A consummate storyteller in the Southern tradition, Lee Smith tugs at her listeners' heart strings with this haunting narrative that reads like a country ballad. Touching, funny, and sad, its down-to-earth characters are somehow familiar and endearing as they do their best to meet the demands of daily life. Her mother's pride and joy, young Crystal Spangler has a keen intellect, the body of a beauty queen, and the heart of a poet. When she leaves Appalachia to attend college and follow her dreams, she faces a dazzling future. But something lurking in the shadow of Black Mountain is calling her back, something that will change her life forever. With passion, warmth, and insight, narrator Linda Stephens gradually reveals the rich irony inherent in this compelling novel. Her expressive, lyrical voice ensures the listener a delightfully vivid listening experience.
Download and start listening now!
"This was the first novel I read by Lee Smith and I told a friend of mine, "I want to write like that." I recongnized Smith's characters. I had grown up surrounded by characters like that. I knew those people. I still know them. " — Darnell (5 out of 5 stars)
"This was the first novel I read by Lee Smith and I told a friend of mine, "I want to write like that." I recongnized Smith's characters. I had grown up surrounded by characters like that. I knew those people. I still know them. "
" Story of Chrystal who lives in rural Appalacia. She does well in school, leaves home and goes to college.........comes back confused. "
" Complicated & sad story, but I LOVE the references to Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia! Thank you to Betty Wright for introducing this author to me back in our LOLA days. "
" Weird and riveting, I really liked this book and I don't think I can explain why. I mean, other than the references to the area of Virginia where I went to college. "
" The first Lee Smith I ever read... got me hooked on reading all her stuff! My copy is an ex-library book once owned by the library in the town I grew up in... "
" Not my favorite Lee Smith novel. "
" If you grew up in South, love Appalachia and Southern women, you'll like this book. This is a woman's book and Lee Smith speaks to the Southerner. "
" Southern lit. Not my favorite example. "
" My first Lee Smith novel and my last. I felt like I needed ADD meds while reading this book. Pretty proud of myself for making it through to the end. "
" This was the first novel I read by Lee Smith and I told a friend of mine, "I want to write like that." I recongnized Smith's characters. I had grown up surrounded by characters like that. I knew those people. I still know them. "
" Lee Smith is on of those authors you become addicted to. You read one book, then another, then you hear her speak and see how cute and just plain decent she is, then you gobble up the rest of her books as quickly as you can. "
" Portrays growing up female in rural Southwest Virginia. If you liked this, try The Cheerleader by Jill McCorkle or Gloria by Keith Maillard. "
" I love reading her books about the hills & "hollers" of the deep south. Her characters don't always live happily ever after but you won't forget them!! "
Lee Smith is a New York Times bestselling novelist. She has written numerous novels and short story collections, including Saving Grace, Fair and Tender Ladies, and a novella, The Christmas Letters. Her novel The Last Girls won the Southern Book Critics Circle Award and the North Carolina Award for Literature; two of her short story collections also won the O. Henry Award. Smith currently lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
Linda Stephens is a seasoned audiobook narrator whose readings include Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, which won an AudioFile Earphones Award and was a finalist for the Audie Award for Best Narration.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.