The Spaces That Hold You

By: Karla Self

Narrated by: Josh Self

Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The Spaces That Hold You is a tragic and heartwarming story about the life of Levi Strong, a boy who is swept into the most difficult of circumstances. It is the 1960s in Kelsey, a place left behind by the dustbowl migrants in California. A slow Southern drawl clings to the words of the young as their inheritance from the hardworking people of its past. It settles easy on young Levi, as the pulse of its history dances in his own voice.

The underpinnings of racism hold tight to the town, pushing Levi to face the indelible harm of indifference from those like himself, who can blend easily into the fold, as they stand by while others unfurl their tongues and fists on those they perceive to be different.

Levi's mother, Katharine, is an orphan and Levi is just simply fatherless, a matter that keeps him in constant wonder about who in the world might possibly be his dad. Katharine is mute on the subject. She keeps many secrets. Some, Levi gives witness to, but the worst of them will change everything, when he is forced to question all that he has ever known about his mother and himself.

Join Levi on his journey of discovery. This remarkable story contrasts the depth of sorrow with the best of human nature. Listeners will see through a child’s eyes the story of survival, with an enduring sense of poetry and hope even through the hardship.

©2023 Karla Self (P)2023 Karla Self

Beautifully narrated

I loved the smoothness and depth of Josh’s voice. He does an exceptional job of embodying Levi and sounds exactly as I would have envisioned after reading the book.

This is such a beautifully written story and I didn’t want it to end. I laughed, I cried and I grieved alongside the characters. Incredible writing by Karla Self.

Heartfelt Coming of Age Story

I found this book to be a beautifully written novel, a coming of age story about a boy named Levi, living in a small California town with his neglectful mother Katharine. Levi makes the best of life with his mother, who is often absent for periods of time and when she is present, leaves him pretty much to take care of himself. But Levi is resourceful and resilient. He worries about his mother and tries to help her and also longs to know who his father is, a question his mother has never answered. This sweet story is about finding family and what makes a family, whether biological or not. Levi’s search for belonging and his place in the world is heartfelt and nicely captured. There are sad times in the book, especially one particularly depressing incident, but there are also the times of joy Levi finds in his life.

Set in the 1960’s time period, I found the first half to move at a slower pace, but then really picked up towards the last half. As I got deeper into the book, I began to become more invested in how life would turn out for Levi. I actually found myself tearing up during one suspenseful section and I am normally not an emotional reader. The latter part of the book caught me by surprise, a twist I did not see coming!

The narrator did an excellent job as the voice of Levi. His voice was pleasant and easy to listen to, fitting the theme of the story.

I would definitely recommend this book from first time author Karla Self. It has all the components of a great read: Lovely, descriptive writing; likeable, engaging main characters; and an emotional ending to tug at the heart strings. Five stars from me.