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Oral History Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,697 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Oral History, the lyrical saga of a Virginia mountain family, follows four generations of Cantrells over more than a century. With each chapter, Lee Smith, a master of regional voices, adds another branch to a family tree that sings with secrets and sadness, beauty and joy. Researching an assignment for an Oral History course, Jennifer drives to the Virginia hills where her mother and father grew up. Raised by a stepmother, the young college student wonders why her father never talks of her real mother or relatives. So from the moment she steps out of the car, Jennifer is intrigued by the mystery of her heritage. One by one, the Cantrells tell of lives filled with vitality, colored by the land and family history. Through the voices of a full cast of narrators, Lee Smith's remarkable novel becomes a truly extraordinary listening experience.
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"Once again: I love characterization. Lee Smith tells the story of generations of an Appalachian Mountain family in first person, but as many people. You have the old Granny at first with her traditional way of speaking, a young school teacher from Richmond with his pretentious language, all the way up to a modern-day hill-billy country diction. It's incredible how the author changed her voice throughout the novel to match her characters. I loved the book!"
— Michaela (4 out of 5 stars)
Oral History Listener Reviews
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" Borrrring...sorry! "
— Your, 2/12/2014 -
" I had to read this for a college course. I liked it, but read it in one night for an exam the next day. I really wasn't able to enjoy it the way I should have. It was a neat story, though. "
— Ashley, 2/10/2014 -
" An amazing and fun story of people up in the mountains. It tells the story of the family line from different people throughout the family's history. An engaging read. "
— Natalie, 1/21/2014 -
" Really enjoyed reading this book. It was an English assignment and I truly did not think it was going to be this good. "
— Anabil, 1/14/2014 -
" Lee Smith has the unique ability to get inside her characters and project each vantage point...perfectly. Historical way of life in Appalachia with cherished customs, music, folklore, and drawl that still echo from craggy mountains and hidden "hollers" today. Loved the unexpected conversation at the end of the book between Lee Smith and Jink! "
— Nancy, 1/7/2014 -
" Fantastic book. I read this for a class in college on Southern writers. At first I wasn't sure I'd like it, boy was I wrong! "
— Kia, 12/10/2013 -
" If you ever get a chance to see Lee Smith in person, do so. She's v entertaining. "
— Megan, 11/29/2013 -
" Another great story by Lee Smith. I love southern writers,don't know why. "
— Susie, 11/1/2013 -
" An interesting book by a good southern writer. "
— Ron, 10/31/2013 -
" Lee Smith is a native of the mountains of the south. She takes her reader though a kind of life, past and present, that most readers could only imagine. I am glad to have read about the southern mountain people in a book written by a skillful, native guide. "
— Sandy, 10/29/2013 -
" This was one of my "liten and walk" books. I would advise reading the words as I found it somewhat hard to follow. May just do that as I think if were to reread it. "
— Barbara, 10/29/2013 -
" I did a 25 page paper in graduate school on this book. My thesis was something about the presence of black magic and witchcraft as it mingles with Southern Baptist ritual in rural Appalachia. "
— Rae, 3/17/2013 -
" The idea was good, but I would have enjoyed a cleaner version more. The middle section was a bit rough in places. I did like the Family History approach and finding the family stories. I just would rather do with out the sexual abuse/encounters that were described. "
— Ann, 11/18/2012 -
" Thought this was another of her books. Actually haven't read this one. "
— Lee, 10/6/2012 -
" It felt like a bad Peyton Place meets Appalacia with a witch thrown in. "
— Debra, 6/18/2012 -
" This story takes place in the mountains of Virginia, where my life story bones lie. It was close to my heart to read. Lee Smith is a wonderful writer! But I love this book because of the familiarity of it -- it was like reading my journal or my grandmother's journal. Sigh . . . "
— Cathy, 3/1/2012 -
" Very authentic voices, but disjointed and plotless. "
— Kate, 2/29/2012 -
" this book is so beautifully written, it's like a movie where the cinematography is so gorgeous you want to rewind and watch certain parts again - i kept re-reading certain sentences. one of my all time favorite books. "
— Melissa, 1/27/2012 -
" Lee Smith is a "local" author, I think from Shawsville, VA. I also think she studied at Hollins University in Roanoke. Excellent story about life in rural Virginia back when. I recommend this, as well at Fair and Tender Ladies, and Saving Grace. "
— Jodie, 11/6/2011 -
" This book was my introduction to Lee Smith. An Incredible read. One of the most entrancing and haunting beginnings to a novel that I have ever read. "
— John, 10/31/2011 -
" Even though I'm a Yankee through and through, Lee Smith is one of my favorite authors. "
— Pattie, 10/25/2011 -
" I am captivated by the way Lee Smith can capture the heart and soul of the Appalachian people! The language and way of life seems to be spot-on! Looking forward to reading additional books by this author! "
— Kathy, 7/11/2011 -
" Not my usual taste in books, but this was hard to put down. Very authentic, kept me interested. Love this author. "
— Anita, 6/29/2011
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
Bleak December Inc. is a multimedia company founded by Canadian actor and filmmaker Anthony D.P. Mann.
C. J. Critt is a veteran of Broadway, regional theater, poetry slams, and solo shows. Hailed “Spoken Word Queen” by the Dallas Observer, Critt is a produced writer-director, an Audie nominee, and a CableACE Award winner.
Jeff Woodman is an actor and narrator. He is a winner of the prestigious Audie Award and a six-time finalist. He has received twenty Earphones Awards and was named the 2008 Best Voice in Fiction & Classics, as well as one of the Fifty Greatest Voices of the Century by AudioFile magazine. As an actor, he originated the title role in Tennessee Williams’ The Notebook of Trigorin and won the S. F. Critics’ Circle Award for his performance in An Ideal Husband. In addition to numerous theater credits on and off Broadway, his television work includes Sex and the City, Law & Order, and Cosby.
Ruth Ann Phimister has appeared off Broadway and in numerous regional productions, including Life with Father with Robert Reed. She has also worked in television, film, and commercial voice-over.
Sally Darling, a graduate of Wellesley, made her professional debut as Anna in The King and I with members of the original Broadway cast. She worked with Katherine Houghton in a production of Murder in the Cathedral performed in the chapel at West Point Military Academy. As a director, she has workshopped productions of musicals slated for Broadway. She has directed numerous regional productions and has created several revues. She is also an acclaimed audiobook narrator.
Tom Stechschulte (1948–2021) was an acclaimed narrator and winner of the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He had been a college athlete and business major when a friend dared him to audition for a play. He got the part and traded the locker room for the dressing room, eventually taking him to New York City and to recording audiobooks.