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The Wake of Forgiveness Audiobook
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(3.01) - 625 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
This accomplished debut novel from Bruce Machart has drawn critical raves. In 1895 Texas, Karel Skala enters the world while his mother dies in childbirth. Fifteen years later, guilt-stricken Karel puts his family's fortunes on the line in a horse race against a powerful Spanish patriarch. "Machart's moving story unfolds lyrically and sensually, with little fanfare, as his thoughtful prose propels a character-driven story about family, morality, and redemption."-Publishers Weekly
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"I might just as well have rated this 05; Texas dirt farmers – fascinating. The writing is fabulous and even though all the characters of any weight are male I could identify very closely.On reflection – this is a book I really remember. I'm going to upgrade it to a five "
— Marilyn (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The Wake of Forgiveness, which hails from the Robert Olmstead school of western, is a dark tale about fathers and sons, missing mothers, and the poison that lies at the heart of the question, Who’s to blame?”
— Washington Post -
“Machart’s prose is so evocative that you can smell the men’s cheap tobacco and corn mash, feel the bare, hard-packed earth from which they coax crops. Their dialogue, rural south Texas vernacular, is spare, gnarled, and often funny. In addition to the violence, betrayals, and cruelty of an old-fashioned western, The Wake of Forgiveness also finds redemption.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“The big state of Texas is home to many good writers, and the arrival of Bruce Machart’s debut novel shows there’s always room for one more.”
— Dallas Morning News -
“Machart writes fine idiomatic dialogue and unwinds textured details of farm life, horse racing, and the vagaries of the weather.”
— Houston Chronicle -
“Such evocative prose helps make Machart’s novel a standout this year, in any genre.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer -
“This is pure literature; an emphasis on language over plot; risky, complex, and often unlikable characters and that echo, that ripple that flows forward into the future and backward into myth.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Bruce Machart has penned a dazzling, gratifying tale of retribution, redemption, and morality.”
— San Antonio Express-News -
“In his luminous and wrenching tale of four motherless brothers, Machart skillfully evokes the rural Texas landscape.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“A mesmerizing, mythic saga.”
— New York Times -
“Machart’s moving story unfolds lyrically and sensually, with little fanfare, as his thoughtful prose propels a character-driven story about family, morality, and redemption.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Awards
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Selected for the October 2010 Indie Next List
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Recipient of the Barnes & Noble Discover Award
The Wake of Forgiveness Listener Reviews
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" At first I thought this might be too detailed and rough. but I found that I really ilked the style and the story. It seems this author ahas written short stories beofre now so I will try to get holed of some of those. "
— Athy, 2/12/2014 -
" So, a book filled with nasty characters doing nasty things to each other in a nasty setting. Added to that, the narrative jumps back and forth in time, arbitrarily and capriciously. Disliking the book so, I found it easy to put down for long stretches, so the garbled time-line really bothered me. It might not have done had I cared to read in longer swatches. I only persevered because it was our book club's selection. I did not finish. I feel no remorse. I but wonder at the NYT reviewer whose glowing review made us want to read this lump in the first place. Paid off? Repaying a debt? Illiterate? Things that make me say, "hmmm." "
— Mackay, 2/12/2014 -
" This book was so very male, yet had moments of such sweetness. I really enjoyed the charcters and Karel's sort of evolution. The structure in which we read the book brought everything together so well. "
— Shannon, 2/10/2014 -
" This book was good but it was very easy for me to put down. :) It was a Amazon favorite of 2010. "
— Darcie, 1/22/2014 -
" good read. somewhat similar in storyline to mccormac and mcmurtry. protagonist not a likeable character but with a reason "
— Harry, 12/30/2013 -
" Oh, this book was so good but so hard! It made me so sad. But the writing was really gorgeous, worth it in the end. Be in a nostalgic/macho/contemplative/no-nonsense mood when you read this, ideally. That shouldn't be too difficult, right? "
— Charlotte, 12/12/2013 -
" A poor man's Cormic McCarthy. "
— Jeff, 12/9/2013 -
" Had trouble getting through it. May just not be my kind of book. "
— Lilly, 11/18/2013 -
" Just couldn't get into it. "
— Tkal, 10/15/2013 -
" Wow. This was a hard book to read (emotionally), but beautifully written with an amazing ending. "
— Lelygr, 10/15/2013 -
" good story - wonderful writing "
— Fran, 8/21/2013 -
" I wanted to like it but I just didn't. "
— Allison, 6/8/2013 -
" An interesting and well-written debut. I wished there had been a little more to the story. "
— Al, 1/13/2013 -
" Brilliant book from an up and coming writer and rich with the history of the Texas Czechs. The story rivals Faulkner. Nicely done. "
— David, 6/26/2012 -
" Very powerful book. I don't like the comparisons to Cognac mccarthy, but I can see why people make them. The writing ou's not spare, ams he uses punctuation <br/><br/>Great story, loads of redemption. "
— Dan, 6/22/2011 -
" A terrific read. Like a tender Cormac McCarthy. Violent, lean, understated, vivid, and full of longing. "
— Thomas, 5/23/2011 -
" Where's the plot? Too much language, not enough action. Some weird descriptions I take issue with. Much moving back and forth in time to make up for the lack of action. I believe this author is one to watch and I look forward to his next effort, but this one made me lose patience. "
— Kathy, 5/4/2011 -
" new author. I really enjoyed his writing in this book. The character was interesting. I will read other books by Bruce Machart "
— Diana, 5/4/2011 -
" I'd probably give this another half star if I could. Nice writing, if a little self-absorbed, but the story, though engaging, was soooo predictable. "
— Steve, 4/16/2011 -
" A story about four brothers and takes place in Texas between 1895 and 1925. Pretty good story. It started slow but picked up toward the end. "
— Cheryl, 4/16/2011 -
" This book was good but it was very easy for me to put down. :) It was a Amazon favorite of 2010. "
— Darcie, 4/8/2011 -
" I wanted to like it but I just didn't. "
— Allison, 3/9/2011 -
" Thoughtful and provocative. I read this carefully. "
— Karen, 3/4/2011
About Bruce Machart
Bruce Machart’s fiction has appeared in Zoetrope: All-Story, Glimmer Train, Story, One-Story, and
elsewhere, and has been anthologized in Best
Stories of the American West. A graduate of the MFA program at Ohio State
University, he currently lives and teaches in Houston.
About Henry Strozier
Henry Strozier is an actor with a forty-year career in numerous movies and television series. Also a voice-over artist, he has worked extensively in video games and audiobook narration, earning several AudioFile Earphones Awards.