Pompey Hollow Road

By: Julie Oleszek

Narrated by: Tim Tidball

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Charlotte and Simone have an unusual friendship.

Charlotte is the daughter of James Worthington, a wealthy tobacco plantation owner and enslaver. Simone, the daughter of a slave, was taken from her mother’s arms and sold to James.

When Simone arrives at Huntington Manor Plantation at seven years old, she and Charlotte have an immediate bond. But as the girls mature, there is no denying their different positions on the plantation—Charlotte is privileged, and Simone is an enslaved servant.

Then, fourteen-year-old Tilby Smith, another slave purchased by Charlotte’s father, arrives on the plantation, and shortly afterward, he and Simone become confidants, keeping secrets from the other slaves—and even Charlotte. But, Tilby and Simone soon find themselves in a dire situation...Charlotte wants to help her friend and soon discovers that her sheltered and obedient life becomes one of rebellion, conviction, and undying sacrifices. 

Pompey Hollow Road explores friendship at its fondest in the 1800s at the height of slavery and abolition—and how far one will go to protect another from the injustices of society.

©2023 Julie Oleszek (P)2024 Julie Oleszek

Incredible

I have read all of Julie’s books! She is an exceptional writer with a true talent for pulling you into a story. I actually read the paperback version of this book a few months ago and decided to listen to the story again on audio. Well done! I am hoping there will be many more.

Great book

Just finished listening to Pompey Hollow Rd. and I loved it. I listen only in the car so I couldn't wait to get back to it each day on my drive. I can't wait for the sequel. Definitely on my list for listens. Very well written and narration was well done. I highly recommend!

Profound

The story depicts a painful period of American history. However, it is told with love, and the absence of explicit horrific details. This superbly written story is appropriate for all ages.

Engaging and Worthy of High Praise

Julie Oleszek writes beautifully. Although each of Julie's novels are great in its own right, this one really captured my interest and invoked a range of emotions. It may be my favorite. The characters are believable, and the historical information is true to the time period and well researched. The narration of this book impressed me too. I highly recommend this title. If you like historical fiction, you will want to read this book! I look forward to Julie's next book.

The narrators voice

The narrators voice kept me listening. The story too was nice, that I couldn’t stop listening till the end.

Pompey Hollow FRoad

This was a really good story.It was rather upbeat for the material it covers. It follows a slave holding family over many years and obstacles. Tim Tidball was a fine narrator. I was given this book free for an honest review.

Amazing Book

Pompey Hollow Road
By: Julie Oleszek
Narrated by: Tim Tidball






5 STARS


This is a historical fiction I would highly recommend. The story follows the lives of friends, one a slave, the other a plantation owner's daughter. There are many different emotions from happiness to heartbreak. I found myself in tears more than once.


I had to keep listening to see where the story would end.


This author is amazing!




The narration was done by Tim Tidball. He did well, but in my humble opinion a female narrator would have been more fitting to the story.


I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The story was beautiful!

Loved it all, i wanted more! I could have listened to another 10 hours of this story! The narrator was perfect

You may love this one--but I didn't

What I liked about Pompey Hollow Road:
The narrator was exceptional. It's hard to believe that all of those voices (about a dozen) came out of the same mouth.
Julie obviously did her research. It appears to be a labor of love.
The characters were believable and well developed.
The book treats a shameful time in America's history fairly.
They say that without conflict you have no story. Well, there was plenty of conflict in this story.

What I didn't like:
I thought the book was a bit long. The story could have been told in a lot fewer words and not have lost anything. Julie interjects a lot of detail into the narrative that, while perhaps interesting, does nothing to move the story forward. It could have been condensed by at least 25 percent, maybe 50.
Parts of this 61-chapter novel were a bit slow moving.
The ending was somewhat satisfying, but could have been more so. I got the feeling that the author was planning a sequel. When I got to the last chapter, I was mainly relieved that I stuck with it to the end.
Will Pompey Hollow Road become another Gone With the Wind? Probably not. But if you're into historical fiction, and you have a LOT of time on your hands, you may enjoy it.