An entertaining historical fiction novel by National Book Critics Circle Award & Pulitzer Prize winning author Jane Smiley. This was probably one of my favorites by this particular author so far.
It's an entertaining journey through life, love, and the hardships of the 1850's. Lidie Newton brings it all to life with her adventurous spirit and perseverance. Fascinating story of the violent times brought about by the question of slavery in the states of Kansas and Missouri in pre-Civil War days. Beautifully read by actress Mare Winningham - a real-winner and highly recommended.

Mailed to NMReader in a controlled-release trade. Enjoy!

I am looking forward to listening too this when I have time

I finished listening to this a couple weeks ago but apparently forgot to write a journal entry at that time.

I enjoyed the tale of Lidie but I think this would have been much better as an unabridged account. I occassionaly felt like I had missed important events and details and could decide if it was due to the choppiness of the story or the way I was listening to it (10-20 minutes at a time)

I have a couple other books on tape that I am getting ready to send another BCer. I will throw this in the package.

I hope he enjoys

Received this as part of a big RABCK - thank you NMReader! There are a couple bits of karma around this title: first of all, I started listening to it some years ago only to find the tape broken when I got partway through. Secondly, it is set in my hometown of Quincy, IL! So I'm pretty excited about this one.
I've read a couple books by Jane Smiley (who was a longtime professor of English at nearby Iowa State University) and have enjoyed them thoroughly - in fact, A Thousand Acres is one of the best novels I've ever read - though an audiobook about horses was not very interesting to me.

Will listen to this one soon......

Well, this one was definitely up to par with other books by this author..... I particularly enjoyed it because it started out in Quincy, IL (my hometown) and a significant part of the story took place near Topeka, KS, another place I've lived.
A lot of good historical stuff here, about abolitionists and other settlers, with plenty of info about the state of affairs in the "bloody Kansas territory" in the decades prior to the Civil War. Ms. Smiley has certainly done her research to paint a vivid picture or how things existed in that area at that time; I already know a certain amount of it from visiting sites in the Lawrence and Topeka area, as well as ones around Kansas City (particularly Jesse James-related stuff in St. Joseph, and the Truman Library and Memorial in Independence).
To me, the book is a perfect example of how one can understand certain places and eras better through well-told fictional accounts - in the same way that Huck Finn, Cold Mountain, The Kite Runner, and Reading Lolita in Teheran enlightened me about other places and times by giving me personalized glimpses I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.
I would reccommend this highly to anyone, and plan to seek out the book.....

Will release when I have a chance.....

This is going to be part of iwillrejoice's VirtualBookBox - hopefully it will find a home there.

Sending this off to Moody-Blue as part of iwillrejoice's VBB. Enjoy!

Thank you! I don't have any road-trips planned so I'm not sure when I'll give it a listen, but I am looking forward to it.

Good story about the abolition fight

Lidie is a young lady who discovers her abolitionist sensibilities as she starts her adult life travelling through Illinois/Missouri/Kansas during the pre-Civil War years. I thought the author did a great job of giving the era life with this realistic, sympathetic character. The audio is especially interesting because Mare Winningham gives a perfect performance as the narrator.

Offered up and claimed during Round 23 of iwillrejoice's Audio VBB.

Thanks for sending this audiobook my way. Looking forward to ear-reading it.

Sending this to book_drunkard as part of a cassette audiobook trade.

Received yesterday.
Thanks for swapping with me.
Looking forward to listening to this.

I'm going through my audio cassettes and moving along any that are abridgements. I've found that I don't enjoy a book when half of it is missing. I'll be sending to another BCer soon.

Sending to a fellow Bookcrosser.

Thank you so much for sending!

Released at the downtown Akron Public Library by The Rubber City Book Posse for the Akron Family Reading Festival! Enjoy the book!

Bookcrossing: n. the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise.
- from the Concise Oxford English Dictionary

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