
The Desert Between Us
A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $21.80
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Phyllis Barber
-
By:
-
Phyllis Barber
About this listen
The 2020 Reading the West Book Awards, Longlist for Fiction
A 2020 Association for Morman Letters finalist, Fiction
The Desert Between Us is a sweeping, multilayered novel based on the US government’s decision to open more routes to California during the Gold Rush. To help navigate this waterless, largely unexplored territory, the War Department imported 75 camels from the Middle East to help traverse the brutal terrain that was murderous on other livestock.
Geoffrey Scott, one of the roadbuilders, decides to venture north to discover new opportunities in the opening of the American West when he - and the camels - are no longer needed. Geoffrey arrives in St. Thomas, Nevada, a polygamous settlement caught up in territorial fights over boundaries and new taxation. There, he falls in love with Sophia Hughes, a hatmaker obsessed with beauty and the third wife of a polygamist. Geoffrey believes Sophia wants to be free of polygamy and go away with him to a better life, but Sophia’s motivations are not so easily understood. She had become committed to Mormon beliefs in England and had moved to Utah Territory to assuage her spiritual needs.
The death of Sophia’s child and her illicit relationship with Geoffrey generate a complex nexus where her new love for Geoffrey competes with societal expectations and a rugged West seeking domesticity. When faced with the opportunity to move away from her polygamist husband and her tumultuous life in St. Thomas, Sophia becomes tormented by a life-changing decision she must face alone.
©2020 Phyllis Barber (P)2021 University of Nevada PressListeners also enjoyed...
-
Beloved
- By: Toni Morrison
- Narrated by: Toni Morrison
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. Sethe has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.
-
-
Author-read Books
- By John R Williford on 07-14-06
By: Toni Morrison
-
Circling the Sun
- A Novel
- By: Paula McLain
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This powerful novel transports listeners to the breathtaking world of Out of Africa—1920s Kenya—and reveals the extraordinary adventures of Beryl Markham, a woman before her time. Brought to Kenya from England by pioneering parents dreaming of a new life on an African farm, Beryl is raised unconventionally, developing a fierce will and a love of all things wild.
-
-
Pro: It made me want to read "West With the Night"
- By Ilana on 08-01-15
By: Paula McLain
-
The Son
- By: Philipp Meyer
- Narrated by: Will Patton, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Shepherd, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Part epic of Texas, part classic coming-of-age story, part unflinching examination of the bloody price of power, The Son is a gripping and utterly transporting novel that maps the legacy of violence in the American west with rare emotional acuity, even as it presents an intimate portrait of one family across two centuries. Eli McCullough is just twelve-years-old when a marauding band of Comanche storm his Texas homestead and brutally murder his mother and sister, taking him as a captive.
-
-
Five Stars for the Lone Star, The Son, & Meyer
- By Mel on 06-04-13
By: Philipp Meyer
-
Where the Lost Wander
- A Novel
- By: Amy Harmon
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo, Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at 20. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both. But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death. Even as John and Naomi are drawn to each other, the trials of the journey and their disparate pasts work to keep them apart.
-
-
Good story, bad reader
- By LoverofClassics on 06-09-20
By: Amy Harmon
-
A Sweetness to the Soul
- By: Jane Kirkpatrick
- Narrated by: Susan Denaker
- Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on historical characters and events, A Sweetness to the Soul recounts the captivating story of young, spirited Oregon pioneer Jane Herbert who at the age of 12 faces a tragedy that begins a life-long search for forgiveness and love. In the years that follow, young Jane finds herself involved in an unusual and touching romance with a dreamer 16 years her senior, struggles to make peace with an emotionally distant mother, and fights to build a family of her own.
-
-
Unexpected Treat
- By Sarah D. on 12-15-11
By: Jane Kirkpatrick
-
The Hunger
- By: Alma Katsu
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tamsen Donner must be a witch. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone—or something—is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow an experimental route West, or just bad luck - the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest adventures in history.
-
-
Soap opera posing as horror
- By Karen Weaver on 03-23-18
By: Alma Katsu
-
Beloved
- By: Toni Morrison
- Narrated by: Toni Morrison
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. Sethe has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.
-
-
Author-read Books
- By John R Williford on 07-14-06
By: Toni Morrison
-
Circling the Sun
- A Novel
- By: Paula McLain
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This powerful novel transports listeners to the breathtaking world of Out of Africa—1920s Kenya—and reveals the extraordinary adventures of Beryl Markham, a woman before her time. Brought to Kenya from England by pioneering parents dreaming of a new life on an African farm, Beryl is raised unconventionally, developing a fierce will and a love of all things wild.
-
-
Pro: It made me want to read "West With the Night"
- By Ilana on 08-01-15
By: Paula McLain
-
The Son
- By: Philipp Meyer
- Narrated by: Will Patton, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Shepherd, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Part epic of Texas, part classic coming-of-age story, part unflinching examination of the bloody price of power, The Son is a gripping and utterly transporting novel that maps the legacy of violence in the American west with rare emotional acuity, even as it presents an intimate portrait of one family across two centuries. Eli McCullough is just twelve-years-old when a marauding band of Comanche storm his Texas homestead and brutally murder his mother and sister, taking him as a captive.
-
-
Five Stars for the Lone Star, The Son, & Meyer
- By Mel on 06-04-13
By: Philipp Meyer
-
Where the Lost Wander
- A Novel
- By: Amy Harmon
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo, Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at 20. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both. But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death. Even as John and Naomi are drawn to each other, the trials of the journey and their disparate pasts work to keep them apart.
-
-
Good story, bad reader
- By LoverofClassics on 06-09-20
By: Amy Harmon
-
A Sweetness to the Soul
- By: Jane Kirkpatrick
- Narrated by: Susan Denaker
- Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on historical characters and events, A Sweetness to the Soul recounts the captivating story of young, spirited Oregon pioneer Jane Herbert who at the age of 12 faces a tragedy that begins a life-long search for forgiveness and love. In the years that follow, young Jane finds herself involved in an unusual and touching romance with a dreamer 16 years her senior, struggles to make peace with an emotionally distant mother, and fights to build a family of her own.
-
-
Unexpected Treat
- By Sarah D. on 12-15-11
By: Jane Kirkpatrick
-
The Hunger
- By: Alma Katsu
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tamsen Donner must be a witch. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone—or something—is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow an experimental route West, or just bad luck - the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest adventures in history.
-
-
Soap opera posing as horror
- By Karen Weaver on 03-23-18
By: Alma Katsu
-
Comanche Moon
- By: Anita Mills
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Can a rough Texas Ranger overcome a woman’s hardened heart? Amanda Ross returns from her Boston finishing school to claim the Texas ranch her parents died fighting to protect. Determined to protect the sprawling ranch that has been in her family for generations, Amanda hates the Comanche people for taking away her only family. Clay McAlester may be a Texas Ranger, but he identifies most strongly with the Comanche people that raised him.
-
-
They Don't Write them Like this Anymore...
- By D. Fields on 10-31-18
By: Anita Mills
-
Montana Dawn: McCutcheon Family Series, Book 1
- By: Caroline Fyffe
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Luke McCutcheon finds Faith Brown about to give birth in her rickety wagon, his first instincts are to ride for help. Instead, he stays and delivers a beautiful baby girl. Unable to leave the pretty young widow and her little son and newborn unprotected in the Montana wilderness, he brings them along on his family's cattle drive, to the absolute delight of the other friendly cowboys.
-
-
Fabulous and sweet story!
- By Ro on 08-02-14
By: Caroline Fyffe
-
Leaving Independence
- By: Leanne W. Smith
- Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since she received word that her husband, Robert, was killed in the Civil War, Abigail has struggled to keep her Tennessee home and family together. Then a letter arrives claiming that Robert isn't dead, yet he has no plans to return. Desperate for answers, Abigail travels to Independence, Missouri, where she joins a westbound wagon train to find him.
-
-
Wonderful story, brilliant performance
- By KrsTea on 06-15-18
By: Leanne W. Smith
-
The Water Seeker
- By: Kimberly Willis Holt
- Narrated by: Will Patton
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amos Kincaid is the son of a dowser a person gifted in knowing how to find water deep in the ground. As a young person, Amos doesnt reveal his gift to others; hes not sure he wants the burden. But through his experiences growing up and crossing the Oregon Trail, Amos learns about lifes harsh realities, especially the pain in losing loved ones. As he cares for those around him, Amos comes to accept his dowsing fate.
-
-
A WONDERFUL SURPRISE
- By William on 07-26-10
-
This Road We Traveled
- By: Jane Kirkpatrick
- Narrated by: Donna Postel
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three generations of the Brown women travel west together on the Oregon Trail, but each seeks something different. When the trail divides, a decision must be made that could bring survival or tragedy. The challenges faced will form the character of one woman - and impact the future for many more.
-
-
This book should come under the genre of Christian novel
- By Peggy Calcagnie on 11-12-19
By: Jane Kirkpatrick
-
Whiskey When We're Dry
- By: John Larison
- Narrated by: Sophie Amoss
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 1885, 17-year-old Jessilyn Harney finds herself orphaned and alone on her family's homestead. Desperate to fend off starvation and predatory neighbors, she cuts off her hair, binds her chest, saddles her beloved mare, and sets off across the mountains to find her outlaw brother Noah and bring him home. A talented sharpshooter herself, Jess' quest lands her in the employ of the territory's violent, capricious governor, whose militia is also hunting Noah - dead or alive.
-
-
Surprisingly fantastic
- By stuartjash on 08-14-19
By: John Larison
-
Wench
- A Novel
- By: Dolen Perkins-Valdez
- Narrated by: Quincy Tyler Bernstine
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tawawa House in many respects is like any other American resort before the Civil War. Situated in Ohio, this idyllic retreat is particularly nice in the summer when the Southern humidity is too much to bear. The main building, with its luxurious finishes, is loftier than the white cottages that flank it, but the smaller structures are better positioned to catch any breeze that may come off the pond. And they provide more privacy, which best suits the needs of the Southern white men who vacation there every summer.
-
-
Fascinating and disturbing, an amazing debut...
- By Donna on 02-15-11
-
When Mountains Move
- By: Julie Cantrell
- Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Millie’s mind is racing and there seems to be no clear line between right and wrong. Either path leads to pain, and she’ll do anything to protect the ones she loves. So she decides to bury the truth and begin again, helping Bump launch a ranch in the wilds of Colorado. But just when she thinks she’s left her old Mississippi life behind, the facts surface in the most challenging way.
-
-
sequel - into the free
- By Angie on 12-07-21
By: Julie Cantrell
-
Citizens Creek
- A Novel
- By: Lalita Tademy
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, J. D. Jackson
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cow Tom, born into slavery in Alabama in 1810 and sold to a Creek Indian chief before his 10th birthday, possessed an extraordinary gift: the ability to master languages. As the new country developed westward, and Indians, settlers, and blacks came into constant contact, Cow Tom became a key translator for his Creek master and was hired out to US military generals.
-
-
Who Knew Native Americans Owned Slaves?
- By Denyse on 01-11-16
By: Lalita Tademy
-
These Is My Words
- The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901
- By: Nancy E. Turner
- Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author's own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier. Scrupulously recording her steps down the path Providence has set her upon - from child to determined young adult to loving mother.
-
-
Worst Narration I've Encountered in a Long Time
- By jingles on 10-30-15
By: Nancy E. Turner
-
Daughter of Twin Oaks
- A Secret Refuge, Book 1
- By: Lauraine Snelling
- Narrated by: Meredith Mitchell
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seeking to fulfill the promise she made to her dying father, 18-year-old Jesselynn Highwood determines to take her little brother and the family's remaining thoroughbreds from the Twin Oaks plantation in Kentucky to her uncle's farm in Missouri, where they will be safe for the remainder of the Civil War.
-
-
Love the story
- By sewingforfun on 09-06-15
-
Texas Rain
- By: Jodi Thomas
- Narrated by: Linda Stephens
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Readers’ Choice Award winner Jodi Thomas pens a touching, passionate tale about never giving up on love. Texas Ranger Travis McMurray prefers chasing outlaws to being cooped up in domestic life. But all that changes when he meets Rainey, a stunning beauty who steals not only his heart—but his horse. On the run from an arranged marriage, Rainey wants to start a new life inthe West—but will Travis be able to track her down before she disappears for good?
-
-
Good Story - Bad Narration
- By sophie on 12-04-10
By: Jodi Thomas
Critic reviews
"Barber’s exquisite prose captures the beauty and the grandeur of the arid red rock country as well as Sophia’s longing for human connection and her struggle with duty and desire. Geoffrey Scott reminds her of how love can change a person and her world, and the camel takes it all in, placidly watching - as immovable as the desert." (Michele Morris, author of The Cowboy Life)