Mother Earth, Father Sky

By: Sue Harrison

Narrated by: Holly Fielding

Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

In a time before history, in a harsh and beautiful land near the top of the world, womanhood comes cruelly and suddenly to beautiful, young Chagak. Surviving the brutal massacre of her tribe, she sets out across the icy waters off Ameria's northwest coast on an astonishing odyssey that will reveal to Chagak powerful secrets of the earth and sky...and the mysteries of love and loss.

©1990 Sue Harrison (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Aleutian reader, liked the story

Would you listen to Mother Earth, Father Sky again? Why?

I will not listen to this book again, however I might purchase the books and recommend them to friends. (Note: Mother Earth Father Sky is book 1 of a trilogy, and my review covers my experience with book 1- but you are not finished with this story until you read all three!)

What did you like best about this story?

I live in the Aleutian Islands. I can look out my window at the harsh beauty and imagine the characters' lives and spirits here so easily.

What three words best describe Holly Fielding’s performance?

Monotone, pinched, gulping

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

Harsh world for a woman! I feel really fortunate. The book kept my interest and I enjoyed it. Since it is set in the Aleutians, I would have enjoyed more detailed descriptions of the setting. I have the luxury of looking out and seeing the very islands and seas she writes about, and throughout the "listening" used my eyes to add to the imagery of the plot, where I would have enjoyed reading the author's unique perspective on this place.

Any additional comments?

In the busy season, rarely do I make time to sit and read, and audio books are a fantastic way to enjoy literature while pressing forward with tasks. This book is very interesting in that the story line is set in the Aleutian Islands, where I live. However, the recording is distracting- the editors left in the sounds of vehicles and talking people passing the recording studio, (at first I looked around to see if a loud truck or neighbors were passing my house) The narrator's gulping swallows were not edited out, her mispronunciation of "Aleutian" also distracting. Note- I have great respect for anyone who reads this many pages- it's harder than it sounds! The sound engineers could have done a better job helping bring out the best in the narrator. That said--- did I turn the recording off? I'm not to book 3 yet, but I will be downloading it, and it will probably keep me listening until the end!

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Terrible narration!!

The most annoying narrator I have heard. The story was ok but the narrator ruined it. I am one that hates mouth noises like lip smacking etc. She talks like she has a dry mouth and a nasally voice. I tried enduring it but it drove me bonkers. There is no description as far as the time frame this occurred. No definition to any of the objects like dwellings, clothing and the ikyaks or whatever she was calling the paddle boats (guessing kyaks). I was annoyed and had to research myself to try and form a picture of what the author was talking about. Lacks description. Pair that with the awful narration and I ended it at chapter 40.

stopped after book 1

I enjoyed the story, but not enough to want to read the next book. The narrator was adequate.

A Moving Tale of Survival

My first exposure to this book came as a supermarket impulse buy by my mother, a pulpy paperbacks she then dropped in the suds while reading in the bath. I picked up the replacement copy when I was a young girl, never anticipating how it would shape me as a woman and a human. Survival alone in such a harsh time and place as ice age Alaska makes for a gripping read on its own, but Mother Earth Father Sky also offers a moving story of cruelty and tenderness. Hearing about the foods, clothing, tools, beloved possessions, and language of this people was fascinating. Empathizing with the hardships of womanhood, emotionally deepening. I for one loved the narration, and where others found it monotone, I perfectly suited a simple and ancient story. This intimate and detailed immersion into a world and culture so far removed and so rarely explored is a treat for those who, like myself, feel a calling to know the human experiences of others.

favorite story of all time

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. read it many times. listening was fantastic. get it.

BREATHTAKING

Brutal and sad, flawless and beautifully written. The soothing, well timed voice of the narrator was a perfect choice for the story. Really got swept up into the lives of the characters in a time long ago and far away. And yet somewhat familiar too. Will Plan on listening to the rest of this series.

Loved

The narrator said Cache wrong but other than that, it was good. I had a hard time listening to her but hour used to it after a while. I love the book, I've read it countless times.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Amazing book, tragic narrator

I read this book more than 20 years ago in hardback, and read it several times after. It has always been one of my old favorites. There was so much room to make this amazing book even better with even a moderately good narrator. Sadly thats not the case. I just can't say how awful the narration was. Ok so I can, It was tragic. This was a flat, monotone reading with many unsightly stumbles. Instead of performance with feeling and emotion, it's just a girl reading a book aloud with very poor breath control (gasping breath after every 5 freaking words) and a sticky sounding dry mouth. I think I wanna scream and cry at the unfairness of ruining one of the best books ever.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Monotonous narration

Great story line, but the narration was flat. The tone was of quiet desperation for the entire book. Excellent for repeat listening to go to sleep to, as there is no inflection change. The exact same tone for rape, murder, or gathering sea urchins.

Good but with some weaknesses

The story was ok. The reader had a monotone that I had to fight to stay awake. The voice would have been ok if not monotone. I was irritated when the story just stopped. No ending. In effect if you want an end of the story you have to buy the next book. That makes me mad enough to NOT buy the next book. A book should stand on its own merits.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful