
Five Smooth Stones
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Sean Crisden
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By:
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Ann Fairbairn
About this listen
David Champlin is a Black man born into poverty in Depression-era New Orleans who achieves great success and then sacrifices everything to lead his people in the difficult, day-by-day struggle of the civil rights movement. Sara Kent is the beloved and vital White girl who loved David from the moment she first saw him, but they struggled over David's belief that a marriage for them would not be right in the violent world he had to confront.
Likening the struggle of Black Americans to the "five smooth stones" the biblical David carried against Goliath in lieu of arms, this novel's range encompasses decades and continents - but that range is insignificant compared with the intimate picture of its hero's irresistible warmth and inner conflicts. First published in 1966, this epic has become one of the most loved American best sellers.
©1966 Ann Fairbain (P)2021 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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Extraordinary story & production
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Powerful Story
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Reading
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Five Smooth Stones
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The characters had so many distinct personalities.
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Holds up after all these years.
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Read this in my late teens
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Maye
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Very nice job on the narration.
If you liked this, you might want to track down a copy of the long out of print book, That Man Cartwright, also by Fairbairn. It has Chuck as a fairly important character. Deals with the California farm workers struggle. It’s somewhat better written than Five Smooth Stones.
One thing that surprised me on this rereading (well, listening) was that during David’s college experience, being accused of homosexuality was considered to be an absolute horror (the homosexuality, not the accusation). I remember thinking nothing of that when I first read the book; seemed right to me. Times change.
An old favorite
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Special book
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