The Line That Held Us

By: David Joy

Narrated by: Macleod Andrews

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

From critically acclaimed author David Joy comes a remarkable novel about the cover-up of an accidental death and the dark consequences that reverberate through the lives of four people who will never be the same again.

When Darl Moody went hunting after a monster buck he's chased for years, he never expected he'd accidentally shoot a man digging ginseng. Worse yet, he's killed a Brewer, a family notorious for vengeance and violence. With nowhere to turn, Darl calls on the help of the only man he knows will answer, his best friend, Calvin Hooper. But when Dwayne Brewer comes looking for his missing brother and stumbles onto a blood trail leading straight back to Darl and Calvin, a nightmare of revenge rips apart their world. 

The Line That Held Us is a story of friendship and family, a tale balanced between destruction and redemption, where the only hope is to hold on tight, clenching to those you love. What will you do for the people who mean the most, and what will you grasp to when all that you have is gone? The only certainty in a place so shredded is that no one will get away unscathed.

©2018 David Joy (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

“Unflinching... Joy writes about rough-hewn men and women eking out a living in an economically depressed area, trying to avoid - but often affected by - violence and drugs that permeate the region. Their lives are tied to the land, its history, and their families who established lives there decades ago.” (Associated Press) 

“A suspenseful page-turner, complete with one of the absolutely killer endings that have become one of Joy’s signatures.” (Los Angeles Times) 

“Joy has proved adept with southern noir in his first two novels, and he nails it again here, in the actions of characters who act as they must, for the sake of family and friendship, given their nature. This is fiction as beautiful and compelling as it is searing.” (Booklist, starred review)  

The Blurred Lines that Held Me

It’s been a few days now since I finished listening to David Joy’s The Line That Held Us; and I’m still not sure I can speak to it in a worthy fashion. Mr. Joy’s first two listens were stunning, so this one had an uphill battle, so to speak. And, you know what, that uphill battle was conquered with his amazing talent for ultra dark, vivid and ever-so-flawed characters; his deftly exquisite prose to define and craft them; and the just sheer design of the story itself. The darkest yet, to me anyway, of his books, The Line That Held Us appears to have allowed the continuing depth of Mr. Joy’s talent to filter through and emerge. Dwayne Brewer is a terrifying, brutal, emotionally riveting man who is both the gold standard of rage and love simultaneously. If nothing else, listen to the book to get a glimpse of him. But, his presence does little to distract from the story and the other characters (both primary and secondary), though he does seem to be such a pivotal person. At various points during this book, I began to question Mr. Joy’s mental status UNTIL I realized that I was right there with him, my own viscera on constant alert for the next jolt. Top all this with the superbly brilliant audio presentation by Mr. MacLeod Andrews and you have a substantially challenging book. I did have some reservations regarding the somewhat lengthy ending chapters but I’ll go back and re-listen to make sure I didn’t miss anything in my stunned-into-silence last two chapters. The Line That Held Us offers lines that are drawn and lines that are blurred...and it’s those blurred lines that held me.

Not sure ?

This a brilliantly written story. But the major themes of death, vengeance, and evil are very difficult to handle. I’m just not sure if it is worth it.

Destruction and Redemption

There is savagery, violence, vengeance, and just a hint of madness in this taut, compact thriller from David Joy. In the deep woods of North Carolina, a man goes hunting for a trophy buck, and accidentally shoots another man instead. When the victim’s Bible-quoting brother seeks revenge, things get ugly fast, and then weird. Macleod Andrews delivers a profoundly authentic narration.

Meh

This is a novel trying to do two different things: capture the spirit of Appalachia and tell a ghoulish murder story. I think the book makes a good attempt at the first, especially in the opening scenes, but goes way over the top in the telling of the ghoulish murder story.

Whereas the novel tries to ground itself in the gritty reality of the Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina, complete with a scene in a Walmart where a character wanders around the aisles drinking beer, the plot lacks believability.

I was actually very excited to read this book, but ultimately disappointed in the storytelling. The story really drags in the middle and towards the end.

Captivating

Extremely well written, the narrator was brilliant. The story line was riveting. I couldn’t stop listening.

Hillbilly poetry

Eloquent telling of a raw "Winters Bone" style tale set in the Appalachian Mountains. The story soars off of the page with MacLeod Andrew's performance. Listen and then listen again and again.

A great book!

This is a fantastic book. Grabs you right from the start and doesn't let go until the end. Beautifully written. It is a very simple story, yet never goes where you think it will. I was born and raised in the Carolina's and the author knows his subjects well, these characters are all people I've known my whole life. While a simple story, David Joy has a lot going on in the subtext. The narration is also fantastic. If the narrator wasn't born in the Carolina's, the he deserves the equivalent of an Oscar for his narration, it was spot on! At its heart this is tale of simple people in conflict but look deeper and there is a whole world to dissect. I loved it.

Little melodramatic

In some areas I felt the story got a little to soapy and melodramatic in parts. David Hooper came across as a little weak, while Dewayne Brewer was a little over the top.

Gross

I’m a city-dweller and an animal lover who’s not into gore. I can’t tell you how many times I uttered “gross!” throughout this book. Not my jam. It gets an overall 2 stars thanks to the strong narration style of the reader.

Raw and Powerful

Another bleak and dark, yet powerful story by David Joy. While I enjoyed this one, it's probably my least favorite of his work. It carrys his style, but it a little slower moving than the rest of his novels.