The Well and the Mine Audiobook

" right from the start the characters in this book are easy to love. It's a book that's easy to read and catches your attention on sentence #1. Beautifully written and I look forward to reading more from this author. "

" I didn't think the characters and the way they interacted was entirely believable, yet I would like to believe families in their situation would have behaved this way. I loved that each family member was strong and likable in different ways. "

" Good story about life in a mining town in Alabama in the late '20's & early '30's & a secret they were trying to figure out. I would not have done well in that era, when I read about the work women (& men) had to do I know I would not have made it! "

" A very good read. I enjoyed the 5 different voices of the novel. Phillips tries to make you understand that all things aren't black and white. Thought it reflected well on what the modernists were trying to say about perspective. "

" Such a wonderful, tenderhearted story. I loved the characters, especially the sisters and their father - such a kind man. "

" wonderful companion to teaching about the Great Depression and the migrant farm period. Dynamic characters- the first paragraph will hook you....a bit confused sometimes as to who was who.... "

" Good story that is well written, told from the view points of five family members living in Alabama in the 1930's. "

" A really educational slice of life story set in a coal-mining town in the 1930s. All the more poignant in light of the Pyke River Mine tragedy. "

" I really liked this story. Each family member had their own voice in the story about a happening and their perspective on it. I wish the story could go on. "

" Absolutely loved this book. Best since Water for Elephants. Takes you right back into the time period... "

" Interesting picture of life during the Depression era in small-town Alabama. "

" This was on some list as one of the best books of the year, so I picked it up. And it's pretty good. It's captivating in it's descriptions of Southern life and the characters are believable and fleshed out, but I guess I wanted a little more from the story. "

" I kept waiting to really like this book but it never happened. It was fairly well written and a somewhat interesting but predictable story. I think the characters were all a bit two-dimensional though, so the book never really took off for me. "

" Makes you feel like your are right there. Taking you back to life in an old mining town. "

" Simple yet beautiful writing with real,lovable characters. "

" Well, I didn't actually finish this. It really wasn't going anywhere. "

" This book is exquisite. The prose is deliberate in a way that reminds me of The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter. My only complaint is that it should have been longer, because I fell in love with the characters so much that I had a hard time letting go. "

" Came across it around the time my class was reading Grapes of Wrath. Super interesting to read about the depression elsewhere other than the midwest. Loved the style of the multiple narrators. "

" I wanted to like this book, but I found I could not connect with the characters, and, as a consequence, I wasn't interested in their reactions to a horrible event. "

" Unusual format , gradually unfolding. An enjoyable read. "

" 4.5 stars - this is my 2009 "Tomato Girl" - I love southern fiction. "

" I didn't LOVE this book like some, but thought it was a good read nonetheless. "

" A super quick read but a nice contrast between the slow, Southern style. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it all made sense in the end in the bigger picture of it all. "

" Gin Phillips beautifully and accurately puts us in a mining town during an era before civil rights or OASHA, and gives us characters that are fully formed, complex, and warm blooded. "

" Wasn't blown away. I felt like it dragged. Good character development but the plot wasn't very strong. "

" I didn't love this book like some, but thought it was a good read nonetheless. "

" A lovely book, written with intertwining chapters, voiced by the different characters. Gives a good description of life in a small mining town in the 1930s. "

" Excellent novel of coal mining town in Alabama in 1931. A baby is put down a well and 2 sisters try to discover who did it. Not as gruesome as it sounds. Author has a wonderful ear for dialogue and an eye for charming detail. "

" Fantastic first novel. Beautfifully written - amazing characterization about a small mining town. "

" I really liked this book. The characters and their dialogue was so engaging. "

" Read during a stay in the Panamanian interior - having just come from my brother's in Texas - so applicable in some ways! Good characters and a good story. "

" good to change it up- a different read for me "

" Although the author painted a clear picture of life in the South, I had no interest in finishing the book after about 3/4 of the way. "

" Although I seldom wanted to pick this book up and read it, once I did I had no problem getting into it. Overall I liked it, but I felt like the story moved along at the rate of molasses. "

" A very good read. I enjoyed the 5 different voices of the novel. Phillips tries to make you understand that all things aren't black and white. Thought it reflected well on what the modernists were trying to say about perspective. "

" Well, I didn't actually finish this. It really wasn't going anywhere. "

" Loved this book. I loved the characters and the writing style. No real climax to the story but instead of disappointment I just enjoyed the beauty of the story. "