The Illusion of Simple

In a dry Kansas riverbed, a troop of young girls finds a human hand. This discovery leads Billy Spire, the tough and broken sheriff of Ewing County, to investigate and confront the depths of his community and of himself: the racism, the dying economy, the lies and truths of friendship, grievances of the past and present, and even his own injured marriage.

But like any town where people still breathe, there is also love and hope and the possibility of redemption. To flyover folks, Ewing County appears nothing more than a handful of empty streets amid crop circles and the meandering, depleted Arkansas River. But the truth of this place—the interwoven lives and stories—is anything but simple.

©2022 Charles Forrest Jones (P)2022 Recorded Books

A brilliant book

Who knew that so much could happen in a simple Kansas town and when you look beneath the surface. A multilayered story that brings out the innocence, the hurt, the joy, and redemption of a group of people trying to make the best of their daily lives. The writing is remarkable and I liked the narrator’s somewhat gruff voice which seems perfect for this story set in dry, rough Kansas but with deep contours. The story makes the listener think twice about assuming that people live small lives because they live in small places.

Engaging. Brings flavor to flyover states.

Enjoyed the listen. Great word pictures. Narrator made it real. A bit soap operaish but written in a way that I kept listening.

boring

This book is just so boring. There's no story to be found anywhere. The reader is monotonous also