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book_concierge's review
4.0
Book on CD performed by Dale Dickey
There is only one family left in the path of the lake. It’s summer 1936, and Annie Clyde Dodson stubbornly refuses to leave the farm that has been in her family for generations, despite the warnings of the government men who tell her that the new dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority will cause the Long Man River to flood and forever cover the land with the lake that will form. She and her daughter have just two days before they’ll be forcibly evicted when 3-year-old Gracie disappears. Did she wander off? Or was she taken by the drifter that recently appeared?
Greene delivers a riveting story that explores the question: What cost, progress? Annie Clyde is a treasure. Not only is she strong-willed, but she is tenacious in her efforts to protect her family. Her pleas with her husband to stay with her and not give up the fight moved me deeply. And yet … certainly she was being foolhardy. No one – no matter how stubborn or how “right” - was going to win against the TVA and the encroaching lake waters. The Dodson’s loss of their home is representative of the hundreds of families displaced by such projects.
The novel is peopled with strong characters, from Beulah Kesterson, who found and raised the abandoned child, Amos, to Sam Washburn, the TVA agent who sympathizes and helps the Dodsons in their search for Gracie. I did get a little lost with the interconnected relationships between Sheriff Ellard Moody, Amos, Silver Ledford and Mary. These kinds of competing loyalties are what made the decisions so difficult: to stay or to go, to delay or to embrace change.
Dale Dickey gives a superb performance on the audio. Listening to her was like listening to these characters tell the tale. Her narration really put me into 1936 rural Tennessee.
There is only one family left in the path of the lake. It’s summer 1936, and Annie Clyde Dodson stubbornly refuses to leave the farm that has been in her family for generations, despite the warnings of the government men who tell her that the new dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority will cause the Long Man River to flood and forever cover the land with the lake that will form. She and her daughter have just two days before they’ll be forcibly evicted when 3-year-old Gracie disappears. Did she wander off? Or was she taken by the drifter that recently appeared?
Greene delivers a riveting story that explores the question: What cost, progress? Annie Clyde is a treasure. Not only is she strong-willed, but she is tenacious in her efforts to protect her family. Her pleas with her husband to stay with her and not give up the fight moved me deeply. And yet … certainly she was being foolhardy. No one – no matter how stubborn or how “right” - was going to win against the TVA and the encroaching lake waters. The Dodson’s loss of their home is representative of the hundreds of families displaced by such projects.
The novel is peopled with strong characters, from Beulah Kesterson, who found and raised the abandoned child, Amos, to Sam Washburn, the TVA agent who sympathizes and helps the Dodsons in their search for Gracie. I did get a little lost with the interconnected relationships between Sheriff Ellard Moody, Amos, Silver Ledford and Mary. These kinds of competing loyalties are what made the decisions so difficult: to stay or to go, to delay or to embrace change.
Dale Dickey gives a superb performance on the audio. Listening to her was like listening to these characters tell the tale. Her narration really put me into 1936 rural Tennessee.
jackielayla's review
3.0
A good read. Was a captivating story but was at times tough to read - there were few breaks - not many chapters, not nearly enough paragraph breaks.
mmhatton06's review
a very interesting read with well developed characters; i felt very connected to them. I didnt want this book to end!
carolpk's review
A Gem!
The Hook - Thoroughly enjoyed Bloodroot so welcomed the opportunity to read another book by Amy Greene.
The Line - It occurred to a character “that love was so often a burden”.
Another character states ”He thought of her at that last molasses making, dancing in the firelight. Nobody could take their eyes off her because she was hope right there in the middle of them.” This excerpt sums up what I felt as I closed this book. Hope.
The Sinker – Briefly Long Man is the story of a few Appalachian families that refuse to leave their homesteads when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) decides in 1936 to dam the Long River and flood the town of Yunettah. Despite the impending floodwaters, Annie Clyde Dodson has nothing but this mountaintop patch of land to leave her daughter, three-year old Gracie and is holding out. When Gracie goes missing, the need to stay till she’s found is all the more paramount.
Long Man is not a graphic novel but is one of the best examples of graphic prose I have read in a long time. Amy Greene has written a novel that transforms the black and white of the written page into a lush depiction of person, place and thing. I saw the land, the hills, the valleys, the river, the dam. I saw the characters, as each is introduced, in their clothing, their homes, living on their land and going about their daily lives. Their faces came alive allowing me to see them, to know them, to feel their needs, pain, joys, loves, sorrow and hope. The birds, the plants, the trees, even the dirt, the roots and waterbeds jump off the pages; nature in all its glory. Like a trickling brook this story builds to a roar. If you’ve ever wondered why people choose to ignore evacuating during a mandatory evacuation, Long Man may bring understanding.
The Random House audio edition is narrated by Dale Dickey who brings the flavor of the locale to its reading.
The Hook - Thoroughly enjoyed Bloodroot so welcomed the opportunity to read another book by Amy Greene.
The Line - It occurred to a character “that love was so often a burden”.
Another character states ”He thought of her at that last molasses making, dancing in the firelight. Nobody could take their eyes off her because she was hope right there in the middle of them.” This excerpt sums up what I felt as I closed this book. Hope.
The Sinker – Briefly Long Man is the story of a few Appalachian families that refuse to leave their homesteads when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) decides in 1936 to dam the Long River and flood the town of Yunettah. Despite the impending floodwaters, Annie Clyde Dodson has nothing but this mountaintop patch of land to leave her daughter, three-year old Gracie and is holding out. When Gracie goes missing, the need to stay till she’s found is all the more paramount.
Long Man is not a graphic novel but is one of the best examples of graphic prose I have read in a long time. Amy Greene has written a novel that transforms the black and white of the written page into a lush depiction of person, place and thing. I saw the land, the hills, the valleys, the river, the dam. I saw the characters, as each is introduced, in their clothing, their homes, living on their land and going about their daily lives. Their faces came alive allowing me to see them, to know them, to feel their needs, pain, joys, loves, sorrow and hope. The birds, the plants, the trees, even the dirt, the roots and waterbeds jump off the pages; nature in all its glory. Like a trickling brook this story builds to a roar. If you’ve ever wondered why people choose to ignore evacuating during a mandatory evacuation, Long Man may bring understanding.
The Random House audio edition is narrated by Dale Dickey who brings the flavor of the locale to its reading.
emilyisreading2024's review
5.0
Another evocative and haunting book from Amy Greene. This is different than Bloodroot due to the "ticking clock" suspense element but similar in that both are character-driven.
fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
This was one of the most boring books I read. Why did I keep going??? I should've DNF'd it. I had a really hard time paying attention and had to go back again and again to reread passages. I'm sure there is a lot to the book of merit, but I couldn't get past my boredom to find out what that was.
janelleesch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ashfantastic98's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0