In his acclaimed debut novel, Durham adds a new dimension to the frontier narrative. Gabriel, the teenaged son of an emancipated slave, travels west with his mother, who is lured by the promise of unclaimed land. Despising life as a farmer, Gabriel runs away with a dangerous band of cowboys. But hindered by youth and inexperience, he must escape the racism and brutality that surround him.
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"While not a novel that I would normally have picked up were I not simply trawling through the library looking for something to read, I found it engaging and illustrative of a history that I had hardly considered. " — Maha (4 out of 5 stars)
"While not a novel that I would normally have picked up were I not simply trawling through the library looking for something to read, I found it engaging and illustrative of a history that I had hardly considered. "
“Artistically impressive and emotionally satisfying, a serious work that heads off in exhilarating directions.”
“Wise and beautifully written.”
“Haunting…[with] masterful prose.”
“A sensational debut…lush and atmospheric.”
“Moving…The moral gravity of Durham’s narrative is offset by his attentiveness to the primacy of nature in the Western landscape.”
“Sweeps the reader up into a fascinating, Oz-like whirlwind of language.”
“Durham captures with exquisite precision the isolation, loneliness, and cruelty of life in the vastness of the West…The reader turns the last page with regret at the journey’s end.”
“Compelling, suspenseful, and meticulously written, Gabriel’s Story is an exploration of the idea of the frontier and the meaning of ownership, filtered through the narrator’s cynical, over-the-hill teenage perspective. And Gabriel himself, who seems old beyond his years, is a memorable protagonist: a grouchy lost boy, impatient for his life to unfold.”
“The old West, both beautiful and brutal, is the setting of Durham’s magnificently realized debut novel, a classic coming-of-age story of an African-American boy…Durham is a born storyteller…The tale’s racial dimension is subtly and intelligently developed, and though some readers may be turned off by the violence Gabriel witnesses, all will be impressed by Durham’s maturity, skill, and lovingly crafted prose.”
" Nice coming of age story set in the sod-buster days of the great plains and old west, told from an African American perspective. Very evocative descriptions of location and period. Thoroughly enjoyed it. "
" Some brutality in this tale set in the wild west but a good story. "
" Great story of the prairie and wild west. "
" A very different coming-of-age story. Themes of good vs. evil, the grass is greener, etc. Ending was quite tense. Enjoyed it. "
" So good on so many levels! "
" While not a novel that I would normally have picked up were I not simply trawling through the library looking for something to read, I found it engaging and illustrative of a history that I had hardly considered. "
" Beautifully written book set in the time of slavery in America. I didn't know a lot about this time, but Durham made it very much alive for me. "
" This is a 3.5 star read. David Anthony Durham crafts a compelling narrative that can be summed in an early quote, "'Ye cannot escape God's laws, God's sight, God's blessing, and God's judgment.'" "
David Anthony Durham earned an MFA from the University of Maryland. His first novel, Gabriel’s Story, was published to wide acclaim in 2001. He has won several awards, including the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Fiction Award, a First Novel Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, and a Legacy Award. His short fiction appears in Gumbo: An Anthology of African American Writing. He lives with his wife and two children California and teaches creative writing at Cal St. Fresno.
Thomas Penny is an audiobook narrator whose readings include The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard, Fighting for America by Christopher Moore, and Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper, among others.
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