Play Audiobook Sample
May the Road Rise Up to Meet You: A Novel Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.05) - 586 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Four unique voices, two parallel love stories, one sweeping novel rich in the history of nineteenth-century America. This remarkable debut draws from the great themes of literature—famine, war, love, and family—as it introduces four unforgettable characters.
Ethan McOwen is an Irish immigrant whose endurance is tested in Brooklyn and the Five Points at the height of its urban destitution; he is among the first to join the famed Irish Brigade and becomes a celebrated war photographer.
Marcella, a society girl from Spain, defies her father to become a passionate abolitionist.
Mary and Micah are slaves of varying circumstances, who form an instant connection and embark on a tumultuous path to freedom.
All four lives unfold in two beautiful love stories, which eventually collide. Written in gorgeous language that subtly captures the diverse backgrounds of the characters and interspersed with letters, journals, and dreams, this unforgettable story, rendered in cinematic detail, is about having faith in life's great meaning amidst its various tangles.
Download and start listening now!
"In his riveting epic novel, "May The Road Rise Up to Meet You", Peter Troy depicts the storm clouds gathering over America leading up to the Civil War. He weaves an irresistible narrative involving four characters whose disparate lives encompass both the Irish famine, which provoked the great migration to America, and the abusive slave system of the South. The author masterfully interweaves their separate tales until they converge in a fully realized climax. This novel has it all: pulsating action and romance, a rich tapestry of characters, and a theme as big as the American dream itself. It is a "Gone With The Wind" in scope but more real and more resonant."
— Jim (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Finding ambition in a first novel is not a rare thing, but to find it fulfilled as thoroughly as it is in May the Road Rise Up to Meet You is indeed something special.”
— Fredericksburg (VA) Free Lance-Star -
“The depth of Troy’s characters offers compelling insights into the Civil War era.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“A vivid tapestry of Civil War–era America…providing a panoramic overview of a significant juncture in history.”
— Booklist -
“Beautifully told, Troy has given us a story that will be with me for many years to come.”
— Robert Hicks, author of The Widow of the South -
“A wonderful family saga of poignant history, thrilling action, and romance.”
— Edward Rutherfurd, author of The Rebels of Ireland
May the Road Rise Up to Meet You Listener Reviews
-
" Would give 3-1/2 stars if I could. The first two thirds of this book was very good but my interest began to falter toward the ending. It's about slavery, the emancipation of slaves, the arrival of Irish families in America and how their life stories eventually intertwine. "
— Patricia, 2/18/2014 -
" It's hard to know where to begin. This book is so filled with characters you root for, it's like you've spent all those years with them on their journey, sharing their hopes, their dreams, their worries. On a purely technical aspect, I found that I enjoyed the informal writing style, the general lack of quotation marks that indicate talking. It somehow made it feel more...real. Even though the characters are not real, it brings to life and gives a face (faces), to part of American history that unites us all. "
— Janin, 2/13/2014 -
" I absolutely loved this book! I got so attached to the characters and you learned so much from the time period. I was so sad to see it end because I loved the characters so much. I recommend this book all the time to my customers, I can't wait until it comes out in paperback! "
— Amanda, 2/10/2014 -
" This is the Tale of Three Counties book for our library this year. It's an interesting story centered around the time of the Civil War and brings together three main stories in the end. I thought the end was a bit of a sell out and too predictable but up until that point I thought it was a very readable story. "
— Jen, 2/9/2014 -
" I loved reading this book so much that I feel I must forgive the author for the rushed, neatly tied up, fast forward ending. The characters, for most of the book (until they began to barrel towards the end), were rich personalities whose history was so vivid and compelling, and who made me smile and nod more than a few times throughout. I loved the voices as they were written in the various dialects/accents, and the epic quality of this story made it a great "take me away" sort of read. a great book to take on vacation. "
— Rebecca, 2/3/2014 -
" Definitely a book I wouldn't mind owning. While set against the Irish Potato Famine and Slavery in the South and then through the Civil War, this book is not depressing....instead it is filled with hope and promise. (Not to say there aren't hard things in it...I didn't get teary-eyed a few times...) I LOVED the characters--there are 4 main characters you follow and they are each so believable even in their weaknesses... It also made me reflect on life and love and self-esteem. The author does a great job of bringing the characters to life in their speech and manners. "
— Lydia, 1/31/2014 -
" One of my favorite reads in a LONG time! I loved how the characters lives were woven together with such detail. The intersecting love stories and the way it all came together in the end was wholly satisfying. A wonderful book. "
— Christy, 1/18/2014 -
" This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. "
— Renea, 1/18/2014 -
" The story of four people around the Civil War. Two are slaves, one is an Irish immigrant and one is a Spanish immigrant turned abolitionist and suffragist. The characters felt like caricatures and the plot predictable. "
— Jennifer, 1/16/2014 -
" A great historical fiction set during the Civil War. Irish immigrants, slaves, great story telling. "
— Mychael-Ann, 1/13/2014 -
" Another book I loved. Treats Irish famine and immigration and slavery during Civil War time through stories of 4 people. Tender, insightful and helpful with history. "
— Kathleen, 1/11/2014 -
" Interesting historical fiction told from distinct points of view. The ending wrapped things up a bit too smoothly but an enjoyable read. "
— Julie, 11/30/2013 -
" A gorgeous book with wonderful characters. "
— Deb, 11/11/2013 -
" The Hunger of Ireland and The Civil War through the eyes of four characters. A little slow, but a good story. "
— Caren, 10/2/2013 -
" My Irish heritage, Slavery and the Civil War; what's not to love! Beautifully written with a happy ending. "
— Jacqueline, 9/18/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this story of the lives of four very different individuals during the Civil War period and of how their lives become intertwined to form two couples. "
— Margaret, 8/28/2013 -
" The stories of Irish immigrants and southern slaves are interwoven during the Civil War. Great historical fiction. "
— Patty, 8/3/2013 -
" Great historical book with characters that you will love! The Tale for Three Counties book choice for 2013 so the author will be in the area March 2013! Check out at your local Library for more information! : ) "
— Nancy, 4/26/2013 -
" I absolutey loved this book! The voice of each character,the historic time period.Each person I have recommended it to has loved it as much. A must read!!!!!!! "
— Robin, 4/7/2013 -
" This is an outstanding historical novel, told in the voices of slaves, Irish immigrants, and a Spanish abolitionist. It's a love story and a war story. The writing is poetically beautiful. Mr. Troy has a winner here, and I look forward to his next book. "
— Anne, 8/9/2012 -
" Civil War era historical fiction, well paced, alternating between points of view of two slaves and two European immigrants. I thought it kind of petered out at the end, so I'd give it a 3.5 if half stars were available. Otherwise, a very good read. "
— Joseph, 7/10/2012 -
" GREAT READ. LOVED THE WAY PETER TROY BROUGHT THE BEAUTIFULLY CREATED CHARACTERS TOGETHER IN THIS EPIC STORY OF THE CIVIL WAR. "
— Shirley, 6/16/2012
About Peter Troy
Peter Troy is a former journalist and high school history teacher.
About the Narrators
Allyson Johnson is an actress and singer who began performing at age twelve as coanchor of Bubble Gum Digest, for which she won an Emmy. After earning a degree in psychology from Brown University, she moved to New York where she became a social worker before shifting to a career in television and radio. Johnson has recorded countless commercials, promos, audiobooks, narrations, and animation series.
John Keating is an actor, voice talent, and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. His numerous acting credits include Roundabout Theatre’s production of Juno and the Paycock and La Mama ETC’s production of Cat and the Moon, as well as various parts with the Irish Repertory Theater and the Irish Arts Center. He can also be seen in the HBO miniseries John Adams, starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney.
Barrie Kreinik is an actor, singer, playwright, and voice-dialect coach based in New York City. Her audiobook narrations have earned an AudioFile Earphones Award. A graduate of the Brown/Trinity MFA acting program, she is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.
Adam Lazarre-White, best known for starring as Nathan Hastings on The Young & The Restless, also gained notoriety on Living Single, Girlfriends, Will & Grace, The Parkers, and in the Emmy Award–winning miniseries The Temptations. His other television and film credits include Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Deliver Us from Eva, Ocean’s 13, All about You, and Forgiveness. Lazarre-White has many credits as a voice artist on commercial radio, television, and film. He graduated from Harvard and then returned home to New York to train at Terry Schreiber Studios and continue his work on LA stages, notably in Romeo & Juliet, The Trojan Women, and Neil Labute’s This Is How It Goes.