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On Agate Hill Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,877 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A dusty box discovered in the wreckage of a once prosperous plantation on Agate Hill in North Carolina contains the remnants of an extraordinary life: diaries, letters, poems, songs, newspaper clippings, court records, marbles, rocks, dolls, and bones. It’s through these treasured mementos that we meet Molly Petree.
Raised in those ruins and orphaned by the Civil War, Molly is a refugee who has no interest in self-pity. When a mysterious benefactor appears out her father’s past to rescue her, she never looks back.
Spanning half a century, On Agate Hill follows Molly’s passionate, picaresque journey through love, betrayal, motherhood, a murder trial―and back home to Agate Hill under circumstances she never could have imagined.
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"This was a very unique book. It starts off with a letter from a young girl who is writing to a college asking to be let back into the program she was in. She tells the director of this school that she has a diary and some letters from the civil war. It is unclear if she sends the Director all that she has or just writes to tell him about it but then the book switches over to the diary and so the story begins. The setting is Agate Hill, North Carolina and it is just after the Civil War ended. Molly Petree is the author of the diary. She begins to tell about the people that have come to live on Agate Hill after her mother and father and brother have died. At first, I was not that thrilled about the story. It was difficult for me to follow all the characters and how they were related to Molly. Since it was told in the form of a diary, it made it even more difficult. But then, when Simon Black comes and takes Mary to the private school in Virginia, I started to take more interest in the story. From that moment on, I began to like it a little better. This is normally not my favorite genre. But since this was a book club book, I felt obligated to give it a try. I am glad I did. It is such an extraordinary work, I don’t think I will forget it."
— Kellie (4 out of 5 stars)
On Agate Hill Listener Reviews
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" This was my first novel by Lee Smith. It didn't move as quickly as I thought it would after reading the beginning but it was a very good book. Told from the different perspectives of the characters....through diary entries, letters, songs, etc. It was an interesting format and I liked getting the different perspectives. I thought the first half of the book moved slowly. Then things started moving quickly and a lot of time was covered during a character's testimony of some events. I felt that the characters in this section did not get the development that previously introduced characters did. I wanted to get to know Jacky better....I thought I had a good sense of him as a person but it wasn't that clear. I felt a sense of loss kind of permiated the entire book but in the end there is a feeling of contentment and satisfaction with life. "
— Mirah, 2/14/2014 -
" This was my second Lee Smith book and, oh my, what a great read. As in Oral History, Ms. Smith tells her story through journal entries, letters, and other archived information. This story is set post Civil War and tells the tale of one young lady from roughly 13 to the end of her life. In the telling Ms. Smith lays out life in the times of tragic loss but does so with an air of hopeful optimism and mystery. As with Oral History I walk away with a sense of how much stronger we are in the face of adversity than we may believe we are on any average sunny day. I will read as many Lee Smith novels as I can get my hands on. Run, don't walk, and grab up a few for yourself before I snap them all up. "
— Judy, 2/14/2014 -
" Lyrically written, this book takes you through the life of Molly Petree. I loved it. "
— Summer, 2/12/2014 -
" I liked the way the story was told... as if researching a historic figure/event. "
— Laura, 2/1/2014 -
" Interesting story, but the varying source material sometimes seemed too complete to be true. "
— Cara, 1/25/2014 -
" Reading this for my book group - Books by the Lake. We are meeting 11/19 to discuss and our discussion question is "Why is this written in the form of a diary?" I love this book - it's one of those books that makes you want to sneak and read it every chance you get. "
— Charlene, 1/25/2014 -
" I tried to read this and it became one of the few books I just did not want to finish. The underlined text bothered me...just could not make myself care about the people or plot. After reading several reviews it still does not make me want to finish. I set it aside. "
— Terri, 1/24/2014 -
" Rich characters, well-developed story told in letter and diary format. Enjoyed it, especially the feisty main character, Molly Petree. "
— Heather, 1/18/2014 -
" Great book from one of my fave authors. "
— Juliat, 1/18/2014 -
" At times, this book seemed a little boring and it was kind of hard to get in to, but overall ti was a good book. "
— Shirice, 1/4/2014 -
" Loved this book! One I would read again! "
— Linda, 12/31/2013 -
" I couldn't finish this book. I couldn't see where the book was going. Very descriptive, but not for me. "
— Colleen, 11/22/2013 -
" great book, still wondering about what became of some of the characters... "
— Charlene, 8/1/2013 -
" In my opinion, this is Smith's best book since Fair and Tender Ladies. Despite lots of other things I needed to do, I just couldn't put this book down! It is all letters and diary entries and goes really fast. Loved it ... "
— Stephanie, 10/22/2012 -
" Really enjoyed this. Captivating story told from a novel point of view. Well done. "
— Shannon, 9/1/2012 -
" Who doesn't love an independently-minded girl/woman as a protagonist? The story of a girl in the post-Civil War South who wants to forge her own path is filled with rich characters & descriptions. "
— Susan, 8/18/2012 -
" Since this book was set in the South right after the Civil War, I was bound to enjoy it! It was good, but not great. A few scenes were too dark for my taste, but the overall story was enjoyable and I would recommend it. "
— Phoebe, 5/18/2012 -
" I didn't actually finish this one. I lost interest when the heroine was packed off to boarding school and the POV changed. "
— Autumn, 5/2/2012 -
" Set in the post Civil War time period, the story revolves around a "ghost" child, Molly. She has lost all of her family and is currently living with her Uncle. She is given a diary to tell of her life. The book is built on her diary. Really fascinating. "
— Susie, 3/19/2012 -
" Slow to start but okay overall "
— Daepps10, 1/27/2012 -
" Molly Petree was an interesting character and I enjoyed her story. A well-done strong southern woman book. "
— Rachael, 1/22/2012 -
" Good read, but sort of fizzled at the end, and the premise of the student researcher seemed unnecessary. "
— Melissa, 11/28/2011 -
" This book is a pre-reconstruction account in diary form. It is one of my favorite ways to read history. "
— Heather, 11/14/2011 -
" If I could I would give this 3 1/2 stars. The writing is beautiful and I love the Molly character and how she overcomes such adversity. It does tend to drag and reads pretty slowly. "
— Holly, 11/5/2011 -
" Carolina early history "
— Roni, 7/11/2011 -
" Slow to start. The story of one girls life told by several different characters. Once you are past the first couple oc chapters the book picks up. Once you are finished with the book I guarantee you will think about it the next day + "
— Kimaltheide, 5/23/2011 -
" Lyrically written, this book takes you through the life of Molly Petree. I loved it. "
— Summer, 5/10/2011 -
" I love that this book talks about NC and that the author's from Hillsborough. Read it in 3 days when I should have been studying. It was that good. "
— Kaitlyn, 4/29/2011 -
" I loved this book! It was a great historical fiction novel set in the Civil War era. "
— Pam, 4/29/2011 -
" I love Lee Smith's books and it had been a while since I read one but this one was awesome! Love the voices she gives the characters. "
— Megan, 4/6/2011 -
" I really, really enjoyed this book. Very authentic voice to the characters, lots of good descriptions, and just some beautiful writing. I will definitely be looking for other books by this author. "
— Beth, 3/6/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book. A historical fiction that jumps from the present (Plantation is being turned in to a B&B) to the past (Find diary of a Civil War young woman and trace her life to her passing.). Lots of diary entries which I enjoy. "
— Lyn, 1/29/2011 -
" Reading Lee Smith is liking going home. I have loved her work for years, and she continues to impress me. "
— Leslie, 1/10/2011 -
" Lovely! Historical romance set during and after the Civil War but told via diaries and letters. "
— Sarah, 12/26/2010 -
" If you love historical fiction and enjoy reading about life in the 19th century, you will love this book. "
— Pat, 12/4/2010 -
" Interesting story, but the varying source material sometimes seemed too complete to be true. "
— Cara, 11/6/2010 -
" Really liking book. It was sad and compelling. Lee Smith is a wonderful author...can't wait to read somthing else from her. "
— Elizabeth, 10/22/2010 -
" So incredibly beautiful. I want to live in some of Lee Smith's sentences... "
— Gabby, 9/28/2010 -
" The author lives and teaches in North Carolina and I picked up this book when we visited there. Set just after the Civil War, it tells the story of spitfire Molly Petree through her box of memorabilia- letters, poems, artifacts, etc. I quite liked it. "
— Jan, 9/21/2010
About Lee Smith
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.
About the Narrators
Danielle Ferland performed in her first Broadway musical production, Sunday in the Park with George, at the age of thirteen. She is best known for her Drama Desk-nominated role as Little Red Riding Hood in the original 1987 Broadway production of Into the Woods. She also appeared in theatrical productions of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, and Moliere’s Tartuffe.
Katie Firth is a qualified and highly experienced voice coach and actress. She has a background in theater, psychology, and applied linguistics and is thus uniquely placed to work with the complexities of human communication as expressed through the word, body, and voice. For more than fifteen years she has coached individuals and groups in a variety of professional environments in theater, film, politics, the NHS, and the corporate sector.