
The Fire and the Ore
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Marli Watson
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Billie Fulford-Brown
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By:
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Olivia Hawker
About this listen
Three spirited wives in nineteenth-century Utah. One husband. A compelling novel of family, sisterhood, and survival by the Washington Post bestselling author of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow.
1857. Three women—once strangers—come together in unpredictable Utah Territory. Hopeful, desperate, and willful, they’ll allow nothing on Earth or in Heaven to stand in their way.
Following the call of their newfound Mormon faith, Tamar Loader and her family weather a brutal pilgrimage from England to Utah, where Tamar is united with her destined husband, Thomas Ricks. Clinging to a promise for the future, she abides an unexpected surprise: Thomas is already wedded to one woman—Tabitha, a local healer—and betrothed to still another.
Orphaned by tragedy and stranded in the Salt Lake Valley, Jane Shupe struggles to provide for herself and her younger sister. She is no member of the Mormon migration, yet Jane agrees to marry Thomas. Out of necessity, with no love lost, she too must bear the trials of a sister-wife.
But when the US Army’s invasion brings the rebellious Mormon community to heel, Tamar, Jane, and Tabitha are forced to retreat into the hostile desert wilderness with little in common but the same man—and the resolve to keep themselves and their children alive. What they discover, as one, is redemption, a new definition of family, and a bond stronger than matrimony that is tested like never before.
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Critic reviews
“An interesting and readable story, but what makes it more profound is that all these characters actually existed, with nearly unchanged backstories.”—Booklist
“A deeply moving novel that is so beautifully crafted you can’t help but feel the sun beat down on your back or the snow bite into your skin. The evocative setting and well-researched history combined with nuanced characters make this novel one not to miss.”—Historical Novels Review
“With The Fire and the Ore, Olivia Hawker delivers a compelling and epic novel that proves she is a master of her craft, a storyteller of supreme talent. This book is all heart. It’s meticulously researched, brilliantly constructed, and rich with historical detail. On top of all that, it’s a stunning and breathtaking page-turner…This is, quite simply, a beautiful book that readers will love and devour.”—Julianne MacLean, USA Today bestselling author
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- By Paul MadsenKindle Customer on 12-27-22
By: Olivia Hawker
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Where the Lost Wander
- A Novel
- By: Amy Harmon
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo, Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Good story, bad reader
- By LoverofClassics on 06-09-20
By: Amy Harmon
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Whiskey When We're Dry
- By: John Larison
- Narrated by: Sophie Amoss
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Surprisingly fantastic
- By stuartjash on 08-14-19
By: John Larison
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Where Coyotes Howl
- By: Sandra Dallas
- Narrated by: Stephanie Németh-Parker
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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1916. The two-street town of Wallace is not exactly what Ellen Webster had in mind when she accepted a teaching position in Wyoming, but within a year’s time she’s fallen in love—both with the High Plains and with a handsome cowboy named Charlie Bacon. Life is not easy in the flat, brown corner of the state where winter blizzards are unforgiving and the summer heat relentless. But Ellen and Charlie face it all together, their relationship growing stronger with each shared success, and each deeply felt tragedy.
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Horrible ending
- By lisa campbell on 04-24-23
By: Sandra Dallas
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When the Jessamine Grows
- By: Donna Everhart
- Narrated by: Tiffany Morgan
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Talk of impending war is a steady drumbeat throughout North Carolina, though Joetta McBride pays it little heed. She and her husband, Ennis, have built a modest but happy life for themselves, raising two sons, fifteen-year-old Henry, and eleven-year-old Robert, on their small subsistence farm. They do not support the Confederacy's position on slavery, but Joetta considers her family to be neutral, believing this is simply not their fight. Her opinion is not favored by many in their community, including Joetta's own father-in-law, Rudean.
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Fabulous Civil War era story
- By George P. on 01-28-24
By: Donna Everhart
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Light to the Hills
- A Novel
- By: Bonnie Blaylock
- Narrated by: Shannon McManus
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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The folks in the Kentucky Appalachians are scraping by. Coal mining and hardscrabble know-how are a way of life for these isolated people. But when Amanda Rye, a young widowed mother and traveling packhorse librarian, comes through a mountain community hit hard by the nation’s economic collapse, she brings with her hope, courage, and apple pie.
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I love this story!
- By Robert on 12-01-22
By: Bonnie Blaylock
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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
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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.
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Worst Narration I've Encountered in a Long Time
- By jingles on 10-30-15
By: Nancy E. Turner
What listeners say about The Fire and the Ore
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- Lisa Van
- 05-27-23
Absolutely fascinating!
Olivia Hawker is a phenomenal writer! I learned so much from this story about the Mormons - their incredibly difficult migration across the plains to Utah, their beliefs, their history of persecution, and the polygamous lifestyle of some members.
I look forward eagerly to her next novel.
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- LBlazer572
- 11-18-24
great story
such a wonderful telling of the pioneers struggles! great narration. really brought the story to life!
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- Paprika
- 05-10-23
Interesting but too religious
This is a very interesting historical novel. I learned a lot about the Mormon religion, the journeys Mormons undertook to Salt Lake City and the thorny interactions between Mormons and the Federal government. I’d never heard that some compared polygamy to slavery. I did not enjoy the overtly religious sections… the visions, etc.
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- L. Jobson
- 10-18-22
Beautifully written & thought provoking
I got hooked on Olivia Hawker's prose while reading One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow. The Fire and the Ore is another masterfully written book. It would have been an intriguing historical novel even if it was "only" about the very different lives of three women on the American Frontier in the 1850s, but it was so much more. I had very little knowledge of the Mormon culture, Deseret, and the early years of the Utah Territory, before reading this novel. The book got me so intrigued, that I found myself searching for images of places, as I went along. Reading about the Mormon handcart migration was horrific. What a tragic journey.
It is a story of overcoming adversity, of female friendships, chosen family, and faith. It is also a history lesson on why gender equality matters, especially in the most vulnerable of positions. Hawker threaded the story masterfully by not taking ideological sides on polygamy, and rather addressing the many complicated feelings directly. As I followed the characters' physical and emotional journeys, I got to understand their reasons.
The author's note at the end adds more authenticity to the story. I ended up searching for each character, and the importance of telling this narrative was reinforced in even more clarity, when I found long entries of the men's lives, but only names, dates of birth/death, and number of children had, for the women. Not allowing the stories of women, whose societal value was directly tied to whom they married and how many live children they birthed, is essential to understand both our past and our future.
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2 people found this helpful
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- E=MC2
- 12-10-22
Wonderful Read
Fascinating book …hopefully there will be another book from her on this subject … definitely recommend!
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- Ev
- 02-22-23
decent historical fiction
This book contained new perspectives I've never considered. There was a good balance of multiple perspectives offered within the book, as well.
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- Debbie R.
- 07-03-24
Great historical fiction
I learned so much about the Mormon migration and the resistance to their way of life. I did not find out until the end of the book that these were actual people and they are related to the author. Fantastic narration, and excellent story.
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- Sparky
- 01-10-23
As an Audiobook-Did not like
I got this book because it was my book club's selection for the month. This is the first time I thought the audible book was worse than the printed copy. I did not enjoy the narration and it carried over to not enjoying the book, About half way through I gave up and got the printed copy and liked it more. The author's notes at the end were interesting, but strangely for me, I was disappointed that she fictionalized so much while using the actual names, etc. It has made me more interested in the history of Mormonism.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Book Bug!
- 03-28-23
Love this Book and author!
Olivia Hawker is one of my favorite historical fiction writers. The style of her writing, and the actual facts she uses of the history she writes about is a huge success of her books I believe. The reader becomes a part of the adventures that the characters share. It was interesting to hear the history of the Mormons. I had known nothing about their origins. I love the fact that any discrepancies or fabrication in her books she explains in her extensive author’s note. She shares so much about the historical time and those she wrote about other than what was presented in her book in the author’s note. I love her work! The narrators were excellent also!
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- Sally Farrington
- 12-17-23
Just my cup of tea.
I found it very difficult to understand when I started the book I got halfway through and figured out how to slow the narration down it worked perfectly, so I read it again
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