GodPretty in the Tobacco Field

By: Kim Michele Richardson

Narrated by: Katie Schorr

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

Atmospheric and searingly honest, GodPretty in the Tobacco Field is Coal Miner's Daughter meets Winter's Bone in a gripping tale of tender love and loss.

Nameless, Kentucky, in 1969 is a hardscrabble community where jobs are few and poverty is a simple fact - just like the hot Appalachian breeze or the pests that can wipe out a tobacco field in days. RubyLyn Bishop is luckier than some. Her God-fearing uncle, Gunnar, has a short fuse and high expectations, but he's given her a good home ever since she was orphaned at the age of five. Yet now, a month shy of her 16th birthday, RubyLyn itches for more.

Maybe it's something to do with the paper fortune-tellers RubyLyn has been making for townsfolk, each covered with beautifully wrought, prophetic drawings. Or perhaps it's because of Rainey Ford, an African American neighbor who works alongside her in the tobacco field and with whom she has a kinship despite her uncle's worrisome shadow and the town's disapproval. RubyLyn's predictions are just wishful thinking, not magic at all, but through them she's imagining life as it could be, away from the prejudice and hardship that ripple through Nameless.

©2016 Kim Michele Richardson (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Beautifully and powerfully written!

This book is so descriptive and beautifully written, you feel like you are sitting along side RubyLyn while she tells her story. You can feel the summer heat in the tobacco field. Your heart swells along with hers on her journey. The narrator’s voice is melodic, and perfect for this prose.

A Forbidden Love Story in Rural Kentucky

A sad story of a Black & White romance in the impoverished tobacco fields of rural Kentucky. It’s the early 1960’s. Told in the first person by the young trapped heroin, Godpretty tends to be sad and, at times, painful to read. The story includes dirt poor neighbors, alcoholism, sadness, and coping. The story of their romance weaves through their childhood and late adolescence to getting out of the fields, seeking a life without the poverty found back home.

Beautiful story, beautifully read

I loved this story about girls becoming women in the Kentucky Hills. I think it’s so important to understand the struggles that America has faced in her 300 years of becoming a country,; poverty, racism, class issues, gender inequality...Listening to this story, I gained insight into the rural poor, their values, their pride. Beautiful words and a compelling story.

Learn interesting and new facts while reading Kim Michele Richardson’s books!

Another wonderful book by Kim Michele Richardson. Her stories leave me satisfied yet wanting more. Now off I go to another one of her books!

Slow start

The narrator was superb sounding. The story had a slow start, but a powerful ending.

Story w a Twist

Very interesting characters and plot. Too much sadness, but accurate prejudice for the time period.

A good old time story line similar to Sue Monk Kidd’s
The Secret Life of Bees.

Just OK

I enjoyed the book but I have to say it's just OK. The story is a simple one and very straight forward. The social realities were a surprise to me given the year in which the story takes place. The level of ignorance, perspectives on education, sex education, and prejudice was surprising.

Boring

The story was boring. I wouldn't recommend. a couple parts were interesting but as a whole, I didn't really like it.

From a Farmer’s Daughter

A story about a young artist with a kind soul coming of age on a Kentucky tobacco farm with her uncle. Love, family, and friendship are at the core of this sometimes painful and often beautiful story.

Richardson’s imagery is especially charming. I found myself delighted and amused by many of Ruby Lyn’s descriptions and sayings.

For those that appreciate a good Appalachian story.

For fans of The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek, you’ll likely enjoy this one as well. Having been raised in southern WV on the border of KY, I understood all the cultural references, although this could be confusing for some. I began to worry towards the end that it would have a tragic ending, but I was pleased. I appreciated the narration as well. Appalachian culture is sometimes challenging to communicate but the author did a fantastic job. Thanks for a great book!

A fabulous book

I have only recently realised that a huge number of titles are available to me, included with my membership so, effectively, “free” so I started browsing the list. This book was among those selected by audible based on my recent purchases. Normally I am very sceptical about that method of choosing anything as I don’t want to end up reading/listening to the same sort of thing over and over again, but I was drawn to this and was not put off, as I so often am, by the narrator’s voice when I listened to the sample.
I am so pleased that I decided to listen to this! It is a wonderful, if at times harsh, story. The characters are very finely drawn and the writing is so exquisite I could clearly see, in my mind’s eye, everything that was being described as if it were a film in front of me. Well, the often say that radio has the best pictures! The narration was excellent too.
I can’t think of a single negative thing to say about this book. I imagine it was suggested because I have recently listened to “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens, which was utterly brilliant, and I would say that this book can sit right up I there alongside it.
I thoroughly recommend giving it a try.

A decent read

A decent story covering old ground with a rather messy ending that wasn’t totally satisfying for me. The characters weren’t as rounded as they could have been and it felt a bit stereotyped in places. The ending seemed a bit messy too. I found the narration really good and enjoyed the book as a whole.

Very good listen!

Loved the narration, the eye opening descriptions and the storyline. it was a very moving story

An interesting story

The book is well written, and the characters well rounded. Rubylyn, the protagonist and narrator, is perhaps a littke too good to be true. There are moments of child abuse so if this is a trigger for you, be careful. a good, but not brilliant book.

Lovely listen

I really enjoyed this book .Delightfully read. a story of humour, hardship and life.

a bit slow

I nearly gave up on this listen, I found it confusing and boring at times. the ending turned out to be better than I had expected, so was glad I had persevered. the heavy southern American accent is also difficult to listen to, at times.

So Absorbing!

This is a lovely story, it's read beautifully and mat he's the text so well. Honestly, once you listen to one of this authors works you want to listen to them all. They take you away to live in the Kentucky mountains, they spin you into the life with smells, sounds and imagery for for poetry! Cannot get enough!!!

Just Beautiful

A beautiful novel, narrated so eloquently and bringing all the characters to life. I loved the soft Southern drawl of the accent as narrated by Katie Schorr. This is what life on a tobacco plantation must've really been like in those days. The story played like a film in my head. I could see it and feel it. The harshness, poverty, backbreaking physical field and farm work, the bigotry and blatant racism and then the endearing innocence of RubyLyn and her heart aching for someone to love her, her passion for Art and her softness of character. I really loved her character. I was totally lost on this story and it's made me want to read more by this Author.

Great read

beautifully read,evocative, hard hitting & heart rending yet atmospheric with hope & powerful emotions

Atmospheric

This book totally captures the time and place it depicts. It is beautifully read and draws you into the thoughts and sometimes heartbreaking emotions of its characters. Recommended