Life, and Death, and Giants

A Novel

De: Ron Rindo

Narrado por: Christina Moore, Johnny Heller, Roger Wayne, Will Damron

A heart too big for this world. A life that changes everyone.

"Life, and Death, and Giants is an intriguing and alluring novel from beginning to end. The events are startling, sad, amusing, invigorating, and informative. Reading it is like meeting a family that you never knew existed and becoming close friends in a few weeks. Highly recommended."—Jane Smiley, author of Lucky and A Thousand Acres

This program features multicast narration.

Gabriel Fisher was born an orphan, weighing eighteen pounds and measuring twenty-seven inches long. No one in Lakota, Wisconsin, knows what to make of him. He walks at eight months, communicates with animals, and seems to possess extraordinary athletic talent. But when the older brother who has been caring for him dies, Gabriel is taken in by his devout Amish grandparents who disapprove of all the attention and hide him away from the English world.

But it’s hard to hide forever when you’re nearly eight feet tall. At seventeen, Gabriel is spotted working in a hay field by the local football coach. What happens next transforms not only Gabriel’s life but the lives of everyone he meets.

Life, and Death, and Giants is a moving story of faith, family, buried secrets, and everyday miracles.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

©2025 Ron Rindo (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Straddling the Wisconsin of the Amish and “English,” Life, and Death, and Giants assays the limitations and temptations of the godly and the worldly. Ron Rindo has fashioned a small-town novel as magical and moral as a tall tale."–Stewart O’Nan, author of Snow Angels and Songs for the Missing

"With Life, and Death, and Giants, Ron Rindo has performed literary magic. This is a remarkable, profoundly moving novel."–Larry Watson, author of Montana 1948

"Like all the best tall-tales, legends, and folk stories, the size and skill of the hero matters to the narrative. But what matters more is the hero’s heart, and their willingness to sacrifice for a greater good to show their community and indeed, their country, what is possible, what is virtuous, what is best. The big beating heart of this novel is Gabriel Fisher, a 21st Century Paul Bunyan. But even more than Fisher is the book’s writer, Ron Rindo, who has crafted a novel that is remarkably generous, kind, and graceful. This is a novel that still believes in magic, goodness, and everyday heroes."—Nickolas Butler, author of Shotgun Lovesongs and A Forty Year Kiss

Beautiful and Poignant Story

Fantastical story based in a reality.
I think I may have enjoyed this book more because I grew up in an area that would have neighbored the fictional Lakota. I knew the Amish community well from a distance.
The vocal actor who did Hannah’s voice had a cadence very much like my own grandmother’s.
All in all the story will be one I’m sure I will revisit.

Extraordinary!

I judge a book by how eager I am to listen at every opportunity. That's exactly what I did with this book. I listened at every opportunity. The story was written with heart, and the narrators delivered it with heart.

Loved this storytelling that was written so beautifully.

Loved the way characters were such an important part of how this story grew and took you through each of their lives.

A Story of Grace, Grief, and Redemption

This story moved me beyond words. When it ended, I was in tears — not from sadness alone, but from the deep sense of grace and spiritual beauty that lingers after the final lines.
Ron Rindo’s writing is lyrical, compassionate, and profoundly human. He captures faith, guilt, forgiveness, identity, and grief with such honesty that every page feels alive. The characters are rich and unforgettable — flawed, kind, deeply real — and their journeys remind us of the power of humility and the quiet strength of love.
The audiobook narration by Christina Moore, Johnny Heller, Roger Wayne, and Will Damron is extraordinary. Each voice brings warmth and depth, turning an already moving story into a truly immersive experience.
This novel made me think deeply about life, grace, and the choices we make. It’s a heartbreaking yet uplifting story that stays with you long after it ends.
I highly recommend it for readers who love beautifully written, character-driven stories that explore the resilience of the human spirit.

Well Written & Well Narrated

This book had everything you would expect about a small town community, faith, sports, and family secrets. It was well thought out and wonderfully written. The narration is spot on! Characters portrayed have their own imperfections and mistakes from the past that they sometimes wrestle with. They all have one thing in common, their love and admiration for a young man, Gabriel.

Very touching story

I liked the characters and the depth to them and their lives. I also liked the story and the emotions….very memorable people!

Must read

Such an enjoyable and heartwarming book! Enjoyed the narrators they all belonged with their characters! Hopefully a book to continue on all their new adventures

Memorable Characters

These characters are vivid and realistic. The narrators bring this wonderful book to life. Heartwarming and full of tenderness as well as sadness, we learn of passion, both spiritual and ungodly.

Unforgettable

This will be one of my top books that I recommend. Beautifully written. Truly wonderful.

Unexpectedly touching

This is not the kind of book I normally read but I’m so glad I gave it a chance! Set in Wisconsin, my home state, the author creates fully realized characters as they orbit around one giant protagonist. The football stuff didn’t even turn me off!