Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio, #partner for the ALC of The Levee in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published: February 28, 2023
Summary:
An audio original novella from the bestselling author of Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, The Levee is a powerful, captivating story of a family, a storm, a complicated rescue, and the true cost of survival.
It’s 1927, and the most devastating flood in American history has swelled the Mississippi River to a width of eighty miles. In an attempt to save a family trapped by the rising water, four men in a tiny rowboat battle the treacherous flow: three are convicts, on loan from the local prison and pressed into service; the fourth, the leader of the team, is driven by his own hidden motives. But to their surprise upon arrival at Ballymore, an ancestral home protected by a high, circular levee, not everyone in the family feels the need to be saved. Pride, greed, loyalty, and even love create their own complex currents behind the massive wall. As the threat from the flood increases and time ticks away, the crew and the family must decide on a course of action, and a desperate plan is hatched to save the weakening levee and all it was built to protect.
The Levee is a propulsive, heartfelt tale of courage, cowardice, and sacrifice in a historic moment when the indomitable human spirit is pitted against the awesome and destructive power of nature.
My thoughts:
I read This Tender Land when it came out back in 2019 and absolutely loved it! I even got to read William Kent Krueger an have been meaning to read more of his books, but you know how that goes…too many books, not enough time! So when I was presented with the opportunity to listen to this audiobook novella, I jumped at it…and am so glad I did because it proved to me just how phenomenal this man’s writing truly is!
This man has such a powerful way with words – managing to completely captivate you and pull you into a story such that you feel as if you are right there. And even though this story is not even 4 hours long, I felt that the characters were still fully flushed out. Even more remarkable is how thought-provoking it is, given the length.
The pacing is perfect and while this is not a thriller, it certainly has those moments where you cannot help but wonder what is coming to come next. It’s action-packed, though not to the point of being too much. And I loved how the theme of man vs nature was woven in along with the other themes. Living on the water, I can appreciate the fear of the water rising, though not to the extent that the characters experienced it here. But that idea of the flood brings many emotions and I felt that – that extreme duress that comes when nature comes barreling down at you and everything you own is at risk.
This book reinforced my love of William Kent Krueger’s writing and I cannot wait to read more of his books. If you haven’t read anything before and enjoy audiobooks, I would recommend starting here. For now, this is an audio-only novella.
Audio thoughts:
J.D. Jackson does a fantastic job narrating this one. His pacing and intonation are spot on and I just loved the voices he gave for all the characters. He really brings his A-game to this narration and I enjoyed listening to this one immensely!
