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Remember Ben Clayton: A novel Audiobook
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(4.03) - 159 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
New York Times best-selling author Stephen Harrigan lit up the publishing world with his Spur Award-winning The Gates of the Alamo. The remarkable follow-up to that acclaimed hit, Remember Ben Clayton further cements Harrigan's place as a premier voice in American fiction. Exiled to Texas with his grown daughter, sculptor Francis "Gil" Gilheaney is commissioned to create a statue for a man who recently lost his son in WWI. But as work on the statue progresses, secrets slowly reveal themselves and Gil's fragile family threads begin to fray.
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"Harrigan's novel lets the characters develop and take shape slowly, much as the process of sculpting the commissioned statue of a Texas rancher's dead son does. Unlikely elements and people braid together in this fine story. It's a heart-breaking tale about the devastating power of secrets and the relationships between fathers and their children. I loved the setting of San Antonio and west Texas. Harrigan's meticulous research makes every detail ring true, whether it's about sculpting, restoring French landscapes destroyed during WW I, or Comanche raids in early Texas."
— Barbara (4 out of 5 stars)
Remember Ben Clayton Listener Reviews
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" I chose this as my book club selection and our city chose it for our community read. Great book, great Texas writer with a sweeping story of loss, and attempts to find peace. Recommend it highly "
— Michelle, 2/13/2014 -
" Since I have been going through some grief presently, I very much related to the depth of feeling in the characters. each had his/her own mourning to work through and secrets from the past to face. one charcater compared her own secrets to her father's and found that "her secrets were not gravely held, but simply her own business" (p. 320). another character comissions a statue of his son who died in The War knowing that the statue won't bring his son back, but wanting it anyway. That statue, standing alone in on a Texas plateau, is a beautiful meditation on memory and legacy. "
— Ms., 1/28/2014 -
" One of the better books I've ever read. Seriously. Beautiful and haunting. I can't possibly recommend it enough. "
— Jennifer, 1/22/2014 -
" sculpture, secrets, texas, france, world war II, father-daughter relationship, father-son relationship, whites, Indians, more secrets and lies "
— Michelle, 1/17/2014 -
" I learned a lot about sculpture and artists in this book, and about the pure reasons for art. "
— Diane, 1/17/2014 -
" I would have rated it a four, but then I read The Art of Fielding and I liked it much better. My mom really liked this one. Maybe I'll read it again sometime, or probably not. Too many great books to read. "
— Loreldonaghey, 1/10/2014 -
" A book to be savored. One of the best I've read in a long time, with excellent story telling, nicely defined characters, and writing that pulls you into the story and keeps you there even after you've finished reading. "
— Sam, 1/7/2014 -
" One of the best stories I have ever read! I identified with them and wanted to follow them as long as I could! "
— Susan, 12/24/2013 -
" I am really excited about this one :) "
— Leah, 12/23/2013 -
" Excellent, excellent read. Harrigan is one of my favorite authors. He takes history and spins quite an intriguing yarn out of it with multiple subplots, reminiscent of Shakespeare. "
— Patsy, 12/14/2013 -
" A very compelling read, the kind of book you don't want to put down. "
— Mary, 11/29/2013 -
" I had read one of Harrigan's books, so I was prepared for a good work. I really enjoyed this book. Good Texas story and some well-presented characters. "
— Clif, 10/16/2013 -
" Complex characters, intriguing story, held my interest, set after WWI , anti war themes, Very good read. "
— Kathyg, 2/11/2013 -
" I get the feeling it would have been good if I had been able to stick with it. "
— Linda, 11/22/2012 -
" Beautiful writing, story and characters. Rancher loses his son in WWI and wants to have a famous sculptor cast his son in bronze and mounted where no one can see it. parent/child relationships. Excellent. "
— Jill, 9/16/2012 -
" Harrigan's Gates of the Alamo was a sweeping epic, this one, while big in historical scope, is also more intimate and personal, and the characters will stay with you a long time. Beautiful writer. "
— Mary, 9/10/2012 -
" For Booklist's historical fiction issue (4/15) "
— Sarah, 5/8/2012 -
" This complex novel struck me as an odd cross between Crossing To Safety and All the Pretty Horses. Very well done! "
— Stan, 1/15/2012
About Stephen Harrigan
Stephen Harrigan, a longtime writer for Texas Monthly and many other magazines, is the author of the novels Aransas and Jacob’s Well. His other books include Water and Light: A Diver’s Journey to a Coral Reef and the essay collections A Natural State and Comanche Midnight. He lives in Austin, Texas.
About George Guidall
George Guidall, winner of more than eighty AudioFile Earphones Awards, has won three of the prestigious Audie Award for Excellence in Audiobook Narration. In 2014 the Audio Publishers Association presented him with the Special Achievement Award for lifetime achievement/ During his thirty-year recording career he has recorded over 1,700 audiobooks, won multiple awards, been a mentor to many narrators, and shown by example the potential of fine storytelling. His forty-year acting career includes starring roles on Broadway, an Obie Award for best performance off Broadway, and frequent television appearances.