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Tumbleweeds  By  cover art

Tumbleweeds

By: Leila Meacham
Narrated by: Angele Masters
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Publisher's summary

Devoted fans of Leila Meacham will devour this long, juicy audiobook. Tumbleweeds is the story of three young friends - the saint, the sinner, and the angel - growing up together in the sort of small Texas Panhandle town that lives and dies by its Friday night football games. A fateful event casts a long shadow over these three intertwined lives and leaves the listener desperate to see how it all plays out.

©2012 Leila Meacham (P)2012 Hachette Audio

What listeners say about Tumbleweeds

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Forest Gump

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Absolutely not. I really want to like this book. I'm only halfway through listening to it, but felt the need to warn other listeners. It sounds like Forest Gump is reading it. She makes all the characters sound the same. Why no one caught this when it was recording is beyond me. It's getting on my last nerve.

Would you recommend Tumbleweeds to your friends? Why or why not?

Maybe to read, but definitely not to listen to.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Angele Masters?

Rebecca Lowman, Julia Whelan, Emma Galvin, Neil Caplan, Grover Gardner, Jeff Woodman. Not sure if it's the narrator or whoever directed it, but someone dropped the ball on this production.

Did Tumbleweeds inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to warn other listeners.

Any additional comments?

I'll let you know if the narration gets better. I feel the need to finish listening since it's expensive.

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9 people found this helpful

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

Twists, turns and a good long listen!

Reminded me of a southern version of "The Thornbirds". I really enjoyed listening to this book. I ordered it immediately after I finished listening to another great generational saga, "Roses", by the same author. I want more! Meacham does a fine job of character development and has a true talent for telling heartfelt stories. I am still thinking about the characters, long after I finished listening. The only negative; finding more audiobooks that will keep my attention, as these two have. Well done Lelia Meacham!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

80-yr.-old super religious lady writes DUMB book?

I only saw good reviews here. I should have checked Amazon where many reviews list the zillion faults with this book. It was so bad. So very bad. Stilted dialogue, attitudes more suited to the 1940s or '50s--including how the author handles the relationship between two of the two main characters when they are teenagers--and then it's just one improbable, implausible, ridiculous, stupendously stupid situation/event after another well into their adulthoods.

It felt like "Old religious lady goes outside her comfort zone and tries to write a contemporary story, which goes horribly wrong because she is so uncomfortable with anything beyond 1950s ideas, values, morals." I actually have no idea how old the author is, but it seems like it was written by an old woman who is very out-of-touch with the world today.

I rolled my eyes so often, I'm surprised they didn't get stuck.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Tumbleweeds

How could the performance have been better?

Having a male reader. Two boys were the main characters and the woman's voice made it hard to visualize

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

read if you want to be depressed

What disappointed you about Tumbleweeds?

Unrequited love. Destruction by friends of friends. Small minded community. Stiff language.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something entertaining that will capture the imagination and make me laugh.

What didn’t you like about Angele Masters’s performance?

All characters sounded the same. Accent. Lack of emotion.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I really wanted to like this book. I kept reading with the hope it would have a redeeming value. Didn't happen.

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3 people found this helpful

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

great story but very sad

was addicting but so sad. a melancholy set in on me during the time I listened to this book, so much so that I took an entire Saturday to finish it while cleaning just to start something happier.

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2 people found this helpful

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

Another fantastic read from Leila Meacham

If you could sum up Tumbleweeds in three words, what would they be?

Very good read

If you could take any character from Tumbleweeds out to dinner, who would it be and why?

John. Because he was such a good person.

Any additional comments?

As with the other Ms. Meacham's book I have read, I felt like crying at the end. The books leave me thinking about the characters long after I have finished the book. I love the way the author describes the characters background and feelings. Another reviewer mentioned how improbable the story was. I do not think it is but even if it is, it still a good book and I'm very glad I read it. I will probably read it again someday. Well worth the credit.

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

One of my all time favorites!

Would you consider the audio edition of Tumbleweeds to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version of Tumbleweeds. I did read the print version of Ms. Meachams book, Roses. Great books are great whether heard or read.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were well developed and sounded like people I knew in high school. Being from Texas and familiar with the weather and the Texas landscape made it seem more like it was about people and places I knew. I am always disappointed when a great book is finished. I feel like the characters are my friends and I miss them!

Have you listened to any of Angele Masters’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first, but it was excellent. I hope to hear more of her performances in the future.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Most definately!

Any additional comments?

I look forward to other books by Leila Meacham and hopefully narrated by Angele Masters

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2 people found this helpful

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

Sad that it's over!

What made the experience of listening to Tumbleweeds the most enjoyable?

I grew up and attended high school and college in Texas, so it was a kind of trip down memory lane. The love for high school football in the lone star state is "as common as tumbleweeds," if I may borrow a line from T.D. Hall.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Whew, that's a tough one. I loved John, but if I had to pick one, I'd have to say Kathy. Her character possessed softness, strength, and grit when necessary.

What three words best describe Angele Masters’s voice?

I'd have to agree with a couple of the other reviewers; many of the characters tended to sound the same. I was able, however, to follow the story. The writing makes it clear enough. Ms. Masters has a pleasing voice, so the similarities really didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story. Sorry...that was much more than three words.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and am so sorry that it's over. SO GOOD! I'll miss my three new friends.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

What a Twist at the End!

I had a love hate relationship with this book! I loved two of the main characters and hated the other main character. But the story was intense at times and it really was a good storyline!

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