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The Woman Lit by Fireflies Audiobook
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(3.05) - 845 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Across the odd contours of the American landscape, people are searching for the things that aren’t irretrievably lost, for the incandescent beneath the ordinary. An ex-Bible student with raucously asocial tendencies rescues the preserved body of an Indian chief from the frigid depths of Lake Superior in a caper that nets a wildly unexpected bounty. A band of sixties radicals, now approaching middle age, reunite to free an old comrade from a Mexican jail. A fifty-year-old suburban housewife flees quietly from her abusive businessman husband at a highway rest stop, exploring the bittersweet pageant of the preceding years within the sanctuary of an Iowa cornfield. The Woman Lit by Fireflies is a sweeping tribute to the nation’s heartland and the colorful, courageous people who inhabit it.
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"I've been tempted to read one of Harrison's novels, but his novellas are so engaging it's difficult to put them down. In "The Woman Lit By Fireflies," I found three stories that wrapped Harrison's unique sense of place with unforgettable characters. The character of Brown Dog has grown on me like an ugly but comfortable sweater, much the same that areas of the upper mid west have become almost familiar to me through Harrison's view."
— Timothy (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A talented writer who understands the human heart…exciting and impressive.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“A luminous, satisfying collection. Harrison has a powerful imagination…these sharp and surprising stories will outlive most of us.”
— USA Today -
“A compelling sense of movement and character, prose marked by clarity and beautifully eclectic erudition, ribaldry, and humor…a haunting, gifted writer who can’t be shoved into any category.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Harrison has a narrative voice that fairly defies the reader to ignore it…For Harrison, life is a story, and it’s the one that he can tell with the best of them.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“A brilliant tour de force…Jim Harrisonat his peak: comic, erotic, and insightful.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“The three novellas in this production depict vastly different landscapes of the human heart…Porter is eminently believable as the tough, hard-drinking B.D., whose strong timbre is filled with intensity [in Brown Dog]…Harrison’s poetic side paints a vivid thriller in Sunset Limited, narrated by Carrington MacDuffie…[who] strikes just the right unaffected yet expressive tones while narrating this compelling tale…Lorna Raver’s delivery resonates with Clare’s gentle strength as she reflects upon her past [in The Woman Lit By Fireflies].”
— AudioFile -
“Much in these tales will satisfy and occasionally surprise Harrison’s fans.”
— Library Journal
The Woman Lit by Fireflies Listener Reviews
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" I really enjoyed these short stories. One of the stories features my neighborhood, Burt Lake and the Indian cemetery across from my house. "
— Ann, 2/4/2014 -
" Part of a trilogy about modern generations growing up on the parire in Nebraska. Horses and the great outdoors big themese , very beautiful descriptions...see Dalva and Woman lit by Fireflies "
— Christine, 2/1/2014 -
" Three short stories about misunderstood people. The best of the three was "Brown Dog," the story of an Indian of the Upper Peninsula and a intellectual woman who tries to change his errant ways. Their love for each other is entirely different, maybe they read into each other what they want to see. At the end she gives up on him and he is unchanged. "
— Terry, 1/25/2014 -
" Good. Very good. Unfortunately, I'd already read "Legends of the Fall," a collection to which almost nothing can stand up. The novellas in "Legends" made an indellible mark on me. These were interesting, though not as powerful. Still worth the time, obviously. Thanks, Jim, for your excellent work. "
— Damon, 1/25/2014 -
" Love the 1st and 3rd story. Found the middle piece so-so. "
— Travis, 1/10/2014 -
" I love the final story in this collection, entitled "The Woman Lit by Fireflies." It was poetic and reflective and the style of writing drew me into the story. I wasn't impressed with the other two stories, but I liked it enough to stick with it all the way through, and was rewarded in the end. "
— Artistlace, 12/31/2013 -
" This is one of his best! And, that's saying a lot!! "
— Susen, 12/25/2013 -
" 3 novellas -- the last two are probably only 3s, but the first one is so close to a 5 that it brought the whole collection up. "
— Christy, 12/24/2013 -
" The title story stays with you for a long, long time... "
— Clif, 12/21/2013 -
" Agreed, first story is beautiful, but the stylistic changes of the second story (third yet to read) didn't add anything. "
— Sasha, 12/20/2013 -
" This is the first book by this author that I have read. I found the voices if the characters and the descriptions of place engrossing. "
— Andrea, 10/29/2013 -
" Finished title story and began reading it again. "
— Sara, 10/28/2013 -
" after Brown Dog it kinda fell short ... "
— Charlie, 10/21/2013 -
" Three novellas told well. "
— Nathan, 10/19/2013 -
" Audiobook - "
— Bebe, 10/7/2013 -
" I'm a little torn. My brother is a huge Harrison fan and I usually share his taste. "Brown Dog" was hilarious and I look forward to reading further stories. "Sunset Limited" was wonderfully woven, but "Woman Lit by Fireflies" was so painful and boring I had to force myself to finish it. "
— Marissa, 7/24/2013 -
" O man, that Brown Dog! I feel more akin to him than I do to the title "Woman lit by . . ." "
— Ann, 7/20/2013 -
" I was so amazed at how well Jim H was able to make this female so real. "
— Sally, 4/17/2013 -
" cemented my <3 for the author. "
— Alison, 4/7/2013 -
" I loaned this book to my friend Joanna, I believe. I have yet to get it back! And worst of all, I fear she has loaned it or given it to someone else! Damn. "
— Kate, 11/16/2012 -
" I loved the title story in this collection of three novellas, about a woman who impulsively runs away from her life and reflects back on it. The other two stories, while well-written, didn't grab me as much, particularly as I had a hard time liking the character of B.D. in the first story. "
— Larisa, 6/27/2012 -
" <3 Brown Dog "
— Marisa, 6/25/2012 -
" I learned how to drink rum while reading this book. Harrisons is the man "
— James, 3/17/2012 -
" Although the center novella disappoints (I didn't care about any of the characters, and the ending was a flat surprise), the first and third deliver beautifully. I always love his efficient style and honesty, his lusty humor. "
— Angie, 2/6/2012 -
" Another one by Harrison. This one may explain his affinity for hiding in thickets. "
— Tom, 10/16/2011 -
" Jim Harrison used to live not too far away from my childhood summer residence. It is the most beautiful place in the world. It's not too hard to write good books by the lake and in the woods. Really great prose. "
— Melinda, 6/3/2011 -
" Seemed OK, but didn't make me want to explore this author further. "
— Lynn, 4/19/2011 -
" Three interesting, very compact novellas. My gave was the title story. "
— Michele, 4/4/2011 -
" Had read a good review of this, but realized as I was reading it, the review was only about the third novella, and all three stories were unrelated. Wouldn't recommend any of them, actually. "
— Barb, 1/17/2011 -
" One of his better ones. "
— Kim, 1/3/2011 -
" Love the 1st and 3rd story. Found the middle piece so-so. "
— Travis, 12/11/2010 -
" after Brown Dog it kinda fell short ... "
— Charlie, 11/13/2010 -
" <br/> <br/>A good break from reading books by women, mostly. Harrison's hero is an unrepentant sexist, low-life, <br/>funny guy, much like the author one feels, writes like a dream. "
— Katherine, 7/12/2010 -
" I was so amazed at how well Jim H was able to make this female so real. "
— Sally, 11/14/2009 -
" Another one by Harrison. This one may explain his affinity for hiding in thickets. "
— Tom, 8/24/2009 -
" 3 stories - i liked the first story (Brown Dog) but wasnt interested in the other 2. "
— Jenna, 8/20/2009 -
" Although the center novella disappoints (I didn't care about any of the characters, and the ending was a flat surprise), the first and third deliver beautifully. I always love his efficient style and honesty, his lusty humor. "
— Angie, 1/31/2009 -
" O man, that Brown Dog! I feel more akin to him than I do to the title "Woman lit by . . ." <br/> <br/> "
— Ann, 12/8/2008 -
" I loaned this book to my friend Joanna, I believe. I have yet to get it back! And worst of all, I fear she has loaned it or given it to someone else! Damn. "
— Kate, 9/17/2008 -
" Jim Harrison used to live not too far away from my childhood summer residence. It is the most beautiful place in the world. It's not too hard to write good books by the lake and in the woods. Really great prose. "
— Melinda, 5/4/2008
About Jim Harrison
Jim Harrison (1937–2016) was the author of over thirty-five books of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction, including Legends of the Fall, The Road Home, The English Major, and The Farmer’s Daughter. His writing appeared in the New Yorker, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Playboy, and the New York Times. He earned a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Spirit of the West Award from the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association. His work has been recognized worldwide and published in twenty-two languages.
About the Narrators
Ray Porter has garnered two Audie nominations as well as several Earphones Awards and enthusiastic reviews for his sparkling narration of audiobooks. A fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he has also appeared in numerous films and television shows.
Carrington MacDuffie is a voice actor and recording artist who has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, received numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has been a frequent finalist for the Audie Award, including for her original audiobook, Many Things Invisible. Alongside her narration work, she has released a new album of original songs, Only an Angel.
Lorna Raver, named one of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voices of the Year, has received numerous Audie Award nominations and many AudioFile Earphones Awards. She has appeared on stage in New York, Los Angeles, and regional theaters around the country. Among her many television credits are NYPD Blue, Judging Amy, Boston Legal, ER, and Star Trek. She starred in director Sam Raimi’s film Drag Me to Hell.