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If You Want Me to Stay: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 123 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Joel Junior's daddy has gone off again. And since his momma and big sister got fed up and left, he's in charge of little brothers Carter and Tank. But Daddy's got Carter, and Joel and Tank need to get away. So with no one to guide him but the soul singers in his head, Joel sets off with Tank to learn the truth about love. This work by PEN/Hemingway Award winner Michael Parker is at once funny, touching, and utterly heartbreaking.
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"a tough read about a boy trying to parent his younger brothers after his mother abandons them with their mentally ill, and sometimes dangerous, father. Early R&B music provides a haven for all three boys."
— Martha (4 out of 5 stars)
If You Want Me to Stay Listener Reviews
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" A person can hear the music and experience the pain page after page. "
— Eunice, 7/26/2013 -
" Made me laugh & cry at once. Great story, but highly disturbing. "
— Kristi, 12/14/2012 -
" I just could not get into this book. I was recommended to me because of the writing but I just couldn't get into it or understand the way it was written. I had a feeling even if I could understand the writing, it would depress me so I gave up on it. "
— Mary, 10/24/2012 -
" This is an absolutely heartbreaking story, but worth reading. "
— Nancy, 6/3/2012 -
" I didn't like this one too much - too many music references that took away from the main story line. "
— Elizabethevola, 4/25/2012 -
" I started this one today, and....no! Read the first few pages and couldn't stand the dialect. I'm really not prejudiced, but reading all the "y'alls, aints, and "done-did-that's" make me nuts! Good thing I only paid one cent plus shipping. (I LOVE Amazon's Marketplace!!!) "
— Hannah, 1/27/2012 -
" What a gut-wrenching story of a 14 year old boy and his family. "
— Diane, 5/19/2011 -
" A Southern Gothic tragedy (with a soundtrack), this is a heart-wrenching story of family violence. Parker's writing is gripping. "
— Beth, 3/24/2011 -
" This is a rocket soul opera. Should be read out loud. Parker has created a character with a voice that will knock you down. "
— Timothy, 1/29/2011 -
" Sad, tragic, good writing, mostly sad. "
— Stephanie, 12/26/2010 -
" this book is sad i am still reading it put it a great book "
— Victoria, 11/4/2010 -
" Sad, tragic, good writing, mostly sad. "
— Stephanie, 7/2/2010 -
" Made me laugh & cry at once. Great story, but highly disturbing. "
— Kristi, 4/16/2010 -
" I didn't like this one too much - too many music references that took away from the main story line. "
— Elizabethevola, 9/9/2009 -
" A person can hear the music and experience the pain page after page. "
— Eunice, 8/17/2009 -
" I started this one today, and....no! Read the first few pages and couldn't stand the dialect. I'm really not prejudiced, but reading all the "y'alls, aints, and "done-did-that's" make me nuts! Good thing I only paid one cent plus shipping. (I LOVE Amazon's Marketplace!!!) "
— Hannah, 1/18/2008 -
" A Southern Gothic tragedy (with a soundtrack), this is a heart-wrenching story of family violence. Parker's writing is gripping. "
— Beth, 9/2/2007
About Michael Parker
Michael Parker is the author of several novels and collections of stories. His short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times Magazine, the Oxford American, Runner’s World, Men’s Journal, and other publications. His work has been anthologized in The O. Henry Prize Stories and The Pushcart Prize. He is the Nicholas and Nancy Vacc Distinguished Professor in the MFA writing program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He lives in Austin, Texas.
About T. Ryder Smith
T. Ryder Smith is an American actor. A native of New York state and long-time resident of New York City, he has appeared frequently on stage, particularly in avant-garde theater works, and in film, sometimes as a voice actor.