the reinvention of the photographer’s identity. But regardless, this novel draws on period-specific notions of class, gender, labor, and even race, as well as the relationship between them, and brings to light the depth of emotion, rooted in circumstances, which would have surrounded and shaped the experiences of those who lived it.

As a bonus, the underlying ode to the study of history, and the evolution of the historiography that shapes our understanding of it, is exquisite. Silver leaves the reader with an understanding of the significance of the every-day lives of all different types of “ordinary people”, and the information that evidence of their experiences can provide.

This book is a gift to the discipline of History, both in terms of its literary content conveying serious historical relevance, as well as its eloquent reinforcement of the importance of a curious mind, and human connection, in the pursuit of historical truth. 11/10.

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1 person found this helpful

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Really enjoyed this book! Historical depiction of the Central Valley of California and the struggle of the farm workers.

The subject was close to my heart because I spent much of my youth living next to fields full of people just trying to survive and feed their children. The photo was important but Mary Coin herself was the star!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional writing, moving story, great narration

This is an exceptional novel. Brilliantly written. So many creative phrases which convey a whole world. Really noteworthy. Marisa Silver takes a famous photograph and weaves a meaningful narrative about it. Not gimmicky, only (seemingly) true statement after true statement. I loved the narration. Each narrator contributed just the right tone to their part of the story. The book really should have won prizes. Maybe it did?? I'm sure I will be rereading it in years to come. What a gift to the world. A real find and a real pleasure.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Don't hesitate! A winner in every way.

Intelligent and beautifully written, this finely constructed narrative will take you on a journey that you will be sad to complete. A novel of heart and a of history, interwoven. Don't hesitate with this one. Wonderfully narrated and even though three interwoven stories, you won't get confused.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Love It!

It was the insights into the minds of each of the main characters that most intrigued me--that and the questions left unanswered.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A Deeply Moving Story

Exceptionally written and full of feeling and life. This novel is truly an intriguing story! I was sorry to see it end.

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