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The Last Runaway Audiobook
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(3.00) - 4,195 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
New York Times bestselling author of Girl With a Pearl Earring and At the Edge of the Orchard Tracy Chevalier makes her first fictional foray into the American past in The Last Runaway, bringing to life the Underground Railroad and illuminating the principles, passions and realities that fueled this extraordinary freedom movement. Honor Bright, a modest English Quaker, moves to Ohio in 1850--only to find herself alienated and alone in a strange land. Sick from the moment she leaves England, and fleeing personal disappointment, she is forced by family tragedy to rely on strangers in a harsh, unfamiliar landscape. Nineteenth-century America is practical, precarious, and unsentimental, and scarred by the continuing injustice of slavery. In her new home Honor discovers that principles count for little, even within a religious community meant to be committed to human equality. However, Honor is drawn into the clandestine activities of the Underground Railroad, a network helping runaway slaves escape to freedom, where she befriends two surprising women who embody the remarkable power of defiance. Eventually she must decide if she too can act on what she believes in, whatever the personal costs.
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"Thoroughly enjoyable and my kindle version came with bonus explanatory notes on the background to the Underground Railway. I knew little about Quakers and found their faith interesting. If I hadn't just been floored by The Dovekeepers which I adored I am sure I would have given 5 stars."
— Ruth (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A rich, well-researched novel.”
— NPR -
“Chevalier...has accomplished something...emotionally riveting...The protagonist’s vividly human individuality makes the author’s pitch-perfect set piece about our nation’s (ongoing) growing pains irresistible.”
— Oprah.com -
“A powerful journey brimming with color and drama, The Last Runaway is Tracy Chevalier’s vivid engagement with an iconic part of American history.”
— Bookreporter.com -
“Haunting...[A] thought-provoking, lyrical novel.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Chevalier’s writing continues to have that can’t-put-it-down quality, and her change in settings from Europe to ninteenth-century frontier America is a welcome one. Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
A rich, well-researched novel—it’s the story of one young woman becoming an American.
— NPR, All Things Considered -
Well-told and engrossing . . . With compelling characters and swift pacing, ¬The Last Runaway adds a worthy new chapter to a story that has consumed generations.
— USA Today -
Irresistible.
— O, The Oprah Magazine“Chevalier admirably weaves historical figures and actual events into a compelling narrative. -
Evokes entire landscapes...a master of voices.
— New York Times Book Review (on Falling Angels) -
Chevalier's signature talent lies in bringing alive the ordinary day-to-dayness of the past...lovingly evoked.
— Elle (on Burning Bright) -
Absorbing...[Chevalier] creates a world reminiscent of a Vermeer interior: suspended in a particular moment, it transcends its time and place.
— The New Yorker (on Girl With a Pearl Earring) -
Chevalier's ringing prose is as radiantly efficient as well-tended silver.
— Entertainment Weekly (on Falling Angels).
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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An AudioFile Editors’ Pick for New Titles in April 2013
The Last Runaway Listener Reviews
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" I listened to the audiobook- it's a good production, a little slow but still enjoyable...much like Remarkable Creatures in style. "
— Deb, 2/19/2014 -
" I think this book started out slow, but kept me interested and then I could not put it down. Enjoyed it!!! "
— Patty, 2/13/2014 -
" I love Tracy Chevalier and I read most of her books. This is her worst yet, in my opinion "
— Rachel, 2/1/2014 -
" I particularly like early American fiction that tells a woman's story. This was a great immigrant story. If you like historical fiction you will love this book. "
— Margret, 1/28/2014 -
" Not that into it "
— Laurie, 1/17/2014 -
" Very interesting and enjoyable. I liked the main character and found the historical detail convincing. I felt like I had some sense of what living in the time period would be like. I also enjoyed the descriptions of small-town 19th century Ohio. "
— Patty, 1/16/2014 -
" Very interesting to think/learn about how different life would be if it was 1850 "
— Reva, 1/15/2014 -
" This book was very interesting. I learned some more about the Underground Railroad. I really enjoyed it. "
— Lori, 1/13/2014 -
" I did enjoy this book somewhat. However it lacked something. It was very descriptive in certain aspects and vague in others. At one point I thought about closing it and moving on to something else but for whatever reason I didnt. "
— Melanie, 12/31/2013 -
" well written. A good bed time read. "
— Mole, 11/30/2013 -
" I love Tracy Chevalier and read everything that she writes, but I find this one a bit disappointing. It was somewhat predictable and just left me wanting more. "
— Michelle, 11/26/2013 -
" So different from her other books in terms of time and place. I didn't know a lot about the Quakers' role in the underground railroad or Quakers in general, the quilting, customs, etc. I really enjoyed the story. "
— Jhwood31, 10/21/2013 -
" A quick, interesting read (if a tiny bit predictable). It is well-done. "
— Andrea, 9/12/2013 -
" Interesting through the entire book. I enjoyed this above The Girl with the Pearl Earring. "
— Melissa, 8/26/2013 -
" First novel I've read in ages and it was a page turner. Interesting insight into the railroad helping slaves escape from the South to Canada in the Nineteenth Century. Not as intellectually tight as previous works but I enjoyed it nonetheless! "
— Helena, 7/25/2013 -
" I'm kind of torn on how to rate this book. Her writing is usually so rich and I feel like this book was a downgrade of it. It definitely kept my interest but I kept waiting for more substance and just felt like something was missing and couldn't help feeling there were tinges of cliches in the book. "
— Oceantide74, 6/28/2013 -
" 3 1/2 stars. Chevalier again has written an excellent novel with a complex plot and superb characters. Well written and a page turner. "
— Veronica, 5/9/2013 -
" 3-1/2 stars. Not quite Girl with a Pearl Earring, but pretty good. Set in America rather than Europe, so a very different feel. "
— Abcdarian, 4/21/2013 -
" Very descriptive, and a quick, enjoyable read, but lacking the depth that I expected regarding the Underground Railroad and life as a Quaker in early Ohio. I wanted to be immersed in this story and time period and instead felt that I was experiencing the Lifetime version. "
— Kellie, 4/20/2013 -
" Engaging historical fiction with only some predictability. I love those Quakers and their convictions. "
— Nomi, 4/4/2013 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this book, while learning a little history too. "
— Rachel, 1/26/2013
About Tracy Chevalier
Tracy Chevalier is the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of ten novels, including Girl with a Pearl Earring, which has been translated into forty-three languages and made into an Oscar-nominated film. A Single Thread was named a Best Book of the Year by Time, USA Today, and seven other media.
About Kate Reading
Kate Reading, named an AudioFile Golden Voice, has recorded hundreds of audiobooks across many genres, over a thirty–year plus career and won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. Among other awards, she has been recognized as an AudioFile Magazine Voice of the Century, Narrator of the Year, Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy, and winner of an Publisher’s Weekly’s Listen-Up Award. She records at her home studio, Madison Productions, Inc., in Maryland.