The Optimist's Daughter

Pulitzer Prize Winner

By: Eudora Welty

Narrated by: Eudora Welty

This Pulitzer Prize–winning novel tells the story of Laurel McKelva Hand, a young woman who has left the South and returns, years later, to New Orleans, where her father is dying. After his death, she and her silly young stepmother go back still farther, to the small Mississippi town where she grew up. Along in the old house, Laurel finally comes to an understanding of the past, herself, and her parents.

Enjoyed it.

While I am sure there could be more entertaining readers, you just can't beat hearing an author's words read by the author herself. I found it wonderfully fascinating, and Mrs. Welty's deep southern drawl surely helps one imagine this novel.

A perfect southern book

I love southern stories and authors. the slow, southern drawls of the reader were great.

Superb reading and writing

What a pleasure and privilege to hear the voice of Eudora Welty read her own work! The slow cadence of her voice matches the story of the daughter and the Greek chorus of women in the small town in "Miss-ippi" who bring the past to life. I grew up in Alabama and Tennessee, so this rings true for me and, I would hope for all who've left home. It is the voice of my grandmother.

I love listening to books read by the author.

This book was a bit slow to start for me, and the story didn’t get interesting until the middle of the book. I felt there wasn’t enough character development for the judge’s daughter, Laural. I truly enjoyed Eudora Welty’s authentic old Mississippi accent. That alone made the performance enjoyable for me, from a phonology and linguistics stand point.

magnificent

A treasure to take you back to another age and let you begin to understand....