Where the Red Fern Grows

By: Wilson Rawls

Narrated by: Anthony Heald

A loving threesome, Billy and his two dogs ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee country. Old Dan has the brawn, Little Ann has the brains, and Billy has the will to make them into the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. Soon their skills will be put to the test as they brave the dangers of the wilds for the ultimate glory.

Since its publication over forty years ago, this heartwarming tale of a boy and his dogs has touched millions. A tale of adventure, special friendship and coming-of-age, Where the Red Fern Grows makes for delightful listening. This unabridged production, featuring a moving performance by Anthony Heald, brings this enduring classic to life and makes a powerful story even more unforgettable.

©1961 Woodrow Wilson Rawls (P)1995 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, an Imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"This title is an excellent selection for family listening or for anyone desiring an uplifting, but realistic tale." (AudioFile)

Good story for the whole family

We all enjoyed the plot- ages 6 to 54!
The perspective of a young boy gives an adventurous feel to simple life lessons of love and persistence.

11 - year old reviewer

Would you consider the audio edition of Where the Red Fern Grows to be better than the print version?

No, I think they're both really good. I liked the narrator.

What did you like best about this story?

I best like the part where Billy cut two little holes in his gunny sack for his two pups to poke their heads through.

What does Anthony Heald bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Anthony Heald reads with a lot of passion, so at the ending it was sadder then if I were to have read the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

What moved me in the book most, was when little Anne lost her will to live and died by Old Dan.

Any additional comments?

This book is very moving and I almost cried at the end. It was beautiful and sad, but also happy. I would recommend this book.

OLD-TYMEY REALISTIC VIOLENCE

Yes, this is a wonderful slice of old-time family life. All the family values are there. Even religion, and that is beautiful, especially as spoken by the father. I love the way parents and grandparents are respected, and they actually come up with good solutions and wisdom to apply to the situation. There are so many sweet touches in the story, like when the boy is served coffee for the first time, without comment from the men.

As a town girl and wildlife rehabilitator-volunteer, I winced to hear about killing coons. I have bottle-fed baby raccoons and tolerated the antics of older coons when they are being fed and their home cleaned. Likewise, I almost cried for the big tree that "had" to be cut down. I saw no sense to that! Same with the boy's attitude toward the predator mountain lion, i.e., the only good one is a dead one! So if I had kids or grandkids listening to this story, I think we would be talking about changed attitudes since it was written.

So the story had to end somehow, but I am adding my own ending: Papa found a good job in town; the kids settled in at the school; Billy took up maybe a paper route; and Mama gave them a baby brother!

Anthony Heald deserves 8 stars for his narration. His tempo is quite fast when the action is intense. He can switch his voice wonderfully to narrate conversations. A usually slow reader would surely enjoy following along with the book.

My favorite book

My favorite book. Great to listen to in the car and on long trips. I enjoyed it.:)

beautiful story of love and loss and moving on

I knew going into this book that it was sad. I remember my siblings reading it as adolescents, and thinking, "why would I ever want to read that book?" Now, some 40 years later, I listened to the audio version and fully understand the beauty of Rawls' work and I think, "everyone should read this book!" The reader is amazing,and the story universal. the description of the Ozarks makes me want to visit.

Wonderful and very touching book.

Being a dog lover and nature lover this book fulfilled all my loves. There was both happiness and sadness. I enjoyed all of the book.I would recommend it to anybody who likes both these things.

great listen

this is a quick listen that is enjoyable. take it on a hike with your pups

Awesome

It was a good story it was sad but it is now my favorite book

So emotional!

Honestly this was an amazing book and I cried almost all the way through! Totally recommended this book to those who haven't read it.

Heald is a delight!

Having only know Anthony Heald as the creepy psychiatrist from the movie Silence of the Lambs, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However his rendition of this wonderful novel is touching, multi faceted, and terrific.