Publisher Description
Author of the award-winning novel Finn, Jon Clinch has drawn favorable comparisons to such luminaries as William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy. With Kings of the Earth, he weaves the compelling tale of a troubled family haunted by dark secrets. On their upstate New York farm, the three aging Proctor brothers-Vernon, Audie, and Creed-eke out a living. When Vernon dies in his sleep, evidence of asphyxiation quickly turns suspicion upon Audie and Creed. The brothers' estranged sister, their protective neighbor, and others are eventually drawn into the case and offer startling insights. But all these differing perspectives obscure the reality of daily life on the farm, and the truth of what happened that fateful day remains shrouded in mystery. In a starred review, Library Journal calls Kings of the Earth "a gritty but nonetheless warm-hearted and beautifully realized novel." A full cast of talented narrators delivers a gripping performance, providing each character with a unique voice. ". Clinch explores family dynamics in this quiet storm of a novel that will stun readers with its power."-Publishers Weekly, starred review
Download and start listening now!
"This novel captured my attention from the first pages. Clinch writes from the perspective of the numerous different characters. The Proctor boys, dirt poor dairy farmers in upstate New York become suspects in the death of their oldest brother. Clinch jumps from the present (1990) to the past, as the boys were growing up to explain how they became what they are. This novel was was upsetting and disturbing at times, but beautifully written."
—
Jeanine (4 out of 5 stars)
About Jon Clinch
Jon Clinch is the author of several novels, including his debut, Finn, which was named an American Library Association Notable Book and was chosen as one of the year’s best books by the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the Christian Science Monitor. It also won the Philadelphia Athenaeum Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. His second novel, Kings of the Earth, was named a best book of the year by the Washington Post and led the 2010 Summer Reading List at O, The Oprah Magazine. In 2008, he organized a benefit reading for the financially ailing Twain House, an event that literally saved the house from bankruptcy.
About the Narrators
James Langton, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, trained as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and later as a musician at the Guildhall School in London. He has worked in radio, film, and television, also appearing in theater in England and on Broadway. He is also a professional musician who led the internationally renowned Pasadena Roof Orchestra from 1996 to 2002.
Rich Orlow is a film, television, and voice actor. Among his audiobook narrations are The Outsider by Jimmy Connors, House Rules by Jodi Picoult, and Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger.
Henry Strozier is an actor with a forty-year career in numerous movies and television series. Also a voice-over artist, he has worked extensively in video games and audiobook narration, earning several AudioFile Earphones Awards.
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.
Ken Marks is an actor/narrator with almost thirty years experience in New York City and beyond. He is an Earphones Award Winner for his narration of The High Country by Williard Wyman, and currently he can be seen on Broadway as Uncle Ben in the hit musical Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.
Andrea Gallo is an audiobook narrator whose works include Ungifted by Gordan Korman, The Nosy Neighbor by Fern Michaels, Kings of the Earth by John Clinch, and In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols, among many others.