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The Keepers of the House Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,121 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Entrenched on the same land since the early 1800s, the Howlands have for seven generations been pillars of their Southern community. Extraordinary family lore has been passed down to Abigail—the last remaining member of the esteemed family and the last keeper of the house—but not all of it.
When shocking facts come to light about the late William Howland’s secret marriage to his black housekeeper, the community quickly gathers to vent its outrage upon Abigail and the Howland house itself.
Shaken but defiant, Abigail—compelled to go back through the family history in order to understand herself, her father, and the South—will now, in the name of all her brothers and sisters, take her bitter revenge on the small-minded Southern town that has shamed them and persecuted them but will never destroy them.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1965, The Keepers of the House is Shirley Ann Grau’s masterwork, a many-layered indictment of racism and rage that is as terrifying as it is wise. Morally intricate, graceful and suspenseful, it has become a modern classic.
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"American historical....1800s-1950s South....unique commentary on the ridge between white and black in relationship to self, town, and land. Recommend for the refreshing take and unexpected, unforced, insight."
— Kim (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Shirley Ann Grau is one of those rare writers who create a world, draw the reader into it, and make him somehow happy there, no matter what goes on…One comes to the novel’s end with a sense of loss and leaves that world with reluctance.”
— Newsweek -
“A beautifully written book.”
— Atlantic -
“Her best novel.”
— Saturday Review -
“Each year, I reread three authors—Toni Morrison, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Shirley Ann Grau. No one else writes about the landscape of Louisiana as she does, but also about the landscape of bitter love and family dreams, of sex not as romance but as commerce and experiment and mystery, of people adrift in their lives and people so tethered to their own pieces of earth. Keepers of the House is a masterpiece of history and race and the fragile yet tenuous ownership of land and love.”
— Susan Straight, National Book Award finalist -
“What a privilege to discover an older book that turns out to be better than most contemporary fiction. We can thank Blackstone for this pleasure…Anna Fields’ dramatic reading brings each of the Howlands vividly to life.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Winner of the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
The Keepers of the House Listener Reviews
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" I read this book 40 years ago and still remember it's power - and truth. "
— Donna, 2/19/2014 -
" This book is a poignant look into race relations in the South. "
— Sara, 2/1/2014 -
" Just finished this book for book club, ahead of schedule! Interesting characters but hard to understand some of their motives (and connect with most of them). The writing was excellent though! "
— Miriam, 1/17/2014 -
" Fantastic book--I couldn't put it down. Historical Fiction with a big twist at the end. "
— Chris, 1/15/2014 -
" Lacked character development and in the end was predictable. "
— LisaB, 1/15/2014 -
" Very good character study of a southern family. Starts out slow, but I was drawn in and it leads to a great climax. "
— Claudia, 12/16/2013 -
" Pulitzer. I read this in 60s, not long after it came out. It was anti-southern. "
— Alan, 12/14/2013 -
" Expected more. When I was done I wondered why I read the whole thing. Story and plot only so-so. "
— Ora, 12/12/2013 -
" I learned some about Free Jack slaves. "
— Bonnie, 11/20/2013 -
" I love a story about vengeance. "
— Linda, 11/8/2013 -
" Strange characters, most unlikable and very strange ending. "
— Jessie, 10/8/2013 -
" So nicely from the 'old days' with farming and how-to-do jobs. The topic of racism was written in slowly but then, it is done in the south. "
— Mom/aka:Annette, 8/9/2013 -
" It is beautifully written. These slave narratives are just very difficult to push through. "
— Tajma, 12/20/2012 -
" I understand why this book won a Pulitzer. "
— Phhornbuckle, 7/25/2012 -
" One of my favorite books EVER!!! This story captures the tortured past that many southern families deal with. This book was amazing. "
— Shayna, 3/27/2012 -
" I loved this Pulitzer Prize winning novel. It covered the issues of control within the South and it's unique family dynamics across the racial barriers. So well written I did not want to finish it. "
— Sharon, 2/1/2012 -
" I chose to read this after The Help. It was written in 1964 so it's being "resurrected" "
— Rebecca, 11/27/2011 -
" Not a big fan of this book, probably because the plotline revelation that was so "shocking" is kind of passe in this day and age. Some stories are timeless; this one is dated. It's almost offensive that people would make such a big deal about multiracial family members. "
— Emily, 11/22/2011 -
" Had a lot of problems with Abigail and her section, but overall a pretty good read. "
— Jena, 10/17/2011 -
" Took awhile to get into, but the second half was awesome! Great story of revenge. "
— Cclarke39, 6/25/2011 -
" A different perspective on racial tensions in US. Good narrative, perhaps not the greatest read ever but interesting and captivating. "
— Eilagh, 6/8/2011 -
" Great story, engaging writing, I can understand why it won the Pulitzer. It sucked me in! "
— Michael, 1/25/2011 -
" I chose to read this after The Help. It was written in 1964 so it's being "resurrected" "
— Rebecca, 12/1/2010 -
" 2d time ive been disappointed by a pulitzer prize winner, first time was Coetzee and his weird rape fantasies, this book was all description of trees and stuff and no characters but cardboard, did seem kinda authentic tho "
— Tania, 10/3/2010 -
" Strange characters, most unlikable and very strange ending. "
— Jessie, 6/2/2010 -
" Pulitzer prize winner Grau weaves a great story "
— Colleen, 5/30/2010 -
" Audio Book -- read by Anna Fields "
— Karen, 4/25/2010 -
" It is beautifully written. These slave narratives are just very difficult to push through. "
— Tajma, 9/21/2009 -
" Good book about the how the past can continue to influence events in the present. "
— Karen, 5/5/2009 -
" This one is awfully slow to start. The final section, when Grau really gets into the story of the narrator, and discusses racism in the South in the 1960s is fascinating; I'd give that part on its own 4 stars. The build up to that section is quite a bit slower. "
— Aly, 4/16/2009 -
" One of my favorite books EVER!!! This story captures the tortured past that many southern families deal with. This book was amazing. "
— Shayna, 4/1/2009
About Shirley Ann Grau
Shirley Ann Grau, born in New Orleans in 1929, has spent most of her adult life in the Creole region. Not surprisingly, the powerful works of this major American author often reflect the isolated bayous and their French-speaking residents, but her fiction is equally at home with the fiercely independent people of small Southern towns and the sophisticated upper class of New Orleans. Her critically acclaimed first book, The Black Prince and Other Stories, established her as a talented new writer, and her fifth, The Keepers of the House, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1965.
About Anna Fields
Kate Fleming (a.k.a. Anna Fields) (1965–2006), winner of more than a dozen Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award in 2004, was one of the most respected narrators in the industry. Trained at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, she was also a director, producer, and technician at her own studio, Cedar House Audio.