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A Separate Country Audiobook
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(3.00) - 818 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Set in New Orleans in the years after the Civil War, A Separate Country is based on the incredible life of John Bell Hood, arguably one of the most controversial generals of the Confederate Army--and one of its most tragic figures. Robert E. Lee promoted him to major general after the Battle of Antietam. But the Civil War would mark him forever.
At Gettysburg, he lost the use of his left arm. At the Battle of Chickamauga, his right leg was amputated. Starting fresh after the war, he married Anna Marie Hennen and fathered 11 children with her, including three sets of twins. But fate had other plans. Crippled by his war wounds and defeat, ravaged by financial misfortune, Hood had one last foe to battle: Yellow Fever. A Separate Country is the heartrending story of a decent and good man who struggled with his inability to admit his failures-and the story of those who taught him to love, and to be loved, and transformed him.
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"Hicks literary style is never spare. Rich in details and brilliantly reaearched, it was not quite as well done as his first novel, Widow of the South. the climax was exciting and suspenseful, but there were times in the middle when the story sagged with repetition."
— Mary (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Hicks’ stunning narrative volleys between Hood, Anna Marie and Eli, each offering variety and texture to a story saturated in Southern gallantry and rich American history.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Outstanding narration by Sherman Howard and Kevin Collins depicts Hood’s diary entries, and Isabel Keating’s textured narration brings Anna Marie’s letters to life. The narrators capture Hood’s devastation when he’s ravaged by financial misfortune. When he falls fatally ill with yellow fever, he makes a strange request to Eli Griffin, a friend turned hit man, to publish his secret memoirs. Listeners won’t be disappointed in this chilling story filled with complicated twists and turns.”
— AudioFile -
“Hicks spins a taut tale, told in many voices, of tangled webs, vengeance and other unfinished business.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Hicks again draws upon real lives and the South’s traumatic past to create a powerful epic about how love and unselfish choices lead to personal transformations…Most compellingly, as we revisit key scenes from new angles, Hicks uncovers layers of detail about characters and events we naively thought we understood. A marvelous accomplishment.”
— Booklist
A Separate Country Listener Reviews
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" Great read. Robert Hicks is a great storyteller, mixing history and personal stories. "
— Tom, 2/17/2014 -
" I did not enjoy reading the book, but I struggled through hoping it would improve. It really didn't. I can't say that I'd recommend it to anyone, unless you are really into books about 19th century New Orleans. "
— Barnett, 2/12/2014 -
" I must admit I skimmed through portions of this book. I found I just couldn't care enough about the characters. The killing and brief war descriptions were so brutal I had a hard time with them, no matter how true to life they may be. Plus it was over 400 pages. "
— Sarah, 2/3/2014 -
" Post Civil War-follows a side character from Widow of the South. I like Hicks' storytelling style. Story ok. "
— Chrismcginn, 1/26/2014 -
" Wanted to like this book but didn't. I loved The Widow of the South. But this one, bleh. I'm not giving it 1 star because the writing isn't bad... I just didn't like the story. "
— Melinda, 1/25/2014 -
" Still not sure what I think of this book - it has great potential but I'm not hooked yet. So far, seems like a great piece of historical fiction, and definitely a detailed and rich story. I'm just not sure if I'm a fan of the story itself. "
— Stacey, 1/14/2014 -
" I thought I would love this book because I really enjoyed WIDOW OF THE SOUTH. Not so much. The premise is good, and you really start to feel for Gen. Hood, but it moved waaayyy to slow. Because my ancestors are from N.O., I thought I would get into that aspect of the book as well...not so much. "
— Gravity, 1/14/2014 -
" I can usually read through books like this relatively quickly. This took some time to get interested in. I liked hi other book "Widow of the South" better, but the portrayal of the life of ex-Confederate general Hood was interesting. "
— Samantha, 1/13/2014 -
" This book was just plain weird. Didn't know what it wanted to be--true history or fiction. Nothing like Widow of the South. "
— Margot, 10/9/2013 -
" Stunning. One of the best books I've read this year. "
— Laura, 6/19/2013 -
" Could not finish. Strange, boring and depressing. And I usually like those types of books. Beautifully written but just a weird story. "
— Jeni, 6/14/2013 -
" Very slow and confusing story line. Was very disappointed, I felt there was a great story there, but the way it was written it was very confusing and boring. The writer kept repeating himself and never brought the store together. "
— Katie, 6/4/2013 -
" Great southern book. Enjoyed it. "
— Marjorie, 5/21/2013 -
" Well, I'll read anything Civil War. So far I love it! "
— Tonya, 12/5/2012 -
" I had to quit reading this book. I so lost interest in it, because it did not suck me into the story. "
— 42day, 5/7/2012 -
" Good Book slow to get started but once it got going hard to put down. "
— Emily, 4/27/2012 -
" I thought it was an improvement of the the Widow of the South, far less sentimental. "
— Stacye, 3/8/2012 -
" This one was very slow to start, but it grew on me. "
— Cathy, 12/12/2011 -
" I was disappointed. I so much liked Hicks' first book. This one was boooring. Could not get through half of it. "
— Mzhenya, 10/2/2011 -
" a beautiful, heart-breaking story that still manages to leave you with a feeling of hope. "
— Hannah, 9/15/2011 -
" took a while to get into ...but I enjoyed it. "
— Dorothy, 6/28/2011 -
" I thought this was a good book. I had a hard time getting into it but once I did it seemed to fly by. "
— Denielle, 5/17/2011 -
" A story of a particular family in New Orleans after the Civil War. Brutal violence and characters no one could like. Still the story was pretty good. "
— Maura, 5/15/2011 -
" This book started off slowly...got engaging...became convoluted. I thought it had a nice tone and memorable characters. Also painted a vivid picture of post-Civil War New Orleans. "
— Shannon, 4/22/2011 -
" Very slow and confusing story line. Was very disappointed, I felt there was a great story there, but the way it was written it was very confusing and boring. The writer kept repeating himself and never brought the store together. "
— Katie, 4/19/2011 -
" Did not finish. I could never get in to the story line. "
— Betsy, 4/18/2011 -
" Still not sure what I think of this book - it has great potential but I'm not hooked yet. So far, seems like a great piece of historical fiction, and definitely a detailed and rich story. I'm just not sure if I'm a fan of the story itself. "
— Stacey, 4/4/2011 -
" This book was a struggle to get through and very confusing as far as the time sequence goes. Told by a narrator and the letters and writings of the central couple, it skips back and forth, and is basically uninteresting. "
— Susan, 1/29/2011 -
" A very modern novel about a real-life couple in post-Civil War New Orleans. Not sure I loved it, but parts of it were terrific. The author seems far more enamored of his fictional characters than of his "real" ones and maybe that's to be expected. "
— Tona, 1/18/2011 -
" LOVE LOVE LOVE Robert Hicks. When will there be another? "
— Robin, 1/11/2011 -
" I liked this but not a ton a ton. On the other hand the Civil War, New Orleans, General Hood. . . "
— Eliza, 8/27/2010
About Robert Hicks
Robert Hicks works in music publishing and artist management for rock and country acts. He served as a cocurator on the exhibition “Art of Tennessee” and was the coeditor of the exhibitions award-winning catalog of the same name. Working in the field of historic preservation, he has served on the boards of the Tennessee State Museum, the historic Carnton Plantation, the Williamson County Historical Society, and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. He is the author of The Widow of the South and has written many essays and articles on regional history, southern material culture, and music.
About the Narrators
Isabel Keating has earned several AudioFile Earphones Awards for her audiobook narration and twice been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. As an actress, she garnered a Drama Desk Award, Theatre World Award, and a Tony nomination for her critically acclaimed 2004 Broadway performance as Judy Garland in The Boy from Oz. She was awarded the Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress in 2000 for her portrayal of Flora Crewe in Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink.
Kevin T. Collins, an Audie Award–winning audiobook narrator, is an actor, singer, recording artist, and director who can be seen off Broadway, on television, and in films.